Personal Tax Credits
The following chart gives details of the main personal tax
credits for the tax years 2013 and 2014
Tax credits for the years 2013 and 2014
Personal Circumstances |
2013 |
2014 |
Single
Person |
€1,650 |
€1,650 |
Married
Person or Civil Partner |
€3,300 |
€3,300 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner - qualifying for One Parent Family Tax
Credit (2013) |
€1,650 |
--- |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner - qualifying for Single Person Child Carer
Credit (2014) |
--- |
€1,650 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner without qualifying children |
€2,190 |
€2,190 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner in year of bereavement |
€3,300 |
€3,300 |
One-Parent
Family Tax Credit ( 2013) |
€1,650 |
--- |
Single
Person Child Carer Credit ( 2014) |
--- |
€1,650 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner Tax Credit (with qualifying child) -
Bereaved in 2013 |
--- |
€3,600 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner Tax Credit (with qualifying child) -
Bereaved in 2012 |
€3,600 |
€3,150 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner Tax Credit (with qualifying child) -
Bereaved in 2011 |
€3,150 |
€2,700 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner Tax Credit (with qualifying child) -
Bereaved in 2010 |
€2,700 |
€2,250 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner Tax Credit (with qualifying child) -
Bereaved in 2009 |
€2,250 |
€1,800 |
Widowed
Person or Surviving Civil Partner Tax Credit (with qualifying child) -
Bereaved in 2008 |
€1,800 |
--- |
Home
Carer Tax Credit (max.) |
€810 |
€810 |
PAYE
Tax Credit |
€1,650 |
€1,650 |
Age Tax
Credit if Single, Widowed or Surviving Civil Partner |
€245 |
€245 |
Age Tax
Credit if Married or in a Civil Partnership |
€490 |
€490 |
Incapacitated
Child Tax Credit |
€3,300 |
€3,300 |
Dependent
Relative Tax Credit ( - See note 1) |
€70 |
€70 |
Blind
Person's Tax Credit - Single Person* |
€1,650* |
€1,650* |
Blind
Person's Tax Credit - One Spouse or Civil Partner Blind* |
€1,650* |
€1,650* |
Blind
Person's Tax Credit - Both Spouses or Civil Partners Blind* |
€3,300* |
€3,300* |
Incapacitated
Person - Relief for Employing a Carer** |
€50,000**max |
€50,000**max |
* Relief in respect of the cost of maintaining a guide dog (max
€825) may be claimed under the heading of Health Expenses.
** Relief for Employing a Carer (2013 and 2014) is allowable at
the individual's highest rate of tax, i.e. 20% or 41%.
Note 1- In the case of Dependent Relative Tax Credit, if the
relative's income exceeds the relevant limit of €13,837 in the years 2013 and
2014 no tax credit is due.
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Exemption Limits
Exemption Limits 2013 & 2014
Personal Circumstances |
2013 |
2014 |
Single,
Widowed or a Surviving Civil Partner 65 years of age or over |
€18,000 |
€18,000 |
Married
or in a Civil Partnership 65 years of age or over |
€36,000 |
€36,000 |
Single,
Widowed, a Surviving Civil Partner, Married or in a Civil Partnership 65
years of age or over -
Additional for 1st and 2nd qualifying child |
€575 |
€575 |
Single,
Widowed, a Surviving Civil Partner, Married or in a Civil Partnership 65
years of age or over -
Additional for each subsequent qualifying child |
€830 |
€830 |
Marginal
Relief Tax Rate* |
40%* |
40%* |
*The Marginal Relief Tax Rate only applies to persons 65 years
of age or over.
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Tax Rates and Tax Bands
Tax rates and bands applicable to your personal circumstance
in tax year 2013 and tax year 2014
Personal Circumstances |
2013 |
2014 |
Single,
Widowed or a Surviving Civil Partner without qualifying children |
€32,800
@ 20%, Balance @ 41% |
€32,800
@ 20%, Balance @ 41% |
Single,
Widowed or a Surviving Civil Partner qualifying for One Parent Family Tax
Credit (2013) |
€36,800
@ 20%, Balance @ 41% |
--- |
Single,
Widowed or a Surviving Civil Partner qualifying for Single Person Child Carer
Credit (2014) |
--- |
€36,800
@ 20%, Balance @ 41% |
Married
or in a Civil Partnership - one Spouse or Civil Partner with income |
€41,800
@ 20%, Balance @ 41% |
€41,800
@ 20%, Balance @ 41% |
Married
or in a Civil Partnership - both Spouses or Civil Partners with income |
€41,800
@ 20% (with an increase of €23,800 max), Balance @ 41% |
€41,800
@ 20% (with an increase of €23,800 max), Balance @ 41% |
Note: The increase in the standard rate tax band is restricted to the
lower of €23,800 in years 2013 and in 2014 or the amount of the income of the
Spouse or Civil Partner with the lower income. The increase is not transferable
between Spouses or Civil Partners.
