What does the taxman owe you?

It’s easy to overlook, but many taxpayers are not claiming their full tax credits due to them.

In fact, taxpayers as a whole are owed literally millions of euro because so many of us are not claiming our full tax credits from the Revenue Commissioners.

You can back-claim a tax refund for up to the last four years: 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Check below to see if you have been claiming all your credits and if you are due a refund.

• Refuse charges
• Trade union subscriptions
• Medical expenses
• Rent relief
• Home Carers Credit Allowance
• Mortgage Interest relief
• Age credits
• Health levy refunds

Refuse charges

You can claim up to €400 per annum on bin charges at the marginal (20%) tax rate, which means up to €80 per annum. You can claim for up to the last 4 years.

However, it was recently announced that tax relief on domestic service charges, such as bin collections, are to be abolished from 2011 onwards. However, you can still claim back relief on any waste, water and sewage service charges paid to a local authority or private operator from 2006, and of course you will still be able to claim relief for 2010 next year.

Who can claim refuse refunds? Whoever in the household pays the charges in full You can claim a refund by applying on line or completing Tax form 12, which can be requested from your local tax office or downloaded from www.revenue.ie; or you can claim by texting "info credit bin" to 51829. Remember to have your PPS number to hand, which you will find on your payslip, P60 or certificate of tax credits.

Trade Union Subscriptions

If you are a member of a trade union you can claim an allowance of €350 per annum at the marginal (20%) tax rate, which means up €70 per annum for the years 2008 and 2009.

The relief was €200 in 2005 and €300 in 2006 and 2007 so you can reclaim €40 for 2005 and €60 for 2006 and 2007 and €70 for 2008.

Medical/Health expenses

Have you paid for medical and dental expenses out of your own pocket anytime over the past four years for you and your family? You can claim a tax refund on all eligible expenses that you cannot recover from your private health insurance or any other source. This includes visits to doctors, non routine dental procedures, prescriptions, consultants, x-rays, scans, speech and language therapy, visits to A&E, physiotherapy, massage and other rehabilitation treatments prescribed by your doctor.

In the October 2008 emergency budget, the Government announced a reduction in medical expenses relief from 41% to 20% from 2009. So if you are a higher-rate taxpayer, you can claim for medical expenses at your higher rate for the tax years 2006, 2007 and 2008, but only at the standard 20pc rate for 2009. Further information can be got from Revenue information leaflet IT 6

You can print off a medical refund form here.

Rent Relief

Are you renting a room or a house? You can claim tax credits of €2000 in 2009 for a single person under 55, or €4000 if you are married/widowed and under 55.

If you are over 55 the credit doubles to €4000 for a single person and €8000 for married/widowed persons. Relief can be claimed at the standard rate of 20%.

A single person under 55 who did not claim in 2009 would be due a refund of €400 and a single person over 55 or if married/widowed would be entitled to a refund of €800.

A single person under 55 who is entitled to a refund for 2005,2006,2007 and 2008 would be due €1390.

This relief does not apply to those living in local authority housing. Fro more information log on to www.revenue.ie

Home Carers Credit Allowance

Do you look after children? You can claim the Home carers allowance if you are married and jointly assessed for tax and one spouse works in the home caring for children, person over 65 or a disabled person.

If you earn less than €5,080 in the year you will still qualify and if you earn between €5080 and €6880 you will qualify for a reduced rate.

You are entitled to a credit of €770 for 2005, 2006 and 2007 and €900 for 2009. If you are due a refund for the last four years you will get €642.

Mortgage Interest Relief

First time buyers who are single can claim relief on their mortgage interest paid up to €10,000 @ 25% for the first 2 years. The maximum relief available is €208.33 per month.

Married or widowed first time buyers can claim interest paid up to 20,000 at 25% for first 2 years. The maximum relief available is €416.67 per month.

For years, 3, 4 and 5, the rate falls 22.5% for first time buyers. For years 6 and 7, the rate falls again to 20%.

Following the supplementary budget in April 2009, mortgage tax relief will only be available to first time buyers for the first seven years. After year 7, the relief will no longer apply.

Age Credits

Once you or your spouse reaches the age of 65, you can claim the Age Tax Credit.

This is worth €325 for 2009/2010 for single people and €650 for married couples.

Single people over the age of 65 can also earn up to €20,000 before they pay tax and married couples can earn €20,000 before they are liable for tax.

Health Levy refunds

People whose income has being dropped because they have been put on a three-day week or made redundant may be entitled to a refund of some of the money they paid in the health levy.

Anyone earning over €500 per week will pay the 2% health levy. However if their earnings for the full year fall below €26,000 these people can claim a refund.

To claim the refund send a letter to the PRSI Refunds section of the Department of Social and Family Affairs with a copy of your P60. There is also a form you can fill out called a PRSI REF 1. Claiming a refund will have no impact on benefits based on PRSI contributions.

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Information correct at 12th July 2010