{"id":13183,"date":"2019-03-04T14:30:49","date_gmt":"2019-03-04T12:30:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seoblog.taxback.com\/?p=13183"},"modified":"2019-03-04T14:30:49","modified_gmt":"2019-03-04T12:30:49","slug":"lesser-known-tax-reliefs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/lesser-known-tax-reliefs\/","title":{"rendered":"5 lesser-known tax reliefs you\u2019ve probably never heard of!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>OK  picture  the  scene.<\/p>\n<p>The  new  summer  blockbuster  is  out  and  your  partner  really  wants  to  see  it.  You  do  too.<\/p>\n<p>So  you  head  along  to  the  cinema,  stand  in  line  and  order  your  tickets  and  treats.<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;That&#8217;ll  be  \u20ac30,  please!&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>You  whip  out  your  wallet,  fork  over  \u20ac40  and  say  &#8216;Keep  the  change!&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Does  this  exchange  sound  like  something  you  would  do?<\/p>\n<p>No?  Didn&#8217;t  think  so!<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-privacy-container is-disabled embed-youtube\" data-embed-id=\"oembed_9d55dfcfa45465c941b8ece6d6a1697a\" data-embed-provider=\"youtube\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1200\/350;\">\t\t\t\t\t\t<button type=\"button\" class=\"embed-privacy-enable screen-reader-text\">Display &#8220;YouTube  video  player&#8221; from YouTube<\/button>\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-privacy-sr-message screen-reader-text\" role=\"status\" data-message=\"Content from YouTube has been loaded.\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-privacy-overlay\">\n<div class=\"embed-privacy-inner\">\n<div class=\"embed-privacy-logo\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/embed-privacy\/assets\/images\/embed-youtube.png?ver=1.14.0);\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/div>\n<p>\t\t\tClick here to display content from YouTube.\t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/>\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn more in <a href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YouTube\u2019s privacy policy<span class=\"embed-privacy__new-tab-notice\"> (opens in a new tab)<\/span><\/a>.\t\t\t<noscript>\t\t\t\t<br \/>\t\t\t\tPlease enable JavaScript in your browser to load this content.\t\t\t<\/noscript>\t\t<\/p>\n<p class=\"embed-privacy-input-wrapper\">\t\t\t<input id=\"embed-privacy-store-youtube-9d55dfcfa45465c941b8ece6d6a1697a\" type=\"checkbox\" value=\"1\" class=\"embed-privacy-input\" data-embed-provider=\"youtube\">\t\t\t<label for=\"embed-privacy-store-youtube-9d55dfcfa45465c941b8ece6d6a1697a\" class=\"embed-privacy-label\" data-embed-provider=\"youtube\">\t\t\t\tAlways display content from YouTube\t\t\t<\/label>\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-privacy-footer\"><span class=\"embed-privacy-url\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kh-II7tyh2Y?si=IEEanqa2_4MOZysO\">Open &#8220;YouTube  video  player&#8221; directly<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-privacy-content\">\t\t\t\t<script>var _oembed_9d55dfcfa45465c941b8ece6d6a1697a = '{\\\"embed\\\":\\\"&lt;iframe  title=&quot;YouTube  video  player&quot; src=&quot;https:\\\\\/\\\\\/www.youtube-nocookie.com\\\\\/embed\\\\\/Kh-II7tyh2Y?si=IEEanqa2_4MOZysO&quot; width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;350&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;allowfullscreen&quot;&gt;&lt;\\\\\/iframe&gt;\\\"}';<\/script>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>And  yet  so  many  of  us  overspend  on  our  tax  bills  all  the  time.<\/p>\n<p>In  fact,  millions  of  euros  worth  of  tax  refunds  go  unclaimed  every  year.<\/p>\n<p>Sure,  when  it  comes  to  tax  relief  most  people  are  aware  of  the  big  hitters  (think  doctor  bills,  flat  rate  expenses  etc.).  But  the  truth  is  that  there  are  many  more  reasons  why  you  could  be  due  tax  back.<\/p>\n<p>And  when  you  consider  that  the  average  PAYE  tax  refund  from\u00a0<b><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/en\/ireland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Taxback<\/a><\/b>  is  \u20ac1,880,  it&#8217;s  easy  to  see  why  claiming  what  you&#8217;re  owed  is  so  worthwhile.<\/p>\n<p>In  this  blog,  we&#8217;ll  cover  some  of  the  lesser-known  reliefs  available  to  Irish  taxpayers  and  how  you  can  go  about  claiming  them.<\/p>\n\n<h2 id=\"1-medical-and-dental-expenses\">1.  Medical  and  dental  expenses<\/h2>\n<p>\nOK,  so  you&#8217;re  probably  already  aware  that  you&#8217;re  entitled  to  claim  tax  back  on  your  GP  bills  and  prescriptions.<\/p>\n<p>But  did  you  know  that  there  are  a  whole  range  of  other  medical  expenses  that  qualify  for  tax  relief?