Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 142: To ask the Minister for Finance the cost to the Exchequer of the home carer's tax credit in each of the years since its introduction; the numbers availing of this credit in each of the years since its introduction for which figures have been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12715/06]

Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that the estimated cost to the Exchequer of the home carer's tax credit, formerly an allowance but converted to a tax credit in 2001, and the associated numbers of income earners availing of it are as set out in the following table.

Figures for years 2003, 2004 and 2005 are provisional and subject to revision.

It should be noted that as PAYE taxpayers were charged to tax on their earnings in the period from 6 April to 31 December 2001 and self-employed taxpayers were assessed to tax for the short "year" on 74% of the profits earned in a 12 month accounting period, the figure of Exchequer cost shown for 2001 will not be directly comparable with the costs for earlier or later years.

The numbers availing represent income earners who were in a position to absorb at least some of the home carer's tax credit and thereby give rise to an Exchequer cost. They do not include the numbers of potential claimants whose entitlements to other tax credits were sufficient to reduce their liability to tax to nil without reference to the home carer's credit. The numbers availing of the credit are rounded to the nearest hundred as appropriate. A married couple who has elected or has been deemed to have elected for joint assessment is counted as one tax unit.