Irish freight company goes to the wall . . .

LordSutch

400 jobs to go at Target Express freight company

Almost 400 people are to lose their jobs at Ireland's largest privately owned transport company College Freight after the company announced it had decided to cease trading. It's understood the company owed the Revenue Commissioners a sum in the region of €1m It's understood the company owed the Revenue Commissioners a sum in the region of €1m

The company which operates as Target Express employed 390 staff in the Republic & the UK. It's understood that the Revenue Commissioners placed attachments on the company's bank accounts last Friday, and that despite ongoing negotiations, the issues could not be resolved.

christmas2012

sad to hear more jobs lost its a disgrace to our country something needs to be done

frag420

christmas2012 wrote: »

sad to hear more jobs lost its a disgrace to our country something needs to be done

It's a disgrace they didnt pay their taxes and not put their staff at risk of losing their livelihood!!

Biggins

Goodness, I've used Target Express myself at times.
Sorry to hear this.

Boombastic

Should have made it 1.4million they owed and ripped off the pension fund, would have gotten away with it then and 400 people would still be employed

Lawrence1895

Is that a part of the Blueshirt's 10 point plan for job creation?

Fr_Dougal

frag420 wrote: »

It's a disgrace they didnt pay their taxes and not put their staff at risk of losing their livelihood!!

Like Mick Wallace?

frag420

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

frag420 wrote: »

It's a disgrace they didnt pay their taxes and not put their staff at risk of losing their livelihood!!

Like Mick Wallace?

Indeed!!

SocSocPol

Really sorry to see more job losses but in truth Target were a highly unreliable company, I say this as a small business owner that was let down, and my customers let so often that we not only stoppped using them, we declined to accept deliveries from suppliers who were using them as they were so unreliable.
Hopefully the staff will be hired by other companies who will now be competing for their business.

SocSocPol

Lars1916 wrote: »

Is that a part of the Blueshirt's 10 point plan for job creation?

How are the Government responsible for the actions of a poorly performing company who chose not to pay their taxes?

homerjay2005

frag420 wrote: »

It's a disgrace they didnt pay their taxes and not put their staff at risk of losing their livelihood!!

nonsense, the revenue come across as the most brainless of people that ever lived. that tax bill, which probably now will remain unpaid, will be dwarfed by the social welfare payments that (yet alone the future tax payments) will need to be paid now to these people.

there has to be other ways of getting the money back besides putting them to the wall.

PieForPi

Lars1916 wrote: »

Is that a part of the Blueshirt's 10 point plan for job creation?

Tell me now, professor, what part of this involves Fine Gael?

privately owned transport company College Freight after the company announced it had decided to cease trading. It's understood the company owed the Revenue Commissioners a sum in the region of €1m

Oh and did you forget that Labour are part of Government too? Or did it simply not suit you to mention them, because you probably voted for them?

Why don't you stick to discussing topics you have some knowledge of? I don't know what they are, I'm sure they're very fecking limited in number, but you come off as an idiot when you make statements such as the above.



mod: banned

snubbleste

What about the 300+ jobs about to go at Treasury Holdings? Or is that less worthy than a courier company?
http://www.independent.ie/business/irish/kbc-seeks-to-have-treasury-holdings-wound-up-in-high-court-action-3213184.html

Ghandee

I use/used target on a near daily basis especially when dealing with pallets/larger goods from the north to the south.
I'd have to echo socsoc's thoughts that they were unreliable, in saying that though I'm far from happy to hear the company has gone to the wall.

Would the OP care to post a link/source?

Ghandee

PieForPi wrote: »

Tell me now, professor, what part of this involves Fine Gael?



Oh and did you forget that Labour are part of Government too? Or did it simply not suit you to mention them, because you probably voted for them?

Why don't you stick to discussing topics you have some knowledge of? I don't know what they are, I'm sure they're very fecking limited in number, but you come off as an idiot when you make statements such as the above.

Jesus, talk about nailing your colours to the mast.......

Biggins

Ghandee wrote: »

Would the OP care to post a link/source?

http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/0827/400-jobs-to-go-at-target-express-freight-company-business.html

My name is URL

PieForPi wrote: »

Tell me now, professor, what part of this involves Fine Gael?