<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s  true!  Just  check  out  the  list  below.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"what-medical-or-dental-reliefs-can-i-claim\">What  medical  or  dental  reliefs  can  I  claim?<\/h3>\n<p>\nYou  will  be  entitled  to  tax  back  if  you  paid  for  health  expenses  on  behalf  of\u00a0<b>yourself,  a  loved  one  or  another  individual<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>Examples  of\u00a0<b>qualifying  health  expenses<\/b>\u00a0include:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>doctor&#8217;s  and  consultant&#8217;s  services<\/li>\n<li>routine  and  maternity  care  for  women  during  pregnancy<\/li>\n<li>diagnostic  procedures  recommended  by  a  practitioner<\/li>\n<li>services  in  hospitals  or  treatment  facilities  such  as  clinics,  where  the  services  are  either:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n&#8211;  provided  by  a  practitioner<br \/>\nor<br \/>\n&#8211;  diagnostic  procedures  recommended  by  a  practitioner\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>transport  by  ambulance<\/li>\n<li>in-vitro  fertilization  (IVF)<\/li>\n<li>acupuncture  (where  provided  by  a  practitioner)<\/li>\n<li>non-routine  dental  care<\/li>\n<li>treatment  from  a  psychologist  or  psychotherapist  where  either:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n&#8211;  the  psychologist  or  psychotherapist  is  a  practitioner<br \/>\nor<br \/>\n&#8211;  you  are  referred  for  a  diagnostic  procedure  by  a  psychiatrist\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>additional  expenses  of  health  care  for  a  child:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n&#8211;  suffering  from  a  life-threatening  illness  or  permanent  disability<br \/>\nor<br \/>\n&#8211;  who  needs  speech  and  language  therapy  or  educational  psychological  assessment\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>additional  expenses  for  a  kidney  patient<\/li>\n<li>nursing  home  and  additional  nursing  care  expenses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nYou  can  also  claim  relief  on  the  following  if\u00a0<b>prescribed  by  a  practitioner<\/b>:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Drugs  and  medicines<\/li>\n<li>Orthoptic  or  similar  treatment  (treatment  for  squints  and  eye  movement  disorders)<\/li>\n<li>Physiotherapy  or  similar  treatment  (such  as  an  osteopath  or  bone  setter)<\/li>\n<li>Podiatry  or  chiropody  costs<\/li>\n<li>Special  diet  expenses  for  coeliacs  and  diabetics<\/li>\n<li>Cost  of  purchasing,  maintaining  and  repairing  medical,  surgical,  dental  or  nursing  appliances<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nFinally,  you  can  also  claim  for  relief  if  you  have  incurred  expenses  for\u00a0<b>non-routine  dental  treatment  such  as<\/b>:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>crowns<\/li>\n<li>veneers  or  Rembrandt-type  etched  fillings<\/li>\n<li>tip  replacing<\/li>\n<li>gold  posts  or  fibreglass  posts<\/li>\n<li>inlays  (a  smaller  version  of  a  gold  crown),  if  made  outside  the  mouth<\/li>\n<li>endodontics  (root  canal  treatment)<\/li>\n<li>periodontal  treatment  for  gum  disease  such  as:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n&#8211;  root  planing  (including  curettage  and  debridement)  and  gum  flaps<br \/>\n&#8211;  chrome  cobalt  splints  (but  not  if  they  contain  teeth)<br \/>\n&#8211;  implants  (including  bone  grafting  and  bone  augmentation)\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>orthodontic  treatment:  provision  of  braces  and  related  treatments<\/li>\n<li>surgical  extraction  of  impacted  wisdom  teeth<\/li>\n<li>bridgework  (an  enamel-retained  bridge  or  a  tooth-supported  bridge)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Note\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&#8211;  you  can&#8217;t  claim  relief  on:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Routine  dental  care,  including:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\n&#8211;  Fillings<br \/>\n&#8211;  scaling  or  cleaning<br \/>\n&#8211;  tooth  extraction<br \/>\n&#8211;  providing  or  repairing  artificial  teeth  or  dentures\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Routine  ophthalmic  (eye)  care,  such  as  eye  tests<\/li>\n<li>Cosmetic  surgery  or  procedures,  such  as  rhinoplasty,  breast  augmentation  or  botox  treatment.  (Relief  may  be  available  where  the  surgery  corrects  a  health  issue,  such  as  breathing  difficulties)<\/li>\n<li>Guide  and  assistance  dog  costs  (instead  you  can  claim  the  Guide  Dog  Allowance  or  Assistance  Dog  Allowance)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"how-much-tax-back-can-i-claim-for-medical-expenses\">How  much  tax  back  can  I  claim  for  medical  expenses?