Check if you paid too much tax in the last four years, claim the credits you missed and get the refund paid to your bank.
To claim tax back, request a Preliminary End of Year Statement (PEOYS) in Revenue myAccount, then complete a PAYE Income Tax Return for that year. If you paid too much, Revenue pays the refund into your bank account within days.
Who this is for
This is for employees and pensioners who pay tax through PAYE (Pay As You Earn). It helps most if you paid medical bills, paid rent, worked from home, paid college fees or changed jobs. Self-employed people use a Form 11 return instead.
What you need
- A Revenue myAccount login. You need your PPS (Personal Public Service) number, date of birth, phone number, email and home address to register.
- Your bank account details (IBAN), so the refund goes straight to your bank
- Receipts for health expenses, college fees or home bills you want to claim
- Your landlord's name and address, and their PPS or tax reference number if you have it, for the Rent Tax Credit
- The number of days you worked from home, for Remote Working Relief
Step by step
- Sign in to myAccount and complete the security code check (Two-Factor Authentication).
- Go to PAYE Services and click Review your tax for the previous 4 years.
- Choose a year from the Tax year list.
- Click Request next to Statement of Liability. Your preliminary result appears at the top of the next page.
- Click Complete Income Tax Return. This is the only way to get a refund.
- Check your income and jobs. Add any other income, such as rent or casual work.
- On the Tax Credits & Reliefs page, add every credit you are due.
- Check your bank details, then sign and submit the return.
- Repeat for each of the other three years.
Credits people often miss
| Credit or relief | What you get | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Health expenses | 20% of the cost back | Nursing home costs get up to 40%. Not for costs your insurer or the HSE paid back. |
| Rent Tax Credit | Up to €1,000 a year (€2,000 for a jointly assessed couple) | Applies to 2024, 2025 and 2026. It was €500 for 2022 and 2023. |
| Remote Working Relief | Relief on 30% of electricity, heating and broadband | Only for days you worked from home. Not if your employer paid you €3.20 a day. |
| Tuition fees | 20% of qualifying third-level fees | The first €3,000 (€1,500 part-time) does not count. |
| Flat Rate Expenses | A set amount for your type of job | You must claim it for each year. |
How much it costs and how long it takes
Your statement for a year is usually ready from mid-January of the next year. Once you file, the refund goes to the bank account on your Revenue record in three to five working days. If Revenue has no bank details, it posts you a cheque.
Common mistakes
- Stopping at the statement. The PEOYS is only an estimate. It pays nothing until you file the tax return.
- Leaving it too late. Claims for 2022 close on 31 December 2026.
- Forgetting your bank details. Without them, you wait for a cheque in the post.
- Claiming medical costs that your health insurer already paid back.
- Missing your landlord's details for the Rent Tax Credit.
If the statement says I am balanced, there is nothing to claim.
The statement only uses what Revenue already knows. Adding medical bills, rent or other credits in your return can turn it into a refund.
If something goes wrong
- If your return shows you owe tax, Revenue usually collects it by reducing your tax credits over the next four years.
- Use MyEnquiries in myAccount to ask Revenue a question about your return.
- If you disagree with a decision, you can appeal to the Tax Appeals Commission: 01 6624530.
- Citizens Information Phone Service: 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.
Related guides
- How to claim tax back on medical expenses
- How to claim the Rent Tax Credit
- How to claim remote working relief
- How to claim tax relief on tuition fees
- How to avoid emergency tax when you start a new job
Last day to claim a refund for the 2022 tax year
Statements for the 2026 tax year usually become available
Budget 2027 raises the Rent Tax Credit by €150 to €1,150 a person (€2,300 for a couple) and the main tax credits by €125
- Revenue: Preliminary End of Year Statement (PEOYS)
- Revenue: How you will receive a refund, if due
- Revenue: Four year rule
- Citizens Information: How to review your tax for PAYE taxpayers
- Revenue press release, 11 March 2026: file your 2025 return
- Citizens Information: Rent Tax Credit
- Citizens Information: Budget 2027
