Government must act to increase awareness of tax credit for renters, says TD

Some renters are losing out on a tax rebate because landlords are not registered with Residential Tenancies Board, according to Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan.

The Government needs to do more to raise awareness of the €500 annual rent credit introduced in Budget 2023, he says.

“It has been reported that only a fraction of those who are eligible for the credit – worth €500 per year to an individual or €1,000 per couple – have claimed it so far.

“It is estimated that up to 400,000 people are entitled to claim the refund, but just over 78,000 have applied to date.”

Deputy O’Callaghan says that “significantly, a survey by Taxback.com revealed widespread lack of public awareness about renters’ entitlement to the credit, which can be applied for retrospectively for 2022.

“With exorbitant rents putting households under severe financial pressure, it is important that as many people as possible avail of this budgetary measure.

“Given the low uptake so far, it is clear that the Government needs to run an awareness campaign to encourage more renters to apply to Revenue for the refund.

“Separately, some tenants are excluded from applying for the credit because their landlords are not registered with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).

“This is completely unacceptable and highlights the requirement for proper enforcement to ensure that landlords are fully compliant with the rules.”