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Help to Buy calculator: estimate your refund

Help to Buy refunds Income Tax and DIRT you paid in the four tax years before your claim, up to a cap. Enter your qualifying date, the property value and your qualifying mortgage to see which limit bites.

Help to Buy refund calculator

Help to Buy refund estimate — current inputs

Help to Buy refund estimate input assumptions
InputCurrent value
Contract signing / first drawdown date2026-10-07
Full new-home value / approved self-build valuation (€)400000
Qualifying mortgage (€)320000
Eligible Local Authority contribution only (€)0
Eligible four-prior-year Income Tax and DIRT net of refunds (€)25000
All buyer, property, lender and Revenue conditions are verifiedNo

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Purchase: date the contract is signed. Self-build: first mortgage drawdown date, not application date. Supported: 23 July 2020–31 December 2029.

Check this model’s sources, supported dates and assumptions below. Results are estimates, not tax or lending compliance verification.

Your result

Estimated Help To Buy€0.00
Qualifying Loan To Value Percent
80%

Baseline: Model assumptions · selected inputs and rates

Calculation method

Refund is the lowest of the qualifying-date cap, 10% of property value, and eligible Income Tax plus DIRT paid in the four prior years net of refunds. The cap is €30,000 through 6 October 2026 and €35,000 from 7 October 2026 to 31 December 2029. Use the contract signing date for a purchase or first mortgage drawdown date for a self-build. Value must not exceed €500,000 and qualifying finance must reach 70%. USC, PRSI and First Home Scheme equity do not count.

All calculated figures · 4
Qualifying Date
2026-10-07
Scheme Cap
€35,000.00
Potential Before Eligibility
€25,000.00
Modelled Conditions Met
No
Assumptions and sources
  • Qualifying date: 2026-10-07. Use the purchase contract signing date, or first mortgage drawdown for a self-build, not the application date. Refund is the lowest of €35,000, 10% of value, or eligible Income Tax and DIRT paid in the four years before application, net of refunds. USC and PRSI are excluded. The €35,000 cap applies from 7 October 2026 through 31 December 2029; enhanced dates through 6 October 2026 use €30,000. All buyers must be eligible first-time buyers; new qualifying main home/approved self-build value cannot exceed €500,000. Qualifying finance must reach 70%; eligible Local Authority Affordable Purchase contributions can count from 11 October 2023, but First Home Scheme equity cannot. Revenue approval and residence/clawback conditions remain.
  • Revenue operational refund guidance checked 7 October 2026. Supported qualifying dates: 23 July 2020–31 December 2029. Confirm first-time-buyer, qualifying new home/self-build, lender, Revenue approval, residence and clawback conditions. This is not a 2027-only announcement estimate.

Sources: Official rules and guidance, Refund limits and eligible tax years

Useful next steps
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Encrypted input savingOff by default

Optional browser-only storage. After unlocking, inputs and comparison drafts save automatically; results are recalculated when restored. No account, database or cloud sync. Your password and unlocking key are not stored by this app.

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Financial disclaimer

All calculator outputs are purely estimates and do not constitute formal financial advice. Verify all final figures with Revenue.ie or a qualified accountant before relying on them.

How the refund is limited

The estimate is the lowest of three figures: the cap for your qualifying date, 10% of the property value, and the eligible Income Tax plus DIRT you paid in the four prior years, net of refunds. USC and PRSI do not count.

The cap in the tool is €30,000 through 6 October 2026 and €35,000 from 7 October 2026 to 31 December 2029. Use the contract signing date for a purchase, or the first mortgage drawdown date for a self-build.

Value and finance tests

The calculator checks the property value does not exceed €500,000 and that qualifying finance reaches 70% of value. First Home Scheme equity does not count towards that finance.

What it cannot confirm

First-time-buyer status, a qualifying new home or self-build, lender requirements, Revenue approval, residence and clawback conditions are for Revenue to decide. Check them on the official pages before you rely on a figure.

Common questions

Does USC count towards Help to Buy?

No. Only Income Tax and DIRT paid in the four prior years count, net of refunds.

Does the refund have to be 10% of the price?

10% is a ceiling. The refund is also capped by your qualifying-date limit and the tax you actually paid.