Multiple Products/Services Decision Reference 2026-0016

• Case Outcome: Rejected
• Year: 2026
• Reference: 2026-0016
• Date: 06 February 2026
• Subject Matter: Multiple Products/Services
• Finantial Sector: Insurance
• Conducts Complained Of: Fees & charges applied

Decision Ref:

2026-0016

Sector:

Insurance

Product / Service:

Multiple Products/Services

Conduct(s) complained of:

Fees & charges applied

Outcome:

Rejected

LEGALLY BINDING DECISION OF THE FINANCIAL SERVICES AND PENSIONS OMBUDSMAN

Background

The Complainant subscribed to a Tax Return Service with the Provider, a financial services

firm, from July 2003 to September 2022. This complaint relates to the Provider collecting

an annual payment for this service from the Complainant by way of a salary deduction

fortnightly, without ever notifying him that there was an ongoing charge for the service,

which he never used.

The Complainant’s Case

The Complainant says that in July 2003, he signed up for a Tax Return Service with the

Provider, a service whereby it would mainly prepare and file, on his behalf, tax returns

with the Revenue Commissioners (‘Revenue’).

The Complainant says that in August 2006, the Provider drafted tax returns for the years

2004 and 2005 and sent these to him for his approval to file but as he was dissatisfied with

its work on his returns and he did not consider these to have been completed correctly, he

did not give the Provider authorisation to file them with Revenue.

The Complainant says that since then, his annual tax returns have been prepared and

completed either by himself or by a third party, such that the Provider never filed a tax

return with Revenue for him.

- 2 -

/Cont’d…

The Complainant says he was unaware that the Provider continued to collect an annual

payment for this service by way of salary deduction fortnightly, a deduction that was

noted on his salary slips as “[Provider] Variable” rather than “Tax Return Service”. The

Complainant says that the other products which the Provider had arranged for him and

that were also paid by way of salary deduction, such as “Salary Protection” and “AVC

Pensions”, were clearly and readily identified as such on his fortnightly salary slips.

The Complainant says that he availed of a financial review with the Provider in September

2013, and in his letter to this Office dated 9 March 2022, he submits that:

“My finances were examined in great detail during this consultation. I have kept

this AFA [Annual Financial Audit] Summary Report as a guide for my financial

planning, retirement plans, etc …

The [Provider] staff member went through all of my financial incomings and

outgoings. At no point during this consultation was there ever a mention that I was

paying for a tax returns service by [the Provider]. In fact, it is expressly stated that I

was not paying for such a service. This is clearly evident in a full AFA Summary

Report which was given to me after this consultation, which I enclose”.

In this regard, the Complainant notes that the AFA Summary Report dated 20 September

2013, provides, as follows:

[Emphasis added]

Current Products being availed of through [the Provider]

Product

In Force

Contributions through Salary

PIP

No

€

per month

Home Insurance

No

€

per month

Motor Insurance

No

€

per month

SPS Cashback Plan

Yes

€0.00

per month

Pension Plan

No

€

per month

AVC Plan

Yes

€49.27

per month

Mortgage

No

€

per month

Bankline Loan

Yes

€0.00

per month

Investment Bond

No

€

per month

Salary Protection

Yes

€143.64

per month

[Tax Return Service]

Yes

€0.00

per month

Mentor

No

€

per month

Magister

No

€

per month

GLS

No

€

per month