<\/h3>\n<p>\nYou  can  generally  claim  tax  relief  for  health  expenses  at  your\u00a0<b>standard  rate  of  tax  (20%).<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Expenses  relating  to  Nursing  Homes  are  an  exception  as  you  can  claim  tax  back  on  these  costs  at  40%.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"anything-else-i-should-know-about-claiming-health-expenses\">Anything  else  I  should  know  about  claiming  health  expenses?<\/h3>\n<p>\nYou  can&#8217;t  claim  relief  on  any  portion  of  the  expense  which  is  covered  by:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>insurance<\/li>\n<li>a  public  or  local  authority,  for  example,  the  HSE<\/li>\n<li>any  other  source,  such  as  a  compensation  payment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"2-working-from-home\">2.  Working  from  home<\/h2>\n<p>\nDo  you  occasionally\u00a0<b>work  from  home<\/b>?<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;re  not  alone!  In  fact,  roughly  100,000  people  in  Ireland  work  &#8216;mainly  at  or  from  home&#8217;.<\/p>\n<p>And  many  of  these  workers  are  completely  unaware  that  they  can  claim  tax  relief  on  expenses  incurred  while  working  from  home.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"am-i-entitled-to-a-working-from-home-tax-credit\">\u0410m  I  entitled  to  a  working-from-home  tax  credit?<\/h3>\n<p>\nPeople  who  work  from  home  on  either  a  full  or  part-time  basis  are  eligible  for  this  relief.  Eligibility  also  applies  if  you  work  part-time  at  home  and  the  remainder  in  your  normal  place  of  work.<\/p>\n<p>The  purpose  of  this  credit  is  to  cover  expenses  (heating,  electricity  and  broadband  for  example)  incurred  by  individuals  who  work  from  home.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"how-much-tax-back-can-i-claim-if-i-work-from-home\">How  much  tax  back  can  I  claim  if  I  work  from  home?<\/h3>\n<p>\nEmployers  can  pay\u00a0<b>\u20ac3.20  tax-free  per  day<\/b>\u00a0to  their  employees  to  cover  the  additional  costs  associated  with  working  from  home.  However,  employers  are  not  legally  obliged  to  do  this.  If  you  work  from  home  and  your  employer  doesn&#8217;t  provide  this  payment  to  you,  you  can  claim\u00a0<b>tax  back  instead<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p>What&#8217;s  more,  if  your  employer  does  reimburse  you  and  the  cost  of  your  expenses  exceeds  \u20ac3.20  per  day,  tax  can  still  be  reclaimed  on  the  difference.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"anything-else-i-should-know-about-working-from-home-tax-relief\">Anything  else  I  should  know  about  working  from  home  tax  relief?<\/h3>\n<p>\nYou  can  only  claim  for  the  proportion  of  costs  that  relate  to  your  time  working  from  home.<\/p>\n<p>In  2018,  Fiona  had  heating  expenses  of  \u20ac1,500,  broadband  expenses  of  \u20ac500,  and  electricity  costs  of  \u20ac1,200.  Fiona  worked  out  that  the  proportion  of  those  costs  that  could  be  attributed  to  her  days  working  from  home  was  \u20ac450,  meaning  she  can  claim  it  against  the  higher  rate  of  tax.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" class=\"orange-cta-btn\"><a style=\"padding: 15px; text-align: center; border-radius: 30px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; background-color: #e74632; color: #fff; margin: 25px 0px 25px 0px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/user\/#\/application\/ireland\/essentials\">Get Your Irish Tax Refund Now!<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"3-renting-property\">3.  Renting  property<\/h2>\n<p>\nWere  you  renting  a  flat,  house  or  apartment  on  <b>7  December  2010<\/b>?<\/p>\n<p>If  so,  you  may  be  able  to  claim  a  Rent  Tax  Credit.<\/p>\n<p>Up  to  31  December  2017,  you  could  claim  a  tax  credit  if  you  paid  for  private  rented  accommodation.  This  included  rent  paid  for  flats,  apartments  or  houses.  It  did  not  include  rent  paid  to  local  authorities  or  the  army.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  class=\"alignnone  size-full  wp-image-13219\" src=\"https:\/\/taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Renting-property.jpg\" alt=\"Renting  property\" width=\"824\" height=\"549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Renting-property.jpg 824w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Renting-property-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Renting-property-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Renting-property-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Renting-property-380x253.