Around €105m in Covid subsidies has been paid back by businesses, with more expected to be recouped by Revenue in the coming year.
Revenue has confirmed that around 3,300 employers have returned payments received under the employment wage subsidy scheme (EWSS), both under voluntary repayments and as a result of compliance checks.
“Revenue’s experience to date is that the vast majority of beneficiary businesses operate the subsidy schemes in good faith and in accordance with the underpinning legislation,” a spokesperson said.
As the Irish Examiner reports, the spokesperson confirmed that €105m has so far been returned for a number of reasons, including where amounts were incorrectly claimed as a result of clerical errors included in payroll submissions.
Other businesses have paid back the State support in instances where they were initially eligible for the scheme and correctly claimed payments but as a result of completing the required monthly eligibility review, their future performance forecast indicated they were no longer eligible.
Along with risk-based, real-time compliance checks, Revenue said there have been instances where individual applicants are contacted in relation to their participation in EWSS.
“To date, Revenue have completed compliance interventions in respect of just over 4,100 employers in accordance with the Code of Practice for Revenue Audit and Other Compliance Interventions,” it said.
“As a result of these interventions, Revenue has recouped approximately €24.7m from approximately 1,900 employers.
There are a number of ways in which businesses can repay EWSS amounts determined as a result of a compliance intervention.
Some businesses may make a repayment in full, while others may agree to repay in a phased payment arrangement. Such businesses may be eligible to avail of the debt warehousing scheme, which allows them to ‘park’ the amount owed on an interest-free basis until 2023.
The €105m, therefore, includes some but not all of the €24.7m arising as a result of EWSS compliance activity.
