Families in Louth urged to avail of home carer credit

It is thought that many families in Louth may be missing out on tax relief of up to €1,500 per year because they are not aware of the Home Carer Tax Credit.

The Home Carer Tax Credit is designed to help families where one parent works in the home to care for one or more children or a dependent person. According to details published last week, only 85,900 families claim the tax credit.

Commenting on the details, Fianna Fáil TD Declan Breathnach said, "Fianna Fáil has consistently highlighted the need for the Home Carer Tax Credit to be increased and we were pleased to secure a further €300 increase in the credit for 2019 in the Budget.

He continued, "However, it seems to me that many people are not aware of this tax credit and may be missing out.

“I have regularly called on the Government and the Revenue Commissioners to take steps to improve the awareness of this tax credit.  

“According to the Central Statistics Office, there are currently 146,698 family units where one parent is staying at home to care for children.  The figure is likely to be higher than this when one factors in those who are caring for a dependent person.

“It is very likely that there are many families out there not benefitting from this credit because they are not aware of it.  More now needs to be done to increase the uptake of this credit.  

“I acknowledge that the Revenue Commissioners have done a lot of work in this area and there has been a significant uptake in the credit but this work needs to continue.  

"The Home Care Tax Credit is vital support for working families and we need to do all we can to make sure all those who qualify actually avail of it", concluded Deputy Breathnach.