97. Deputy Barry Cowen asked the Minister for Finance the number of eligible claims currently being made for the rent tax credit made in counties Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Longford, Meath and Louth and Kildare, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28427/24]

103. Deputy Jennifer Murnane O'Connor asked the Minister for Finance the number of eligible claims currently being made for the rent tax credit made in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford and Waterford, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28423/24]

105. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Finance the number of eligible claims currently being made for the rent tax credit made in counties Limerick, Clare, Tipperary, Cork and Kerry, respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28429/24]

115. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Finance the number of eligible claims currently being made for the rent tax credit in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28425/24]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 97, 103, 105 and 115 together.

The Rent Tax Credit (RTC), as provided for in section 473B of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 (TCA 1997), was introduced by the Finance Act 2022 and may be claimed in respect of qualifying rent paid in 2022 and subsequent years to end-2025.

For the tax years 2022 and 2023, the maximum value of the credit is €1,000 per year in the case of a jointly assessed couple, and €500 in all other cases. Finance Act 2023 increased the value of the credit for the 2024 and 2025 tax years to a maximum of €1,500 for a jointly assessed couple and €750 in all other cases.

I am advised by Revenue that the Rent Tax Credit statistics currently available refer only to PAYE taxpayers. Data on self-assessed taxpayers are not yet available. These data will be available, in respect of the 2022 year of assessment, later in 2024 when the self-assessed tax returns for that year, filed in late 2023, are fully analysed.

Rent Tax Credit claimants are on a ‘taxpayer unit’ basis. A taxpayer unit is either an individual with any personal status who is singly assessed or a couple in a marriage or civil partnership who have elected for joint assessment.

Claims in respect of the 2022 and 2023 years of assessment can be made by PAYE taxpayers by submitting an Income Tax return for that year. For claims relating to 2024, PAYE taxpayers have the option of claiming the Rent Tax Credit due to them either as rent is incurred or at the end of the year through their Income Tax return.

The below table outlines the number of claimants by year of assessment and by county for 2022, 2023 and 2024. The 2024 figures are as at 25 June 2024. I am further advised by Revenue that the data are provisional and subject to change.