None of it, obviously. They're only responsible for jobs created, not lost.

Ghandee

My name is URL wrote: »

None of it, obviously. They're only responsible for jobs created, not lost.

Yes for jobs they said.........

:cool:

Icepick

Another crappy company out of business.

coolisin

Perhaps a crappy company but still a few houses worried tonight.

Indeed the company should've be paying taxes but what the revenue have done is mean the employees didn't get there wages today as the company couldn't access the bank accounts, so now the employees get handed a p45 after a days work they won't get paid for.

They now get stuck on the list of creditors.

Bad day all round then.

Biggins

coolisin wrote: »

Perhaps a crappy company but still a few houses worried tonight.

Indeed the company should've be paying taxes but what the revenue have done is mean the employees didn't get there wages today as the company couldn't access the bank accounts, so now the employees get handed a p45 after a days work they won't get paid for.

They now get stuck on the list of creditors.

Bad day all round then.

Indeed.
Boiled down to every day reality, it means that a few more will have to now further struggle, trying to cope with the new taxes/charges still we have or incoming.

There will be a lot more sick/nervous people tonight over the matter - and school just about to start for some of them whom I assume have kids and further bills to pay.

SocSocPol

coolisin wrote: »

Perhaps a crappy company but still a few houses worried tonight.

Indeed the company should've be paying taxes but what the revenue have done is mean the employees didn't get there wages today as the company couldn't access the bank accounts, so now the employees get handed a p45 after a days work they won't get paid for.

They now get stuck on the list of creditors.

Bad day all round then.

Actually the workers will be paid , under the minimum notice act and Redundancy acts they will be paid all monies owed, by the Government.
The Revenue would not have taken this step lightly, it would have been a last resort.

Cookie_Monster

Not really news anymore, freight companies have been going to the wall continually over the last 5 years. Cost of fuel and lack of stuff to move with the downturn being the main issues. My father is in freight and has had to move jobs several times over the period to stay employed as companies went down.

MidlandsM

Well, I used Target loads...........and they NEVER let me down........so, I'm really gutted for them, and their employee's and families.

coolisin

Depending on if they have money left over after they reclaim the lost taxes first, soooo how long will that be?
Not much good when you thought there would be a pay cheque in your account today.
Oh maybe they'll get redundancy too. Funny I've seen that prove to be bullsh1t too.

No the revenue wouldn't have taken it lightly you are correct they should've paid the taxes.

SocSocPol

coolisin wrote: »

Depending on if they have money left over after they reclaim the lost taxes first, soooo how long will that be?
Not much good when you thought there would be a pay cheque in your account today.
Oh maybe they'll get redundancy too. Funny I've seen that prove to be bullsh1t too.

No the revenue wouldn't have taken it lightly you are correct they should've paid the taxes.

There is a Government fund, I know beecause my OH was in a very similar position herself a few years ago, took a few months but she got everything she was owed.

Colmustard

Revenue can't ignore or forego a bill of 1 million on the threat of job losses.

Otherwise and quite suddenly there would be a lot more companies in the same boat.

Dead Man Walking

poxy for those who lost their jobs

might as well use my new artic licence to wipe my arse with what with all those experienced drivers on the hunt now

bucketybuck

Crap.

They were a shambles of a company, but unfortunately they have went to the wall owing the company I work for a considerable amount of money, which we will probably not see a penny of now.

Its nobodies fault but their own, frankly they were a horrendously run business.

Ghandee

MidlandsM wrote: »

Well, I used Target loads...........and they NEVER let me down........so, I'm really gutted for them, and their employee's and families.

Target, promise pallet will be in customers yard before 9am. Pallet arrives 16.45 (as recently as Friday, never delivered at all)

Liam Connolly road services, promises customer will have pallet before 9am, customer rings to thank me, Liam Connolly truck parked at yard before customers opened for business.

Like i say, sorry to hear of their loss, but they were far from reliable.

Bullseye1

Sad news for those losing their jobs.

ncdadam

SocSocPol wrote: »

How are the Government responsible for the actions of a poorly performing company who chose not to pay their taxes?

I'm sure they could have worked with the company to try and ensure there were no job losses.

Even if there is a large tax bill, they could have come to an arrangement to pay it over a number of years or something.