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Childcare Services Relief
Childcare Services Relief is a scheme of tax relief for income
arising from the provision of certain childcare services. When the gross annual
income from the provision of childcare services does not exceed €15,000 in the
years 2013 and 2014, the income is exempt from tax. The childcare service must
be provided in the carer's home, not the children's home and no more than three
children may be cared for at any time.
For further information see: Childcare Services Relief
Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT)
From 1 January 2014, the DIRT rate will be 41% in respect of
interest paid on all deposit accounts. For 2013, the rates were 33% for
ordinary deposit accounts and 36% for long term deposit accounts.
The rate of exit tax that applies to life assurance policies and
investment funds will also be 41%.
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Health/Medical Expenses Relief
You may claim tax relief on a Form MED 1, at the standard rate
of tax (20%), (with the exception of nursing home expenses for which tax relief
is still available at your highest rate of tax) for certain medical expenses
incurred by you, on your own behalf or on behalf of another person. Most medical
expenses, with some exceptions e.g. routine dental and ophthalmic care, qualify
for relief.
You cannot claim relief for any expenditure which has been or
will be reimbursed, e.g. by VHI, Laya Healthcare, Aviva Health, etc., or where
a compensation payment is or will be made.
For more information see Leaflet IT 6 - Health / Medical Expenses Relief,
Form MED
1 (PDF, 1.14MB).
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Home Carer Tax Credit
A tax credit at the standard rate of tax (20%) in the tax years
2013 and 2014 is available for Married Couples or Civil Partners where:
•
One Spouse or Civil Partner (the 'home carer')
works in the home caring for one or more dependent persons, i.e. a child for
whom they are entitled to child benefit from the Department of Social
Protection, a person aged 65 or over, or a person who is permanently
incapacitated by reason of mental or physical infirmity and the qualifying
person normally resides with the couple for the year.
•
The home carer's income is not in excess of
€5,080. A reduced tax credit applies where the income is between €5,080 and
€6,700 in the years 2013 and 2014.
The tax credit is not available to Married Couples or Civil
Partners who are taxed as single persons. Neither is the tax credit available
to Married Couples or Civil Partners with combined incomes over €41,800 in the
tax years 2013 or 2014 and who claim the increased standard rate tax band for
dual income couples.
For more information and also to claim the relief due complete
the application form in Leaflet IT 66 - Home Carer's Tax Credit and
send it to your Revenue office. Alternatively, you can telephone your Revenue
LoCall number with details of your claim.
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Home Renovation Incentive
The Home Renovation Incentive provides a tax credit for
homeowners (owner-occupiers) for qualifying expenditure incurred on repair,
renovation or improvement work carried out on their principal private
residence.
Qualifying conditions:
•
The work must carried out on or after 25
October 2013 and on or before 31 December 2015.
•
Payments for qualifying work which are made
between 25 October 2013 and 31 December 2013 will be treated as if they were
made in 2014.
•
If planning permission is required and is in
place by 31 December 2015, then payments made in respect of qualifying work
carried out between 1 January 2016 and 31 March 2016 will qualify under the
incentive.
•
Qualifying works must cost a minimum of €5,000
(including VAT at 13.5%). The €5,000 can be made up of a number of payments to
different qualifying contractors.
•
There is no upper limit on the cost of the
works but the maximum amount on which relief can be claimed is €30,000 (before
VAT).
•
The tax credit will be 13.5% of the cost of
the works (before VAT), subject to the minimum and maximum amounts. It will be
included on your Tax Credit Certificate or Income Tax Notice of Assessment and
will be given over a 2 year period following the year in which payment is made
for the qualifying work.
•
Homeowners must be LPT and Household charge
compliant in order to qualify while building contractors must be VAT registered
and tax compliant in order to carry out works.
For further information see: ‘Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) scheme‘
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Medical Insurance Premiums
The amount of tax relief due in respect of medical insurance
policies entered into or renewed on or after 16 October 2013, is restricted to:
•
the premium paid up to a maximum of €1,000 per
adult covered by a policy
•
the premium paid up to a maximum of €500 per
child covered by a policy.
Tax relief is allowed on this restricted amount at the standard
rate of 20%.
