Apply for the Help to Buy (HTB) incentive

The HTB online service allows you to apply for the HTB incentive if you are an eligible first-time buyer. It also allows you to claim for a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) that you have paid. This refund can be from any, or all, of the four years before you make your application.

Who is the service for?

This service is suitable for you if you are:

• one or more individuals who buy, or self-build, a house or apartment for the first time
• a first-time buyer[1] of a home who buys, or self-builds, between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2022
• a first-time buyer of a house or apartment who buys, or self-builds, the property as their home.

What you need to use the service

If you are a Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxpayer, you need to have submitted an Income Tax Return. You also need to have a Statement of Liability for each of the years you intend to claim a tax refund.

If you are a self-assessed taxpayer, you need to be fully tax compliant. This means you need to have paid and filed for all tax years in which you were liable for tax. You also need to have a Tax Clearance Certificate.

If you are purchasing a new build, you need to ensure that the contractor is a qualifying contractor. Only qualifying contractors can approve your HTB claim. 

Information needed to claim for HTB online

To claim for HTB online, you will need:

• the name(s) and Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) of all those listed on the mortgage
• a copy of the contract (if purchasing)
• the purchase date (if purchasing) or proof of the date of the drawdown of the first part of the mortgage (if self-building)
• the purchase price (if purchasing) or approved valuation (if self-building)
• the deposit payable and the amount of deposit paid. You do not need this for self-builds
• evidence of the date of the drawdown of the first part of the mortgage (if self-building)
• a copy of the Valuation Report from the lender (if self-building)
• refund account details (this cannot be the loan account) (if self-building)
• the name and address of the mortgage institution
• your loan application number
• the qualifying loan amount[2]   
• the amount of DIRT relief that you previously claimed[3]. This only applies if you claim for a house bought, or self-built, before 31 December 2016.

How to access the HTB incentive online service

To access this service through myAccount, please click 'Help To Buy' on the 'Property Services' card. 

To access this service through the Revenue Online Service (ROS), please click on the 'Help to Buy' card on your ROS home screen. 

[1] If you are a first-time buyer, the deposit you require must be to purchase, or self-build, a new house or apartment to live in as your home (principal private residence).

[2] This is the amount of the mortgage you are taking out to purchase, or self-build, the property. It must be at least 70% of the purchase price (if purchasing) or approved valuation (if self-building) of the property to be eligible for the HTB incentive.

[3] Information on how to calculate DIRT relief claimed.