Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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I move amendment No. 24:

In page 12, to delete lines 12 to 19 and substitute the following:“(ii) where the individual is a chargeable person within the meaning of Part 41A or, as appropriate, Part 41 for a tax year within the 4 tax years immediately preceding the year in which the application is made, he or she has complied with the requirements of that Part or, as appropriate, those Parts and has paid the amount of income tax payable and of universal social charge (within the meaning of Part 18D) which he or she is liable to pay, in respect of each such tax year,”.

Amendments Nos. 24 and 25 introduce greater flexibility around the obligation on PAYE taxpayers to submit a tax return. As currently framed, all claimants would be required to submit a tax return and pay any income tax and USC payable in respect of each of the four preceding tax years, if they have not already done so. However, given that taxpayers whose income is solely taxed under PAYE are not obliged to make an annual tax return, unless required to do so by the Revenue Commissioners, I am amending the obligation on PAYE taxpayers so that they will not necessarily be required to submit a tax return for each of the four tax years preceding their application. Under these amendments, they will be required to submit a return only for the tax year or years which they consider necessary to allow them to maximise their rebate. For example, if a PAYE first-time buyer is satisfied he or she has paid sufficient tax in 2016 to get the maximum rebate of €20,000, he or she would be required to make a tax return only for 2016.

If another PAYE first-time buyer is satisfied that he or she has paid sufficient tax in 2014 and 2016 to get the maximum rebate of €20,000, he or she only needs to make a tax return for those years. However, if he or she needs to draw on tax paid in all of the four years 2013 to 2016, inclusive, to get a €20,000 refund, tax returns would be required for each of those four years.