Can people find out your tax returns and mortgage debt

susieball

My friend is owed several thousand in rent from a small commercial building that he lets. The guy just upped sticks one night after 3 years, and never paid the rest of the money - lease 5 years. My friend was going to sue for the money, but his solicitor told him that from his tenant's tax returns and mortgage debt, there was no point in pursing him. Can a solicitor actually find out details of the tax return of a private citizen, who is not a limited company, and also his mortgage debt - how could this actually happen. I though this information was under GDPR.

Sleeper12

Is the solicitor talking about the tenants company accounts rather than his personal tax returns?

susieball

No, the person's/ex tenant's personal tax return. The ex tenant was operating as a sole trader, I think you would say. No company, just in his own name.

Sleeper12

susieball wrote:

No, the person's/ex tenant's personal tax return. The ex tenant was operating as a sole trader, I think you would say. No company, just in his own name.

Unless he's on the tax defaulters list purplished by the Revenue Commissioner I don't believe the solicitor can see his tax returns as a private individual.

Regardless of what the solicitor can or cannot see I do agree that it's not worth chasing. Usually people who skip without paying & leave debt don't have any money. The business failed & I'm sure rent wasn't the only bill unpaid. I'm betting suppliers, accountant, revenue etc are all owed money. Revenue have first dibs on any assets. Think about it. The advice given by the solicitor is doing the solicitors out of the work. If the solicitor thought there was a chance of winning he/she would jump at it.

susieball

Hi! Sleeper12. I agree. I said to my friend it's not worth chasing. It will be loads of stress and not much money. I think he agrees. He was just a bit shocked that a solicitor could know about someone's personal tax return, i.e. the figures on it, as well as the remaining mortgage figure.

Victor

Might the solicitor knows the ex-tenant?

You can find out if someone has a mortgage by accessing the property file, but not how much is owed.

Peregrinus

Only way I can see that the solicitor could know what's in the tenant's tax return is if the tenant supplied the tax return to him in support of his claim that he couldn't pay the rent and wasn't worth suing.