In remarks to the media at the release of the Revenue's 2006 annual report, chairman Frank Daly detailed new measures meant to encourage taxpayers to claim back their tax overpayments. Later this year age-related and union membership credits will be automatically granted, while automatic refunds for certain medical expenses, pharmacy costs and tuition fees are in the pipeline for 2008.

The chairman's emphasis on helping taxpayers claim their due comes six weeks after the Joint Committee on Finance and Public Service issued a report essentially blaming Revenue for an estimated 350m in accumulated unclaimed entitlements . . . a state of affairs for which Revenue was reluctant to take sole responsibility. The report said Revenue's efforts to communicate with taxpayers to help them take full advantage of the system were "officious", "unintelligible" and "incomprehensible".

At the time, the Revenue defended itself by saying the system imposed by legislators was "complex and complicated" and that tax officials themselves would "prefer the simplest system possible". In 2006, the Revenue spent 700,000 on public awareness campaigns and distributed more than two million PAYE information leaflets.