Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour)
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232. To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the eligibility of international students studying and paying rent in Ireland for the rental tax credit; his further views on the eligibility of those on Stamp 2 visas, in particular; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10192/23]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Finance Act 2022 introduced the Rent Tax Credit, which is provided for in s. 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. This is an income tax credit of up to €500 per year (or up to €1,000 for jointly assessed couples) which may be claimed in respect of qualifying rent paid in 2022 and subsequent years to end-2025.

It is a general principle that in order to avail of income tax reliefs a person must pay income tax. The amount of Rent Tax Credit you can claim will depend on the amount of rent you pay and the amount of income tax you pay. In the case of a single person, the amount of tax that must be paid to fully avail of the Rent Tax Credit is €3,900 in 2022 and €4,050 in 2023. The Rent Tax credit is a non-refundable tax credit. An international student / an individual on a Stamp 2 visa who pays rent in Ireland will be entitled to claim the Rent Tax Credit if they pay income tax in Ireland and satisfy the conditions which must be met in order for a claimant to qualify for the credit.

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.