For policies renewed or entered into before 16 October 2013
relief could be claimed in respect of all qualifying premiums paid to
authorised insurers and relief at the standard rate of tax was granted at
source on the gross premium charged.
In effect subscribers paid a reduced premium (80% of the gross
amount) to the authorised medical insurer. This reduction was the same as
giving tax relief at the standard rate of tax (20%).
Employees whose medical insurance premiums are paid on their
behalf by their employer, as a Benefit-in-Kind, will not have been allowed tax
relief at source. To claim the relief due it will be necessary to notify your
Revenue office with the relevant details or by completing an annual tax return.
The Age-Related Tax Credit (ARTC) no longer applies in respect
of policies entered into or renewed with effect from 1 January 2013.
For more information see Leaflet: IT 5 - Medical Insurance Relief
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PRSI - Employers/Employees/Self Employed
PRSI queries should be directed to Department of Social
Protection, Information Service at 1890 662 244, or if self employed at 1890
690 690 or visit: www.welfare.ie
For PRSI Contribution Rates see: PRSI Contribution Rates & User Guide (SW14)
Rent-a-Room Relief
Where an individual lets a room (or rooms) in his or her sole or
main residence as residential accommodation, the income may be exempt from
income tax where the aggregate of the gross rents and any sums for meals or
other services supplied in connection with the letting is below a certain
threshold (€10,000 for the tax years 2013 & 2014).
The exemption does not affect any entitlement to mortgage
interest relief or to Capital Gains Tax exemption on the disposal of the
residence.
The exemption is not due where the payments are to a parent from
his or her child. Neither is it due where the payments are to an individual who
is an office holder or an employee of the person making the payments or, of a
person who is connected with the person making the payments or to a person
connected with the office holder or employee.
For more information see Leaflet IT 70 - A Revenue Guide to Rental Income.
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Rent Relief for Private Rented Accommodation
Relief is due at the standard rate of tax (20%) in the tax
years 2013 and 2014 subject to the following upper limits:
Personal Circumstances |
2013 |
2014 |
Single
under 55 (max.) |
€1,000 |
€800 |
Single
over 55 (max.) |
€2,000 |
€1,600 |
Widowed,
a Surviving Civil Partner, Married or in a Civil Partnership under 55 (max.) |
€2,000 |
€1,600 |
Widowed,
a Surviving Civil Partner, Married or in a Civil Partnership over 55 (max.) |
€4,000 |
€3,200 |
Note: Rent Relief only applies to individuals who were renting a
property on 7 December 2010. No credit is due to individuals who began renting
after 7 December 2010.
Relief can be claimed by completing Form
Rent 1 - Claim for Rent Relief on Private Rented Accommodation (PDF,
313KB)
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Revenue Approved Permanent Health Benefit Schemes
Where an employer deducts the contributions from gross
pay the tax relief is given at source. Therefore no further action is
necessary to claim relief.
Where an employer does not deduct the contributions from
gross pay relief can be claimed, by notifying your Revenue office of the
relevant details or by completing an annual tax return.
Revenue Job Assist
Up to and including 2013, additional tax relief at the
individual's highest rate of tax, i.e. 20% or 41%, was available for people who
were unemployed for one year or more and who took up a qualifying job.
This scheme has ended for any employments commencing on or after
1 July 2013. Tax relief under the scheme will continue to be available for
successful claims processed for employments that commenced on or before 30 June
2013 until the end of their natural lifecycle.
For more information see: Leaflet IT 58 - Job Assist Information for Employees.
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Single Person Child Carer Credit
The One Parent Family Tax Credit (See leaflet IT9 - One Parent Family Tax Credit) has been
abolished with effect from 31 December 2013 and replaced with the Single Person Child Carer Credit. To qualify
for this tax credit the primary claimant must be a single parent who has a
qualifying child residing with him or her, or a person who has custody of and
maintains a qualifying child who is living with him or her for the whole or
greater part of the year of assessment (i.e. more then six months).
If the child was born during the year, he or she must reside
with the claimant for the greater part of the year from birth.
A primary claimant can only be someone who is single, widowed, a
surviving civil partner, deserted, separated (from spouse or civil partner),
divorced or whose civil partnership has been dissolved.
A child can only be the subject of one claim, and a claimant can
only make a claim for one child for a year of assessment irrespective of the
number of children that reside with him or her. The credit will be granted for
a child up to the age of 18 years or, if over 18 years, where they are
receiving full-time instruction.
The credit can also be claimed in the case of a permanently
incapacitated child where the incapacity occurred before age 21, or if older,
while the child was in full-time instruction.
Note: Full-time instruction does not include post graduate and
doctorate programmes where the student is primarily involved in self-managed
research and learning.
