The Help to Buy Scheme

The Help to Buy Scheme offers a tax refund for first-time buyers of newly-built homes.

The Help to Buy (HTB) Scheme helps first-time buyers purchase a newly-built house or apartment. It also applies to once-off self-build homes. It only applies to properties that cost €500,000 or less.
The Help to Buy Scheme gives a refund of the income tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) you have paid in Ireland over the previous 4 tax years.

Your mortgage

  • You must take out a mortgage of at least 70% of:
  • The purchase price of the property if you are buying your newly built home. The purchase price cannot be less than the market value.
  • The valuation approved by the mortgage provider, if you are building your home

You can claim relief on the lesser of:

  • €30,000
  • 10% of the purchase price of a new build property
  • 10% of the approved valuation of a self-build property
  • The amount of income tax and DIRT you paid for the previous 4 year
If you are a PAYE employee only, you can apply for the Help to Buy Scheme through Revenue’s myAccount service.
If you are a self-assessed taxpayer, you can apply through Revenue’s Online Service (ROS).