Compliance interventions were staged after information was provided through Revenue’s protected disclosures channels. These reports are made by workers who become aware of potential wrongdoing related to tax, duty or customs through their jobs.
In total, Revenue received 1,743 reports through its external reporting channels in 2025, up from 930 the previous year. However, only a portion of these met the criteria to be treated as protected disclosures. Some 241 were deemed to qualify, up from 171 in 2024.
The remaining reports largely related to suspected tax evasion that did not arise in a work-related context. These cases were referred to the relevant divisions within Revenue for further action.
Revenue said all disclosures that meet the criteria are subject to a risk assessment, with follow-up action taken where a business or individual is suspected of failing to meet their tax obligations.
Alongside the €1.5m collected, outcomes included new tax registrations, the withdrawal or cessation of tax registrations, debt collection through phased payment arrangements and the initiation of summary prosecutions in relation to excise offences.
There has been a further increase in the use of Revenue’s online reporting system. More than 35pc of all external reports in 2025 were submitted through the online form, while 42pc of those that qualified as protected disclosures were made using that channel.
Some 242 investigations were opened in 2025 as a result of disclosures and related activity while 118 investigations were completed during the year. At the end of the year, 192 investigations remained ongoing, with 68 carried over from previous years.
The median length of investigations completed in 2025 was 17 weeks, the report said.
All protected disclosures assessed during the year related to breaches of legal obligations, with no reports recorded under categories such as health and safety, environmental damage, or misuse of public funds. Less than 10 proceedings were initiated on foot of investigations in the calendar year.
Internally, Revenue received four protected disclosures from staff members in 2025. In three cases, no evidence of wrongdoing was found while one case resulted in changes to internal procedures.
“It has always been the case that Revenue welcomes all reports of information regarding suspected tax non-compliance or tax evasion,” said Leeann Kennedy, Revenue’s director of internal audit.
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