The relevant claim form SPCC1
- Claim for Single Person Child Carer Credit Primary Claimant (PDF,
286KB) must be completed and submitted to your Revenue office for the initial
claim.
Relinquishing a claim to the Single Person Child Carer Credit in
favour of another claimant
The primary claimant of the credit may, if he or she wishes,
relinquish his or her entitlement to this tax credit to another individual by
completing the relevant section on Form SPCC1. However, once it is
relinquished and claimed by another individual, known as the secondary
claimant, the tax credit stays with the secondary claimant for the remainder of
that tax year.
If the primary claimant withdraws his or her relinquishment
subsequently, he or she cannot avail of the credit until the year following the
year in which the relinquishment was withdrawn. The primary claimant must
notify their Revenue office, in writing, if they wish to withdraw a
relinquishment.
The Secondary Claimant must also be someone who is single,
widowed, a surviving civil partner, deserted, separated (from spouse or civil
partner), divorced or whose civil partnership has been dissolved.
A qualifying child must reside with the secondary claimant for
not less than 100 days during the tax year. For the purposes of this
legislation the greater part of a day will be counted as a day. Therefore where
a child resides with a claimant from before noon on one day and stays with that
claimant until the following evening that would be counted as two days.
The relevant claim form SPCC2
- Claim for Single Person Child Carer Credit Secondary Claimant
(PDF, 332KB) must be completed by the secondary claimant and submitted to his
or her Revenue office. This form is not to be completed unless the primary
claimant has relinquished his or her entitlement to the Tax credit.
Only one credit will be granted in the year to either the
primary claimant or secondary claimant.
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Start your own Business
Individuals who have been long-term unemployed for at least 15
months prior to starting their own business as a sole trader can claim a
two-year income tax exemption up to a maximum of €40,000 income per annum. For
more information see: Start your own Business.
Tax Relief for Loan Interest (Secured and Unsecured)
Tax Relief at Source (TRS) on Secured loans
Income tax relief for home mortgage interest is granted at
source by your mortgage lender on behalf of Revenue and the relief due is based
on the amount of qualifying interest paid during the year subject to the
overall limits.
For more information see: Tax Relief at Source (TRS) for Mortgage Interest Relief.
Your mortgage repayment is reduced by the amount of the tax
relief. Any future adjustments in the tax relief (for example, arising from
changes in interest rates) will be made automatically by the lender on behalf
of Revenue. It is not necessary to claim mortgage interest relief in the annual
tax return, and it no longer appears on your Tax Credit Certificate. Borrowers
who are taking out new mortgages or who wish to claim for relief due for
previous years must apply online at: Mortgage Interest Relief (TRS).
Unsecured Home Loans
Relief for interest payments made on unsecured Home Loans taken
out on or before 31 December 2012 and used for qualifying purposes, i.e. repair
or improvement of your sole or main residence can be claimed from Revenue at
the end of the tax year. If, however, you are paying interest on a qualifying
private residence mortgage in excess of the ceiling for relief, listed below,
and you are receiving Tax Relief at Source on this interest then there will be
no additional relief due in respect of a qualifying unsecured home loan.
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Tax Relief at Source - Mortgage Interest Relief
Interest paid on qualifying home loans taken out after 1 January
2004 and on or before 31 December 2012 will (subject to the exceptions below)
qualify for tax relief up to the end of 2017 at the following general rates and
thresholds -
First time buyers
The tax relief on interest paid on qualifying home loans is 25%
for years 1 and 2; 22.5% for years 3, 4 & 5 and 20% for years 6 and 7. The
upper thresholds in respect of the amount of interest paid qualifying for tax
relief are €20,000 for individuals who are married, in a civil partnership,
widowed or surviving civil partner and €10,000 for single individuals.
After year 7, the rates and thresholds for relief are as for
non-first time buyers.
Non-first time buyers
The tax relief on interest paid on qualifying home loans is 15%.
The upper thresholds in respect of the amount of interest paid qualifying for
tax relief are €6,000 for individuals who are married, in a civil partnership,
widowed or surviving civil partner and €3,000 for single individuals.
Exception 1 (30% rate of relief)
For individuals who purchased their first principal private
residence (or second or subsequent principal private residence but only where
the first principal private residence was purchased on or after 1 January
2004), on or after 1 January 2004 and on or before 31 December 2008, the rate
of tax relief on the interest paid on the loan to purchase that property will,
for the tax years 2012 to 2017 inclusive, be 30%, subject to appropriate first
time buyers and non-first time buyers threshold.
