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JUST UNDER 65,000 individuals or couples have claimed the Rent Tax Credit this year out of an estimated 400,000 individuals who are eligible to apply, new figures show.
The figures were given to Sinn Féin TD and housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin in response to a Parliamentary Question.
The Rent Tax Credit was introduced in Budget 2023 as a measure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and was worth up to €500 a year that tax-paying renters could claim back. This was increased to €750 in this year’s Budget.
Latest figures up to 15 November, show that just 64,901 “taxpayer units” (individuals or couples claiming) had claimed the credit for this year. This is despite the Department of Finance (which oversees the credit via Revenue) estimating that 400,000 individuals are eligible to claim it.
In total, according to the figures supplied, 311,910 Rent Tax Credit claims have been made by 268,306 taxpayer units for 2022 and 2023 to date. This breaks down as:
Reasons for low uptake
Judging by the newly released figures, the vast majority of those eligible to claim the credit have not yet done so. Claimants will, however, have up to four years to claim the credit for this year.
In his response to the PQ, Finance Minister Michael McGrath said that the Rent Tax Credit statistics available refer only to claims by PAYE taxpayers, with data on the number of claims made by self-assessed income taxpayers not available until next year.
As well as this, PAYE workers have the option to either claim the credit as rent is incurred, or at the end of the year in their income tax return. Claims for the latter option may not be processed yet, which may explain part of the large discrepancy for claims made last year and this year.
In September Eoin Ó Broin raised a number of concerns about the credit, calling the low uptake then “very concerning”.
What it shows is that a very significant number of renters either don’t know about this Tax Credit or they haven’t claimed it.
He claimed that the Government had not done enough to promote the credit, and also took issue with the fact that a tenancy had to be registered with the RTB before the credit could be claimed, saying that this was a barrier for people.
In September, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance said that Revenue was “conducting an information campaign to highlight the ease of use of the online myAccount system and to raise awareness of a range of key tax credits and reliefs available to taxpayers including the rent tax credit”.
With reporting from Jane Matthews
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People are terrified to upset the landlords that they won’t apply for credit for fear of non-tax complient landlords kicking them out.
Have to find a house to rent that might be somehow affordable first,like a needle in a haystack,still though government keep increasing population with nowhere for people to live, homelessness higher than ever at the moment, brilliant
@Paddy C: There are an estimated 400k existing renters that are eligible for this tax credit.
@SYaxJ2Ts: marvellous
If you do not pay tax you will not get it…. Most of the renters are on the doll or pay little to no tax… Or landlord is not simply registered and they are victims of the system..you pick one….
Ps: i got the full credit
@BigEd: I rent, paye, actually I lease a room in a house share, so can we apply for this on the basis of leasing a room as opposed to renting
No surprise to see FFG support FFG. There was never anything between these parties and Golfgate showed us the irrelevance of political screamers in a fancy building in Kildare Street. At least the rioters showed us the cosy narrative of Martin and his ilk, who thought their pontificating was, and remains, their own illusion. McEnteen wants to bring in tougher minimum sentences which will do little to zero on the real issues which is the haves looking down their noses on the rest of Ireland, thinking a woke administration will keep the sheep at bay. Now we all know from Martin’s support for a hand-me-down politician from Mearh that we live in a left dictatorship where “democracy” is the weapon of choice. Control the narrative and you control the sheep. Goebbels learnt it easily enough.
@Caoimín Ó Muircheartaigh: Nice rant. You said nothing about the topic..
I can’t claim it as my landlord hasn’t registered with the RTB. Nothing I can do.
@Áine G: report your landlord to the RTB and stop whining
@Paul:
And then the landlord decides to sell……
@P.J. Nolan: I hear though it’ll be years before it can gets to be sold! Three years a cpl have been living at a friends house down the country, not paid rent since 2019. Can’t evict them to sell the house as they have nowhere to go, too expensive!
@Lydia Mcloughlin:
I work in the sector.
3 years would be extremely unusual, in fact I have never heard of it.
9 months would average, sometimes a year or so and often €5,000 plus in legal fees plus loss of rental income
@Áine G: plenty you can do … report said landlord! Bosh!
@P.J. Nolan: Landlord has to issue a notice along with a statutory declaration of intent to sell.
Once notice expires he has to open a case with the RTB to end the tenancy. This will take a year at current processing rates.
The tenant can appeal without grounds, which will add about 6 months waiting for a full second hearing with a 3 person panel of RTB adjudicators.
Of the RTB rules in his favour, then he will still have to apply to a District Court for an eviction order if the tenant refuses to leave. This will add approx 10 more months.
So, you don’t know the procedure and how the decks are stacked against law abiding landlords.
You’re content to spoutthe SF IRA propaganda!
@Áine G: plenty you can do actually. Report him to RTB thats what they are there for and stop whinging !
@P.J. Nolan: Well it is fact that this is the case here. Those in situ known to guards (if you are in the business you could look it up). Has been to court excuses such as can’t move out and can’t afford it accepted.
They probably can’t navigate the absolutely awful revenue website.
@Magnificent Mongoose:
If you think the Revenue one is bad, you should try the RTB website l.
It’s so bad they have put an apology on the front page
There are a lot of renters tax evading in different ways, they do not claim any tax back for fear of bringing attention from tax man
My rent was increased on the basis I’d be getting it, thereby nullifying it. Pity they don’t just hand it out as an actual rent supplement and weren’t so busy hiding it from us instead…shrugs…
@Graham Dunne:
Do you think your landlord wouldn’t have increased the rent either way?
@Peter Murray: Rightfully so? It’s supposed to be a dig out in tough times for tenants- not landlords. But fair play to you. I’m sure you could do with the few bob.
Any tenant that hasn’t registered is a dope.
Stop blaming everyone else for your problems.
How?
have your say