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Renting-property-800x533.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 824px) 100vw, 824px\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"i-rent-an-apartment-am-i-entitled-to-a-tax-credit\">I  rent  an  apartment,  am  I  entitled  to  a  tax  credit?<\/h3>\n<p>\nYou  can  only  claim  this  credit  if:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>you  were  renting  a  flat,  house  or  apartment  in  Ireland  on  7  December  2010<\/li>\n<li>the  property  you  rented  was  your  main  residence<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nTo  claim  this  credit,  you  must  be  able  to  provide  evidence  that  you  were  renting  should  Revenue  request  it.<\/p>\n<p>Like  most  types  of  tax  expenses,  it&#8217;s  always  a  good  idea  to  keep  your  receipts  in  a  safe  place  (generally  for  6  years).\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"how-much-tax-back-can-i-claim-for-renting\">How  much  tax  back  can  I  claim  for  renting?<\/h3>\n<p><b>Rent  Tax  Credit  rates<\/b><\/p>\n<table  class=\"style#1  mceItemTable\" border=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><b>Your  circumstances<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Max  credit  for  2015  tax  year<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Max  credit  for  the  2016  tax  year<\/b><\/td>\n<td><b>Max  credit  for  the  2017  tax  year<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Single  and  aged  under  55  years<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac120<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac80<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac40<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Single  and  aged  over  55  years<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac240<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac160<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac80<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Married\/widowed\/in  a  civil  partnership\/surviving  civil  partner  and  aged  under  55  years<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac240<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac160<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac80<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Married\/widowed\/in  a  civil  partnership\/surviving  civil  partner  and  aged  over  55  years<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac480<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac320<\/td>\n<td>\u20ac160<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3 id=\"anything-else-i-should-know-about-tax-relief-for-renters\">Anything  else  I  should  know  about  tax  relief  for  renters?<\/h3>\n<p>\nWhile  this  credit  was  discontinued  at  the  end  of  2017,  you  can  go  back  four  years  to  claim  your  tax  entitlements.  So  if  you  are  eligible  you  will  be  entitled  to  claim  this  credit  for  the  2015  tax  year,\u00a0<a  href=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/last-chance-to-claim-your-2015-irish-tax-refund\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2016  tax  year<\/a>\u00a0&amp;  2017  tax  year.\n<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"4-tuition-fees\">4.  Tuition  fees<\/h2>\n<p>\nDo  you  pay  college  fees  for  yourself  or  a  loved  one?<\/p>\n<p>Third-level  fee  payers  can  potentially  claim  <b>tax  relief  on  tuition  fees<\/b>\u00a0(including  the  student  contribution)  that  are  paid  for  eligible  education  courses.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"am-i-entitled-to-claim-tax-relief-for-my-tuition-fees\">Am  I  entitled  to  claim  tax  relief  for  my  tuition  fees?<\/h3>\n<p>\nThe  most  common  type  of  application  for  this  relief  is  from\u00a0<b>parents  with  more  than  one  child  in  college<\/b>.  This  is  because  there  is  no  limit  on  the  number  of  individuals  for  whom  you  can  claim.<\/p>\n<p>However,  relief  can  also  be  claimed  by  students  or  parents  or  anyone  who  is  paying  fees  on  behalf  of  a  college  goer.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"how-much-tax-back-can-i-claim-for-my-college-fees\">How  much  tax  back  can  I  claim  for  my  college  fees?<\/h3>\n<p>\nThere  are  three  things  you  need  to  know:\n<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Tax  relief  is  granted  at  the  standard  rate  \u2013  20%<\/li>\n<li>There  is  a  limit  of  fees,  at  \u20ac7,000  per  course,  on  which  you  can  claim  relief<\/li>\n<li>And  there  is  no  tax  relief  on  the  first  \u20ac3,000  spent  on  tuition  fees  for  full-time  courses  or  \u20ac1,500  for  part-time  courses  \u2013  these  are  known  as  &#8216;disregard  amounts&#8217;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>\nThe  disregard  amount  is  subtracted  from  your  qualifying  fees  when  you  are  calculating  your  tax  relief.  