Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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337. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans on extending the tax relief for renters to RAS tenants; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1306/23]

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour)
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339. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on extending the tax relief for renters to those on RAS and other tenancies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1336/23]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 337 and 339 together.

Finance Act 2022 introduced a new Rent Tax Credit.The credit is available for the tax years 2022 to 2025 (inclusive) with a maximum value of €1,000 per year in the case of a jointly assessed married couple or civil partners, and €500 in all other cases.

The credit is broadly available in the following three circumstances:

1) where the claimant makes a qualifying payment in respect of his or her principal private residence,

2) where the claimant makes a qualifying payment in respect of a ‘second home’ which he or she uses to facilitate his or her attendance at, or participation in, his or her employment, office holding, trade, profession or an approved course, and

3) where the claimant makes a qualifying payment in respect of a property used by his or her child to facilitate the latter’s attendance at, or participation in, an approved course. 

Full details of how to claim the tax credit and the conditions that apply are set out in the relevant Tax and Duty Manual (Part 15-01-11A) available on the Revenue website at the following link: 

www.revenue.ie/en/personal-tax-credits-reliefs-and-exemptions/land-and-property/rent-credit/index.aspx. 

From the outset, the measure was intended to assist those who do not get any other housing supports from the State.  This was made clear in my predecessor's Budget address last year and it is also the position approved by the Oireachtas during the Finance Bill 2022 process which concluded last month. 

Under the newly enacted legislation (section 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997), the claimant must not be a ‘supported tenant’.  This means that the claimant cannot be in receipt of State housing support in respect of a tenancy for which they are seeing the rent tax credit. 

There are no plans at the present time to extend the measure to those who fall within the definition of "supported tenant".