Revenue urges taxpayers to claim back money they are owed via MyAccount

"So far this year, Revenue has paid out €637m in tax refunds to well over half-a-million taxpayers. Average refunds are nearly €1,000 for this year, new figures show, but more money is likely to be available to more PAYE workers. People got money back because of their employers taking too much income tax and for claims for tax reliefs like spending on GPs and prescriptions."

"There has been a huge increase in the number of income tax returns showing an overpayment since the start of this year. An increase of close to 280,000 taxpayer returns show an overpayment. Revenue wants more people to use its PAYE tax portal, MyAccount, to claim what they are due. It said that already this year more than 806,000 returns have being filed using MyAccount by PAYE workers."

"The rent tax credit is 20pc of rent paid up to a maximum of €1,000 a year for an individual and €2,000 a year for jointly assessed couples. However, this is still well below government estimates of 400,000 people being eligible to claim it. Revenue said claims for flat-rate expenses have increased by 119,604 to 202,115."

Revenue has distributed €637 million in tax refunds to approximately 661,000 taxpayers in 2024, averaging €964 per refund. Overpayments result from employers withholding excess income tax and unclaimed tax reliefs including medical expenses, prescriptions, and rent credits. Nearly 280,000 additional returns showing overpayments have been filed compared to the previous year. Revenue encourages more PAYE workers to use the MyAccount portal to claim entitled refunds. Significant increases in tax credit claims include rent-tax credit claims rising by 118,140, flat-rate expense claims increasing by 119,604, and health expense claims rising by 132,659. However, rent-tax credit uptake remains substantially below government estimates of 400,000 eligible claimants.

Read at Irish Independent