One  disregard  amount  is  applied  to  each  claim  for  every  tax  year.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s  say  you&#8217;re  paying  tuition  fees  of  \u20ac4,500  and  a  student  contribution  of  \u20ac3,500.  Qualifying  fees  for  tax  relief  are  capped  at  \u20ac7,000.  So,  when  the  disregard  amount  is  taken  away,  this  leaves  a  total  of  \u20ac4,000.  You  will  be  entitled  to\u00a0<b>tax  relief  at  20%<\/b>\u00a0of  this  amount  \u2013  which  is  \u20ac800.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"anything-else-i-should-know-about-tax-relief-for-college-fee-payers\">Anything  else  I  should  know  about  tax  relief  for  college  fee  payers?<\/h3>\n<p>\nIt&#8217;s  important  to  note  that,  if  you  are  paying  fees  for  more  than  one  course  or  student,  you  only  have  to  subtract  the  disregard  amount  once.<\/p>\n<p>And  keep  in  mind  that  there  are  some  third-level  fees  on  which  tax  relief  can&#8217;t  be  claimed.  For  example,  you  can&#8217;t  apply  for  relief  on  examination,  registration,  or  administration  fees.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" class=\"orange-cta-btn\"><a style=\"padding: 15px; text-align: center; border-radius: 30px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; background-color: #e74632; color: #fff; margin: 25px 0px 25px 0px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/user\/#\/application\/ireland\/essentials\">Get Your Irish Tax Refund Now!<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"5-home-improvements\">5.  Home  improvements<\/h2>\n<p>\nGetting  some  work  done  at  home?<\/p>\n<p>You  may  be  entitled  to  benefit  from  the  Home  Renovation  Incentive  (HRI).<\/p>\n<p>The  HRI  scheme  enables  homeowners,  landlords  and  local  authority  tenants  to  claim  tax  relief  on  repairs,  renovations  or  improvement  work  that  is  carried  out  on  their  main  home  or  rental  property.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"  class=\"alignnone  size-full  wp-image-13218\" src=\"https:\/\/taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Home-improvements.jpg\" alt=\"Home  improvements\" width=\"824\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Home-improvements.jpg 824w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Home-improvements-270x180.jpg 270w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Home-improvements-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Home-improvements-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Home-improvements-380x254.jpg 380w, https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Home-improvements-800x534.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 824px) 100vw, 824px\" \/>\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"am-i-entitled-to-claim-tax-relief-for-my-home-improvement-works\">Am  I  entitled  to  claim  tax  relief  for  my  home  improvement  works?<\/h3>\n<p>\nTo  claim  this  relief  you&#8217;ll  first  need  to  ensure  that  you  are  up-to-date  with  your  tax  affairs.  In  other  words,  you  must  be  paying  income  tax  (PAYE  or  self-assessment)  to  avail  of  the  HRI  credit.  And  if  you  are  a  homeowner  or  a  landlord,  you  must  be  up  to  date  with  your  Local  Property  Tax.<\/p>\n<p>Next,  it&#8217;s  important  to  note  that  not  all  home  improvement  work  will  qualify  for  the  credit.<\/p>\n<p>Any  repair,  renovation  or  improvement  work  that  is  subject  to\u00a0<b>VAT  at  13.5%<\/b>\u00a0will  qualify  for  the  HRI.<\/p>\n<p>This  includes:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>extensions<\/li>\n<li>garages<\/li>\n<li>attic  conversions<\/li>\n<li>the  supply  and  fitting  of  kitchens,  bathrooms  and  built-in  wardrobes<\/li>\n<li>fitting  of  windows<\/li>\n<li>garden  landscaping<\/li>\n<li>plumbing<\/li>\n<li>tiling<\/li>\n<li>rewiring<\/li>\n<li>insulating<\/li>\n<li>plastering<\/li>\n<li>painting<\/li>\n<li>and  more<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nKeep  in  mind,  however,  that  work  which  is  subject  to  VAT  at  23%  (such  as  architect&#8217;s  fees)  is  not  covered  under  this  scheme.  Neither  are  items  such  as  furniture,  white  goods  or  carpets.  Also,  if  you  buy  materials  yourself,  (such  as  paint  or  tiles),  you  can&#8217;t  include  them  in  your  claim  for  tax  relief.<\/p>\n<p>The  timing  of  when  the  work  is  completed  is  also  important.