Exception 2 (certain loans taken out in 2012 and 2013)
Mortgage interest relief is available, in certain circumstances,
for the tax years 2013 to 2017, in respect of:
•
Interest paid on a loan taken out in 2013 to
construct a home on a site, but only where such site was bought by way of a
loan taken out in 2012, and
•
Interest paid on a loan to repair, develop or
improve a home but only where loan approval was in place in 2012 and part of
the loan was used in 2012 and the balance used in 2013 on such repair,
development or improvement.
In both instances above, in order to qualify for relief, any
necessary planning permission must have been in place on or before 31 December
2012.
Loans taken out prior to 1 January 2004
Loans taken out prior to 1 January 2004 are no longer eligible
for mortgage interest relief. However, top up loans/equity release loans taken
out since 1 January 2004 on these pre-2004 loans may be eligible for mortgage
interest relief, provided they adhere to eligibility criteria as listed above.
Note: The relief will be abolished completely by the end of 2017.
For more information see: Tax Relief at Source (TRS) for Mortgage Interest Relief.
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Top Slicing Relief
Top Slicing Relief, which was an additional relief granted in
respect of the tax payable on a lump sum payment, has been abolished in respect
of all ex-gratia payments (both redundancy and retirement), made on or after 1
January 2014.
For the period 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2013, individuals
who received an ex-gratia payment, excluding statutory redundancy, where the
amount was €200,000 or more are not entitled to claim Top Slicing Relief.
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Tuition Fees
Tax relief at the standard rate of tax (20%) is available for
tuition fees which includes the Student Contribution but does not include
examination fees, registration fees and administration fees. The maximum limit
on such qualifying fees for the academic years 2013/2014 is €7,000 per
individual per course.
The amounts of qualifying tuition fees shown in the table below
are disregarded in respect of each claim.
Year |
Full time - (Where any one of the students in respect of whom relief is claimed is a full-time student) |
Part time - (Where all the students in respect of whom relief is claimed are part-time students) |
2011 |
€2,000 |
€1,000 |
2012 |
€2,250 |
€1,125 |
2013 |
€2,500 |
€1,250 |
2014 |
€2,750 |
€1,375 |
2015 |
€3,000 |
€1,500 |
The disregards set out above are in respect of a claim, the
subject of which may be one or more students. The general effect of this is
that claimants who are claiming for more than one student will get full tax
relief on the Student Contribution for 2nd and subsequent children in their
claim.
Where fees are refunded or partly refunded, the claimant must
notify their Revenue office within 21 days. Failure to do so may result penalty
charges
For more information see Leaflet IT 31 - Tax Relief for Tuition Fees.
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Universal Social Charge (USC)
USC is a tax payable on gross income, including notional pay,
after any relief for certain capital allowances, but before pension contributions.
The Standard Rates and Thresholds of USC are as follows:
2013 |
Rate |
2014 |
Rate |
Income
up to €10,036.00 |
2% |
Income
up to €10,036.00 |
2% |
Income
from €10,036.01 to €16,016.00 |
4% |
Income
from €10,036.01 to €16,016.00 |
4% |
Income
above €16,016.00 |
7% |
Income
above €16,016.00 |
7% |
The Reduced Rates and Thresholds of USC are as follows:
2013 |
2014 |
Individuals
aged 70 years or over whose aggregate income for the year is €60,000 or less. |
Individuals
aged 70 years or over whose aggregate income for the year is €60,000 or less. |
Individuals
(aged under 70) who hold a full medical card whose aggregate income for the
year is €60,000 or less. |
Individuals
(aged under 70) who hold a full medical card whose aggregate income for the
year is €60,000 or less. |
2% -
Income up to €10,036.00 |
2% -
Income up to €10,036.00 |
4% -
Income above €10,036.00 |
4% -
Income above €10,036.00 |
The Exempt categories for USC are:
2013 |
2014 |
Where
an individual's total income for a year does not exceed €10,036 |
Where
an individual's total income for a year does not exceed €10,036 |
All
Department of Social Protection payments and payments similar in nature to
such payments paid by other Government bodies |
All
Department of Social Protection payments and payments similar in nature to
such payments paid by other Government bodies |
Income
already subjected to DIRT |
Income
already subjected to DIRT |
Note 1. 'Aggregate' income for USC purposes does not include payments
from the Department of Social Protection.
Note 2. A ‘GP only’ card is
not considered a full medical card for USC purposes.
There is a surcharge of 3% on individuals who have non-PAYE
income that exceeds €100,000 in a year, regardless of age.
•
For more information see: Universal Social Charge FAQs
(PDF, 680KB)