Help to Buy in Ireland: a practical guide

How much can you claim now?

The further enhanced Help to Buy refund is the lowest of €35,000, 10% of the purchase value or approved self-build valuation, and the eligible Irish Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax paid over the four tax years before your application. Universal Social Charge and Pay Related Social Insurance do not count.

The higher arrangement applies where you sign the qualifying purchase contract, or make the first mortgage drawdown for a self-build, from Wednesday 7 October 2026 to Monday 31 December 2029. Earlier qualifying transactions can fall under the previous €30,000 enhanced cap instead.

Use Revenue’s application result when budgeting. A couple cannot each add the full property cap to their deposit, and a substantial salary does not prove that enough eligible tax remains available after other refunds.

Who counts as a first-time buyer?

Revenue requires you to be a first-time purchaser at the time of the claim. You must not previously have bought or built a house or apartment, whether alone or jointly, in Ireland or abroad.

This overseas rule matters if you have moved to Ireland. Being new to the Irish property market does not make you a first-time buyer if you already purchased a home in another country, even if you have since sold it.

If you buy with other people, all purchasers must meet the first-time purchaser condition. Discuss each person’s history before treating the refund as part of your available deposit; an eligible applicant cannot simply cover an ineligible co-purchaser.

Inherited or gifted property is more nuanced. Revenue says it may not affect eligibility depending on the circumstances, so disclose the facts and obtain confirmation rather than assuming every type of previous ownership has the same outcome.

You must also be tax compliant and, where required, hold tax clearance. Mortgage eligibility, permission to remain in Ireland and Help to Buy entitlement are separate questions: Revenue approval does not commit a lender to offering you a loan.

If your ownership history is complicated, put the question to Revenue through your own account before signing a contract that depends on receiving the refund.

Which homes qualify?

The property must be your home and newly built, with construction subject to Irish VAT. It must never have been used, or been suitable for use, as a residential home; buying an ordinary second-hand home does not meet that description.

A conversion from non-residential use may qualify, but that requires checking the actual property history. A newly refurbished home is not automatically a new qualifying property simply because the kitchen, wiring or finishes are new.

The purchase value must be no more than €500,000. Revenue uses the full open market value, even if you are buying at a reduced price, so the amount you personally pay is not always the figure that determines eligibility.

For a self-build, the approved valuation must also be no more than €500,000. This is the valuation approved by the lender when taking out the mortgage, and the valuation report forms part of the claim evidence.

You must intend to occupy the property as your main home. Investment purchases do not qualify, and the obligation continues after completion rather than ending when the refund is released.

For a purchase, check that the developer or contractor is approved by Revenue. A self-builder does not need a Revenue-approved contractor, but does need a solicitor registered as a Help to Buy approver to verify the claim.

How does the mortgage test work?

You must take out a mortgage with a qualifying lender to purchase or self-build the home. The qualifying loan must be at least 70% of the purchase value or approved self-build valuation.

That minimum loan-to-value rule can surprise buyers with substantial savings. Being able to put down a larger deposit does not remove the scheme’s mortgage requirement; check the proposed funding structure with your lender and solicitor.

Shared equity needs particular care. Revenue says State shared-equity funding generally does not count as mortgage borrowing for this calculation, and specifically excludes First Home Scheme equity from the loan-to-value calculation.

There is a limited exception for qualifying Local Authority Affordable Purchase transactions. An eligible affordable dwelling contribution may be included under Revenue’s rules, so ask your solicitor to check that particular arrangement rather than applying a general shared-equity assumption.

Our First Home Scheme guide explains the separate funding route. Combining supports means satisfying each scheme’s own requirements, including the definition of borrowing used by Help to Buy.

Keep the loan offer, signed acceptance and valuation together. If the lender revises the borrowing or valuation during the purchase, ask whether the change also affects your Help to Buy claim before proceeding.

