The Rent Tax Credit has been introduced and according to recent figures released by Revenue, over 400,000 Irish renters are entitled to the €500 credit. With the average monthly rent now sitting at €1,700 it would be nice to get something back into your own pocket and here’s how.
As part of the Budget 2023, taxpayers welcomed the introduction of the Rent Tax Credit which is worth €500 per individual or €1,000 per jointly assessed couple. It is estimated that over 400,000 renters are eligible for a rebate for the new tax credit. However, after one month in to 2023, only 138,000 claims have been made in respect to this credit according to Revenue. To date, Irish Tax Rebates have claimed a rebate for over 40,000 clients, for this rent credit alone.
You may be eligible to claim the Rent Tax Credit if any of the below apply to you:
• You paid for private rented accommodation in 2022.
• You are a parent who pays rent on behalf of a university going child (€500 per parent)
• If you are renting private accommodation to facilitate accommodation while you work, for example: an individual from Donegal who lives & rents in Dublin for work purpose.
When making the claim, you may be asked for the following details to prove you were in fact renting in 2022.
- address or the property
- the total amount of rent paid
- the date you began renting and the name of landlord/letting agent
The property in which you are renting, must be registered with the RTB (Residential Tenancies Board) in order for you to claim the Rent Tax Credit. In certain cases, the Rent Tax Credit applies for tenancies which do not need to be registered with the RTB. This includes 'rent-a-room' or 'digs' type arrangements. As mentioned previously, a working parent who is paying rent on behalf of their children in college, can also claim this. It is recommended that the parent claim it as most students will be working part-time and may not have enough tax paid to claim the €500 credit. Therefore, if the parent works full time, they will be able to claim the maximum amount against their tax credits.
Claire Murphy, Accountant with Irish Tax Rebates commented: “There are so many people in Ireland that are probably not aware they can claim a rebate for renting. Or they are aware of it but are too busy to sit down and complete all the questions for it. That’s where we come in, Irish Tax Rebates have a secure portal where you can claim all eligible tax credits in one place. You can claim the Rent Tax Credit, plus the Working from Home tax credit which may go hand-in-hand with each other along with your regular medical and dental expenses.”
You cannot apply for a rebate on the rent tax credit if you are renting from a family member or are in receipt of housing support.
To apply for the Rent Tax Credit through Irish Tax Rebates, click here to complete their application form.