If the people who worked for this company don't get a job within a year, the government will have paid out more than a million euro's in welfare payments by then, not forgetting the taxes they won't receive, the money these people would have earned being spent in the country etc etc.

Skid

ncdadam wrote: »

I'm sure they could have worked with the company to try and ensure there were no job losses.

Even if there is a large tax bill, they could have come to an arrangement to pay it over a number of years or something.

The Revenue only make an Attachment order as a last resort.

You will find that there was an arrangement, but Target failed to honour it. Repeatedly.

You have to draw the line somewhere. It is not fair on other Courier companies who are paying their taxes.

It is a sad day for Target's employees, but they should blame their management, not the Revenue.

Pottler

Hate when I hear stuff about people I know from the Internet. Some good people at Target, I've done a good bit of work for and with them. Sorry to hear it.

Stinicker

Looks like Tyrone GAA will need a new sponsor, first their team goes to the wall now their sponsorer! Yikes!

paddydriver

So revenue are owed approx €1M by these guys - they choose to shutdown the company and put 400 people on the dole, which will probably cost the country about €2.5M over the next 12 months...

Who the fcuk is making the decisions in this country.... surely a calculator would have made a better decision on this one!

Capt'n Midnight

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Not really news anymore, freight companies have been going to the wall continually over the last 5 years. Cost of fuel and lack of stuff to move with the downturn being the main issues. My father is in freight and has had to move jobs several times over the period to stay employed as companies went down.

The whole freight industry has been in a race to the bottom for a long time now.

Undercutting each other for business when there is lower demand and growing fuel prices can only end one way.

CruelCoin

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Not really news anymore, freight companies have been going to the wall continually over the last 5 years. Cost of fuel and lack of stuff to move with the downturn being the main issues. My father is in freight and has had to move jobs several times over the period to stay employed as companies went down.

The cost of fuel is a massive headache. That and the other general expenses in ireland are ridiculous.

Put it this way, in my business, it costs me twice as much to make a delivery to Cork from Kildare, as it does from here to Holland...

Mind you, good riddance Target, nightline is better anyway.

SocSocPol

paddydriver wrote: »

So revenue are owed approx €1M by these guys - they choose to shutdown the company and put 400 people on the dole, which will probably cost the country about €2.5M over the next 12 months...

Who the fcuk is making the decisions in this country.... surely a calculator would have made a better decision on this one!

So honest tax compliant transport companies should face unfair competition because you think Target should be exempt from paying their taxes, what about the workers who faced losing their jobs because target were competing for business by not paying their taxes? Maybe you need the calculator, not the taxman.

squawkbox

SocSocPol wrote: »

So honest tax compliant transport companies should face unfair competition because you think Target should be exempt from paying their taxes, what about the workers who faced losing their jobs because target were competing for business by not paying their taxes? Maybe you need the calculator, not the taxman.

This. How did the debt build up so much if this was a profitable, viable company.

The usual clowns don't grasp business fundamentals, none of them have started their own businesses. Expect wailing and gnashing of teeth from red faced GAA types. Maybe if they hadn't spent money sponsoring their home team they could pay the tax. Typical vanity project.

I feel sorry for the innocent victims, especially those with kids. Hopefully when the business is redistributed to other companies they can be reemployed.

squawkbox

paddydriver wrote: »

So revenue are owed approx €1M by these guys - they choose to shutdown the company and put 400 people on the dole, which will probably cost the country about €2.5M over the next 12 months...

Who the fcuk is making the decisions in this country.... surely a calculator would have made a better decision on this one!

Ever occur to you that the business will go to rival companies ...?

cournioni

bucketybuck wrote: »

Crap.

They were a shambles of a company, but unfortunately they have went to the wall owing the company I work for a considerable amount of money, which we will probably not see a penny of now.

Its nobodies fault but their own, frankly they were a horrendously run business.

Same situation here. I totally agree, both as a customer and supplier to us they were horrendously run. Their office in particular.

I feel sorry for the honest hard working ones that I have dealt with.

ejmaztec

The Revenue Commissioners are well aware that tax-payers are having problems and are quite open to making instalment arrangements, but when a tax-payer starts pissing about, all bets are off.