Prepare your tax record before applying

PAYE employees apply through myAccount, while self-assessed taxpayers use Revenue Online Service, usually called ROS. If you have never used Revenue online, arrange access before your purchase reaches a time-sensitive stage.

For PAYE applicants, submit an Income Tax Return for each refund year you want to select and wait for the corresponding Statement of Liability. Revenue says not to apply until the required returns and statements are in place, outstanding tax for selected years is paid, and tax clearance is available where applicable.

Self-assessed applicants must be fully tax compliant, with returns filed and tax paid for the relevant self-assessment years. The need for tax clearance can also arise for a PAYE applicant who was registered for another tax during the refund years.

The refund looks back to the four tax years before the application year, not before the later claim date. Moving from application to claim does not automatically move that tax-history window forward.

For newcomers, a short Irish tax history can mean a smaller refund. Tax paid abroad is not substituted for the Irish Income Tax and DIRT described by the scheme.

Revenue also excludes refunds you have already claimed. Review your actual statements rather than adding up gross payslip deductions, and use our Revenue myAccount guide if you need help finding your records.

Apply, claim and have the claim verified

Revenue separates the online process into application, claim and verification. At application stage you confirm whether you are applying individually or with a group, complete the declaration and choose the refund years.

You must apply as a group when there are multiple names on the mortgage, excluding a guarantor. Make sure the people, tax records and mortgage documents agree before submitting.

A successful application gives you an Application Number, an Access Code, an indication of the potential maximum and an expiry date. Keep these details securely and check the actual expiry shown; a valid claim must be submitted before it expires.

For a purchase claim, upload the mortgage offer and signed acceptance, the purchase contract signed and dated by the vendor and purchasers, and the Affordable Dwelling Purchase Agreement where applicable. Self-build evidence includes the mortgage documents, first drawdown proof and lender’s valuation report.

You then confirm the property and funding details. Self-build applicants also provide the relevant bank account BIC and IBAN held with the mortgage provider.

After submission, pass the Claim Reference Number and Access Code to the qualifying contractor or self-build solicitor for verification. If information is wrong, Revenue’s guidance says to cancel and submit a corrected application or claim before continuing.

Where does the refund go, and what else must you budget?

For a qualifying purchase, Revenue pays the refund to the qualifying contractor. You should not plan on receiving unrestricted cash into your everyday account and then deciding which moving costs to cover.

For a self-build, the refund goes to a bank account you hold with your mortgage provider. Confirm the account details and timing with the lender and solicitor, particularly if your construction payments depend on staged drawdowns.

Ask the professional handling your purchase to explain how the refund is recorded in your completion figures. That helps avoid counting the same contribution both as money already paid and money still available.

Keep a separate budget for legal costs, surveys, moving, furnishing and other expenses associated with buying. Help to Buy does not establish what those costs will be or guarantee that your remaining savings will cover them.

Do not treat a pending claim as cleared money. The application result is useful evidence of a potential entitlement, while verification and the transaction’s qualifying conditions determine whether the refund is released.

What happens if you move out or the purchase fails?

You must live in the property as your main home for five years after purchase or self-build. Revenue can claw back a refund if you do not meet that condition, were never entitled to it, or do not finish purchasing or building the property.

This matters for people whose employment or immigration plans could change. Before selling, letting the entire property or moving abroad, check the effect on your claim with Revenue rather than assuming the original approval settled every future question.

There are also rules governing refunds paid to a contractor where a purchase has not completed. Those rules should be dealt with by the contractor and your solicitor; they do not remove your responsibilities once you have completed the purchase.

Keep the approval, contract, mortgage documents, verification records and evidence of occupation together. If Revenue asks about the claim later, a complete file is much easier to use than scattered emails and screenshots.

Read the current Revenue clawback guidance before making a change. For your initial decision, the safest sequence is to establish buyer eligibility, confirm the property and borrowing tests, check the available tax refund, and only then build the refund into your purchase budget.