People who cannot get the co-operation of their landlords when applying for the rent tax credit or who are afraid of asking for certain information in case it puts their tenancy at risk are not precluded from applying for the rebate, Revenue has confirmed.
Speaking at the launch of a new awareness campaign, Revenue spokesman Dan Oosthuizen clarified that renters with legitimate claims are not blocked from applying even if they do not have their landlord’s PPS numbers or other key details.
“What we want to do is make it as easy as possible for people who legitimately are tenants to be able to claim any relief to which they might be entitled,” he said. “You don’t need to input that information. If we come looking for it later on we’ll engage with you at that point, but we’re in the business of making sure that you can claim the relief to which you’re entitled as part of your tenancy agreement.”
From the start of the year the rent tax credit increased by €250 to €1,000 for private tenants not in receipt of other State housing supports, with the increase backdated to cover 2024. Despite the substantial sum available to renters around 80 per cent of those who qualify do not routinely apply.
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Revenue has appealed for taxpayers to carry out an audit on their finances and apply for whatever reliefs they might be owed sooner rather than later.
The number of PAYE workers who have lodged claims through Revenue’s MyAccount online portal since the start of the year has jumped by 20 per cent when compared with the same period last year.
Over 550,000 PAYE returns have already been processed for 2024, a continuation of the rising trend in the number of PAYE taxpayers using the service to file their income tax return during the first weeks of the new year.
Welcoming this increasing level of engagement Aisling Ní Mhaoileoin, Revenue’s national PAYE manager, said the service was “quick, easy and free to use and available all year round, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Additionally, we use all the information available to us to pre-populate returns. Therefore, for the vast majority of PAYE taxpayers filing a return is a straightforward process they can complete themselves at a time that suits them.”
By filing an income tax return PAYE taxpayers can ensure that they are claiming all tax credits and reliefs they are entitled to, and receive any refund they are due. Of the returns filed to date this year, over 80 per cent or approximately 444,000 people were found to have overpaid their taxes with refunds of over €400 million already issued.
Around 12 per cent or 66,000 people who filed 2024 returns were found to have underpaid tax.
“We are working with those taxpayers to collect the underpayment by reducing their future tax credits over a period of four years,” Ms Ní Mhaoileoin said.
Mr Oosthuizen said Revenue records “indicate that a further €389 million may have been overpaid in 2024, and I therefore encourage all PAYE taxpayers to log on to Revenue’s myAccount service to finalise their tax position as soon as they can.”
Taxpayers were reminded that they have four years to claim any additional refund they may be due, and people were encouraged to review and finalise their tax position for each of the years 2021, 2022 and 2023.
“If Revenue owes you money you’ll get a refund into your bank account within days. If you owe Revenue money we’ll work with you to find a suitable payment option,” Mr Oosthuizen said.
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