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Image By Barelyhere (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

One of the great things about installing solar panels on your home is that it qualifies for the Home Renovation Incentive.

We have compiled an article on what the HRI is and how it can be of benefit to you.

What is the HRI

The Home Renovation Incentive (HRI) Scheme provides for tax relief for Homeowners and Landlords by way of an Income Tax credit at 13.5% of qualifying expenditure on repair, renovation or improvement works carried out on a main home or rental property by qualifying Contractors.

The amount of the HRI tax credit depends on the amount spent on qualifying works. Tax relief can be claimed on qualifying expenditure over €4,405 (before VAT at 13.5%) per property. This €4,405 (before VAT) can be the total from any number of jobs carried out and paid for from 25 October 2013 to 31 December 2018 for Homeowners claiming on their main home and on or after 15 October 2014 and up to 31 December 2018 for Landlords claiming on their rental property. While there is no upper limit on expenditure on qualifying works, the tax credit will only be given in relation to a maximum of €30,000 (before VAT at 13.5%) per property.

If a Homeowner or Landlord is having qualifying work done but isn’t spending over €4,405 (before VAT) on the property, it’s still worth choosing a HRI qualifying Contractor and having the work details entered on HRI online. All the spending on the property, added up, could reach the €4,405 (before VAT). It will be very difficult to go back to a Contractor, to try to get him or her to enter details to HRI online, for a job from a year or more ago.

Owner occupiers of a main home or Landlords of rental properties, who pay Income Tax under PAYE or self assessment and whose Local Property Tax and Household Charge obligations are up to date, are eligible. The Homeowner or Landlord must be on Revenue’s Local Property Tax Register as an Owner or joint Owner of the main home or rental property. Landlords must also have registered the tenancy with the Private Residential Tenancies Board.