Thomas Gould (Cork North-Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

613. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of homes for which a vacant homes levy has been applied; and the number of homes for which it has been received. [44158/25]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Vacant Homes Tax (VHT) was announced in Budget 2023 and legislated for in Finance Act 2022. The main objective of this tax is to increase the supply of homes for rent or purchase by encouraging the owners of vacant, habitable, residential properties to bring those properties back into use. A residential property will be within the scope of the tax if it has been occupied as a dwelling for less than 30 days in a chargeable period.

VHT operates on a self-assessment basis, where the number of properties in scope and the amount of tax payable depends on the self-assessed returns submitted by property owners, the number of properties declared as liable, and the number of property owners entitled to claim available exemptions from the tax.

The first chargeable period for the VHT commenced on 1 November 2022 and ended on 31 October 2023. The second chargeable period commenced on 1 November 2023 and ended on 31 October 2024, with self-assessed returns due on 7 November 2024 and the associated tax payable on or before 1 January 2025.

VHT was charged at three times a property’s base local property tax (LPT) charge in respect of the first chargeable period (1 November 2022 – 31 October 2023), and at five times a property’s base LPT charge in respect of the second chargeable period (1 November 2023 – 31 October 2024). VHT currently applies at a rate of seven time a property’s base LPT charge with effect from 1 November 2024.

Statistics in relation to VHT are published on Revenue’s website at: www.revenue.ie/en/corporate/information-about-revenue/statistics/property-taxes/yearly-stats/2025/index.aspx

The below table shows, for the first and second chargeable periods, the number of properties declared vacant per the latest available statistics: