IRISH author Darren O'Shaughnessy, better known to readers as Darren Shan, has settled a major tax bill with the Revenue Commissioners.
The bestselling novelist paid over €2.1 million following an audit that uncovered a substantial under-declaration of income tax.
According to the latest list of tax defaulters, O'Shaughnessy owed €1.4 million in unpaid taxes.
The sum increased to €2.14 million once interest of €271,090 and penalties of €432,227 were applied.
The author has since paid the full amount owed.
Best known for his successful Saga of Darren Shan, The Demonata, and Zom-B series, O'Shaughnessy has built a notable career over nearly three decades.
While primarily recognised for his literary work, he is also listed as a company director and landlord.
He resides in Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick.
The Revenue’s audit found discrepancies that placed the writer at the top of its recent defaulters list.
In its statement, the agency emphasised its ongoing efforts to tackle tax evasion, noting that nearly 311,000 audits and compliance checks were carried out last year, recovering €591 million in the process.
O'Shaughnessy is a director of two companies in Ireland: Stackallen Investments and Home of the Damned.
Stackallen Investments reported nearly €1.3 million in investment properties as of March last year, including a commercial unit purchased in 2019.
Home of the Damned, meanwhile, focuses on publishing and managing intellectual property tied to his fiction works.
This year also marks the 25th anniversary of the release of Cirque du Freak, the first book in the Saga of Darren Shan, a milestone the author recently celebrated.
While representatives for the author have yet to comment publicly, the tax issue appears to have been resolved, closing the chapter on what the Revenue Commissioners described as a significant case of underpayment.
