University fees - Are you claiming your tax relief?
- Aideen Leacy
- Mar 27, 2018
- 2 min read
If you have been paying university fees on behalf of yourself or a student, you may be entitled to claimed a tax credit for the fees paid.
The credit is allowed at a rate of 20% of "qualifying fees" paid during the year for "approved courses".
Qulaifying fees
Qualifying fees are the fees charged in respect of tuition (including student contibution but not including registration fees) .
Approved courses
All courses provided by publicly funded universities, colleges and institutes of higher education in Ireland are approved for the purposes of tax relief.
In addition, many courses provided in the EU also qualify for the relief.
Approved courses are also defined as full-time or part-time undergraduate courses of study in an approved college which is at least 2 years in duration. A postgraduate course must last at least 1 academic year but no more than 4 academic years and must lead to a postgraduate award.
To check if youre couse qualifies, visit:
How to calculate the relief
The formula for calculating the relief is as follows:
Total qualifying fees - €3,000 * 20%
The maximum amount upon which the credit can be claimed is €7,000 per person per course.
The first €3,000 of fees are disallowed for the purpose of calculating the credit on full-time courses while the first €1,500 of fees are disallowed for the purpose of calculating the credit on part-time courses.
Claiming the relief
To claim the relief, you will need your P60 for the year in which the fees were claimed. To apply for the relief, log onto your myAccount on Revenue.ie and complete a Form 12 for the year you are claiming for.
Alternatively you can write a letter to your local tax office using the Form IT31.
If you are self assessed for tax purposes, the claim can be made via your Form 11 for the year.
Ensure to keep all records and receipts of payments.
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