Revenue identified specific shadow economy ‘risks’ for the sector following meetings with the Hair and Beauty Industry Confederation Ireland (HABIC) and the Irish Hairdressers Federation. It also monitors social media and examines tax returns in a bid to target rogue operators.
The minister for finance said the agency also urges members of the public and businesses in the hair and beauty sector to report suspicions of tax and duty evasion and provides assurances that all such reports will be treated as confidential.
In a pre-Budget submission, the CEO of HABIC warned that the “huge growth” of the black market was causing a staffing crisis for hair and beauty salons because so many experienced professionals were “choosing to continue working illegally” instead of returning to the workplace after the COVID-19 pandemic.