I'm just wondering what the €1 million consisted of, and how long it's been owed for.

coolisin

No company should be forgiven for not paying taxes, I agree how much was the Tyrone sponsorship deal costing them but yet they weren't paying taxes.

Though revenue can be stupid with companies falling behind, I have seen the other side where they just went after a company because an investor turned out to be an idiot and revenue just wanted everything around that person gone. Lucky that company pulled through and sorted it's stuff out with court protection and saved jobs.

Some great contracts for the competition to pick up, but these 400 people are sitting at home this morning stressing because the work they did good or bad was undone by the people at the top.
Will the competitor's start employing extra people who knows.
The last thing some of them need to be hearing is how another company is better good riddance.

TBH courier companies are all the same, dpd have there moments of incompetency, so do fastway, Dhl have messed up heck even FedEx have majorly dropped the ball on me once or twice. I've used them all. Very little difference with any of them.

omahaid

From the Irish times

"Seamus McBrien said his company, Target Express, had paid €1 million to the Revenue Commissioners in the last six weeks.

He claimed the Revenue had yesterday rejected a deal which would have seen the company pay off a further €175,000 from an overall outstanding liability of €300,000. As a result, he said, 398 people had lost their jobs because the Revenue insisted on receiving the additional €125,000."

If true this seems to be a bit pointless, 398 jobs for €125000.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/0828/1224323098296.html

rungirlrun

bucketybuck wrote: »

Crap.

They were a shambles of a company, but unfortunately they have went to the wall owing the company I work for a considerable amount of money, which we will probably not see a penny of now.

Its nobodies fault but their own, frankly they were a horrendously run business.

did you ever think that maybe they were in the same position .... not receiving money owed from their clients

theblueirish

omahaid wrote: »

From the Irish times

"Seamus McBrien said his company, Target Express, had paid €1 million to the Revenue Commissioners in the last six weeks.

He claimed the Revenue had yesterday rejected a deal which would have seen the company pay off a further €175,000 from an overall outstanding liability of €300,000. As a result, he said, 398 people had lost their jobs because the Revenue insisted on receiving the additional €125,000."

If true this seems to be a bit pointless, 398 jobs for €125000.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/0828/1224323098296.html

Taking from the same article.
he most recent accounts for the company, for the year ended December 2010, show that the company had shareholders’ funds of £7.3 million at year end. The company made a pre-tax profit of £1.9 million, and an after-tax profit of £1.62 million that year, on turnover of £29.9 million.

So the company is making 1.62 million after tax but just didn't pay its tax bill?
From talking to the drivers and some of the managment its clear that there was a lot more wrong than just tax. 5 depots have been closed over the last number of weeks, drivers fuel cards had been cut of, no wages in for the ROI staff yesterday and the NI staff have been told they are not getting a cheque today.

Anyone

The Revenue are shutting down business's they think will go bust in order to get as much as they can. Person I know had his business(a lot smaller than Target) shut down under similar circumstances with the loss of 25 jobs.

Personally I feel the decision to shut Target was a joke, the million the took will soon be eaten up by the 300 job losses that's happened. If its true that the actual final figure is 300k, well thats an even bigger joke.

coolisin

theblueirish wrote: »

drivers fuel cards had been cut of, no wages in for the ROI staff yesterday and the NI staff have been told they are not getting a cheque today.

Well with revenue removing access to the bank accounts they can give out cheques but they'll be worthless, the same with the fuel cards and the ROI wages they couldve paid the employees but the back accounts where frozen.

cournioni

rungirlrun wrote: »

did you ever think that maybe they were in the same position .... not receiving money owed from their clients

They were making €1.62m in after tax profits in 2010, yet they could not pay the company I work for what they were owed?! :rolleyes:

bucketybuck

paddydriver wrote: »

So revenue are owed approx €1M by these guys - they choose to shutdown the company and put 400 people on the dole, which will probably cost the country about €2.5M over the next 12 months...

Who the fcuk is making the decisions in this country.... surely a calculator would have made a better decision on this one!

By your logic companies like Target could just say, "Well, we don't have to bother paying any tax, it would cost more for the government to put us on the dole. Happy days, lets sponsor another GAA team instead...".

Perhaps you should think through the implications of your statements.