Refund your Child Tuition Fee on 3rd Level Education

Every year, the Department of Education and Skills of Ireland offers tax relief on fees for certain approved third-level colleges, undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Apart from these approved courses and colleges, there are some other courses also that can qualify for this refund. The details of these courses will be available from your local Revenue office. So, if you have paid the tuition fees for your children’s third level education courses, then you will be eligible to claim a tax relief that too includes the student’s contribution. Let’s dive into the details.

What are the courses that come under this tax relief?

• Undergraduate courses
• Postgraduate courses
• Information technology (IT)
• Foreign language courses.

Who all are eligible for this tax refund?

You have to be either the student or the guardian who paid the fees on the student’s behalf. You can only request a refund and get your money back if you are the person who actually paid the fees.

What are the charges that didn’t qualify for relief?

• Administrative fees
• Examination fees
• Sports centre charges
• Student centre levy
• USL (Union of Students in Ireland) levy

How much amount you can claim?

You can claim a maximum of up to €7,000 per course, per person, per academic year. But there will be a disregard amount of €3,000 or €1,500 each tax year for each claim. The first €3,000 is disregarded for a full-time student or €1,500 for a part-time student. If you have paid fees for more than one student, this disregard amount will only be deducted from your claim once.

 

What are the eligibility criteria for granting tax relief for undergraduate courses?

• The college and course has to be enrolled within the State limits and must be approved by the Department of Education and Skills, Ireland
• The course you choose must be for at least two years’ duration

What are the eligibility criteria for granting tax relief for postgraduate courses?

• The course you select has to be enrolled under any of the private or publicly-funded colleges in the State
• You will also be eligible if the courses are enrolled under a university or publicly-funded college in another EU member state including such colleges that provide distance education in the State
• You will also be eligible if the courses are enrolled under a university or publicly funded third-level college in non-EU countries.

How can I qualify for tax relief on fees for a foreign language or an IT course?

The cost of the program has to be at least €315 and must be less than two years in duration. Also, the program must not be a postgraduate course and it should be completed with the awarding of a certificate of competence. If the above conditions are satisfied, you can claim for around €1,270 per course, and relief is paid at the standard rate of income tax.

For further information and to make sure you get your money back, contact our tax experts right now. We will walk you through the process in detail and help you to avail your tax refund amount for your tuition fees.