Paying Too Much Tax? – Claim Your Tax Back
Most people simply receive their weekly or monthly salary and pay the standard taxes associated without realising they may be paying too much tax!
The Irish Tax System provides a variety of allowances or tax credits which people are entitled to depending on their own personal circumstances. These entitlements are frequently overlooked by most people.
You can claim the tax reliefs for the past 4 years from the Revenue Commissioners.
Here is a sample of items which PAYE payers can claim Tax Relief back from the Revenue:
Expense: Revenue Information on how to claim & further details (click link)
· Medical & Dental Expenses (http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/leaflets/it6.html )
§ Doctors Fees
§ Consultants Fees
§ Physiotherapy Fees
§ Orthotic Fees
§ Prescriptions/Medicines prescribed by your doctor or dentist.
§ Speech & Language Therapy for a dependent child
§ Expenses for surgical, medical or nursing appliances
§ Hospital treatment Fee
· Tuition Fees (http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/reliefs/tuition-fees.html)
§ Up to the year 2006 inclusive, an individual could claim tax relief on fees paid in respect of Third Level courses on his/her own behalf or on behalf of a spouse, child or person in respect of whom the individual is/was the legal guardian. With effect from 2007 onwards, the required relationship has been abolished and an individual can claim tax relief on fees paid for Third Level courses as long as he/she has paid the qualifying fees.
· Trade Union Subscriptions (http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/credits/trade-union-subscriptions.html)
§ An individual must be a member of a Trade Union during year of assessment.
· Service Charges (http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/credits/service-charges.html )
(Bin / Domestic Waste)
§ Tax relief is available if you pay local authority and other service charges in Ireland. This relief is granted to those who pay their service charges in full and on time in the previous calendar year.
§ Subject to a maximum limit of €400
· Rent (http://www.revenue.ie/en/tax/it/credits/rent-credit.html)
§ An individual paying for a private rented accommodation e.d bedsit, flats, apartments or houses etc.
§ Rent relief can be claimed where a child is required to pay rent to their parents. The amounts paid however must be Rent as the term would normally be understood and not merely a contribution towards the upkeep of the household. Since 2007 where the Rent Tax Credit is claimed by a child paying rent to their parents, the parents will not be allowed to claim the Rent a Room exemption (this is an exemption allowed to landlords who Rent a Room out of their Principal Private Residence and who’s Gross Rental Income from this does not exceed €10,000 in 2008 (€7,620 in 2007)). This means that the parent will need to declare their rental income on their annual Tax Return and pay any Income Tax arising.
Claims can be made at the end of tax year so keep a record of all you & your family’s pharmacy, dentist, doctor expenses etc.
When claiming, you will not be asked to send in receipts to the revenue. However, in case of an audit you are obliged to keep the receipts for up to 6 years.
Further details:
A list of ALL available Tax Reliefs and how to claim for each is available by clicking the following link.