<\/p>\n<p>To  qualify  for  the  HRI,  the  work  must  be  done  between:\n<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>25  October  2013  and  31  December  2018  for  homeowners<\/li>\n<li>15  October  2014  and  31  December  2018  for  landlords<\/li>\n<li>1  January  2017  and  31  December  2018  for  local  authority  tenants<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\nThere  is  one  exception  to  the  above  timeline.  If  you  require  planning  permission  to  carry  out  the  work,  the  permission  must  have  been  granted  by  31  December  2018,  and  you  will  have  until  <b>31  March  2019<\/b>\u00a0to  complete  and  pay  for  the  work.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"how-much-tax-relief-can-i-claim-for-my-home-renovation\">How  much  tax  relief  can  I  claim  for  my  home  renovation?<\/h3>\n<p>\nThe  minimum  credit  you  can  claim  is  \u20ac595,  based  on  the  minimum  qualifying  expenditure  of  \u20ac4,405.  The  maximum  is  \u20ac4,050,  based  on  the  maximum  qualifying  expenditure  of  \u20ac30,000.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"when-is-the-hri-credit-paid\">When  is  the  HRI  credit  paid?<\/h3>\n<p>\nThis  credit  is  typically  paid  over  two  years  following  the  year  in  which  the  work  was  carried  out  on  your  property  and  you  paid  for  it.<\/p>\n<p>If  you&#8217;re  a  PAYE  worker,  your  credit  will  be  divided  evenly  across  your  pay  dates  over  two  years.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile,  if  you&#8217;re  a  self-employed  taxpayer,  the  credit  will  be  split  and  included  in  your  self-assessment  over  two  years  \u2013  half  in  each  year.\n<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"anything-else-i-should-know-about-hri-tax-relief\">Anything  else  I  should  know  about  HRI  tax  relief?<\/h3>\n<p>\nAny  contractor  you  use  must  be  participating  in  the  HRI  scheme.  This  means  they  are  registered  for  Value  Added  Tax  (VAT)  in  Ireland  and  are  tax-compliant.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" class=\"orange-cta-btn\"><a style=\"padding: 15px; text-align: center; border-radius: 30px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold; background-color: #e74632; color: #fff; margin: 25px 0px 25px 0px;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/user\/#\/application\/ireland\/essentials\">Get Your Irish Tax Refund Now!<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"how-can-i-claim-tax-credits\">How  can  I  claim  tax  credits?<\/h2>\n<p>\nKeep  in  mind  that  you  will  need  proof  of  costs  incurred  (relevant  bills)  to  claim  tax  relief.<br \/>\nYou  can  avail  of  your  tax  entitlements  yourself  by  filing  a  tax  return  (the  HRI  credit  can  be  claimed  once  the  contractor  has  recorded  the  work  with  Revenue).<\/p>\n<p>Alternatively,  by  getting  in  touch  with  the  tax  team  at\u00a0<b><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/en\/ireland\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Taxback<\/a><\/b>,  you&#8217;ll  be  guaranteed  to  receive  your\u00a0<b>maximum  legal  tax  refund<\/b>.  Our  experts  will  handle  all  of  the  boring  tax  paperwork  and  transfer  your  refund  straight  to  your  bank  account.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Don&#8217;t let unclaimed tax reliefs go to waste! Discover the lesser-known tax benefits available in Ireland, from health expenses and working-from-home credits to tuition fees and home improvements.\n","protected":false},"author":381,"featured_media":13216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"yes","_lmt_disable":"no","footnotes":""},"categories":[368,361],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tax-tips-ireland","category-tax-tips"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Many people haven\u2019t heard of these common Irish tax reliefs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When it comes to tax refunds, thousands of Irish people leave money on the table every year. Are you sure you\u2019re availing of every tax relief you\u2019re entitled to?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/lesser-known-tax-reliefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Many people haven\u2019t heard of these common Irish tax reliefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"When it comes to tax refunds, thousands of Irish people leave money on the table every year. 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Are you sure you\u2019re availing of every tax relief you\u2019re entitled to?","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.taxback.com\/blog\/lesser-known-tax-reliefs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Many people haven\u2019t heard of these common Irish tax reliefs","og_description":"When it comes to tax refunds, thousands of Irish people leave money on the table every year. 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