Help to Buy (HTB)
A refund of income tax and DIRT for first-time buyers of new homes up to €500,000: the lesser of €30,000, 10% of the price or 4 years' tax.
What it means
Help to Buy refunds income tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) you paid over the four tax years before you apply. It is for first-time buyers of a newly built home, or a self-build, that they will live in for five years. Everyone buying must be a first-time buyer.
The refund is the lesser of €30,000, 10% of the purchase price (or approved valuation for a self-build), and the income tax and DIRT you paid in those four years. USC and PRSI do not count. The home must cost €500,000 or less, and your mortgage must be at least 70% of the price, from a qualifying lender. The scheme runs to 31 December 2029.
You apply in myAccount (or ROS if you are self-assessed). For a new build, Revenue pays the refund to the developer as part of your deposit.
Formula
Example
A couple buying a new €400,000 home with a €340,000 mortgage, who paid €35,000 of income tax over four years, get the full €30,000.