826. Deputy Cian O'Callaghan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance the number of applications made to the Revenue Commissioners to date for the mortgage interest tax relief scheme; the number of successful and unsuccessful applications; the cost of the scheme to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59162/26]

Finance Act 2023 introduced Mortgage Interest Tax Relief (MITR). MITR was originally made available for the 2023 year of assessment.

The relief is available to homeowners with an outstanding mortgage balance between €80,000 and €500,000 as of 31 December 2022. The relief extends to a qualifying property located in the State which is the sole or main residence of the individual’s former or separated spouse or civil partner or a dependent relative. Furthermore, the taxpayer must be compliant with Local Property Tax requirements. The relief operates by way of a credit offset against the taxpayer’s income tax liability.

In Finance Act 2024, the relief was extended to include the 2024 tax year. Subsequently, to continue to provide support to mortgage holders who have experienced increased interest rates since 2022, Finance Act 2025 provided for a further two-year extension of the relief.

The relief is available in respect of the increase in interest paid in 2023, 2024 and 2025 over interest paid in 2022. The amount qualifying for relief at the standard rate of tax (20%) is capped at €6,250 per property. This is equivalent to a maximum tax relief of €1,250 per property per annum. A reduced level of relief will apply in relation to the extension to 2026. Accordingly, the relief is available in respect of half of the increase in interest paid in 2026 over interest paid in 2022, and the value of the relief is equal to the lesser of 20% of the eligible increase or €625, applying on a per property basis.

I am informed by Revenue that taxpayers claim the MITR on their tax returns on a self-assessed basis and the eligibility is self-determined, and therefore Revenue do not have details on the numbers of taxpayers who did not progress with their claim, as they did not complete the required details/fields on their Tax Return. Claims are subsequently subject to normal compliance checks and taxpayers are required to retain relevant documentation for a period of six years after the claim is made.

It should also be noted that taxpayers have four years to submit claims for tax credits and tax reliefs.

MITR was introduced in 2023, and 2024 is latest year for which data is available. The cost and beneficiaries for these years are set out in the below table.

Mortgage Interest Tax Relief