Working from home, also known as remote working or e-working, can be great for flexibility, but it also comes with extra costs. Your electricity, heating, phone, and internet bills often go up when you’re spending more time at home. But did you know you might be able to claim some of that money back from Revenue?
If you currently work from home or even did so in the past few years (you can claim for up to four years back), you could be eligible for working from home tax relief. Whether you’re a full-time remote worker or split your week between the office and home, this article will walk you through how it works, and how to make sure you’re getting what you’re owed.
Working from Home Is Still Popular in Ireland
Even though some employers are encouraging staff to return to the office, remote and hybrid work remain a big part of working life in Ireland.
In January 2025, approximately 40% of all job ads in Ireland were remote or hybrid, with 15% fully remote and 25% hybrid. This shows that flexible work is still a major trend, and thousands of people continue to do some or all of their work from home.
If that’s you, it’s worth checking whether you’re entitled to claim tax relief on your home working expenses.
What Is Working from Home Tax Relief?
When you work from home, your heating, electricity, and broadband bills naturally go up. To help with these extra costs, Revenue offers tax relief, meaning you can get some money back based on your work-related home expenses.
If your employer doesn’t pay you the €3.20 per day tax-free allowance that Revenue allows to help cover home-working expenses, you could still claim money back through working from home tax relief.
And with electricity and heating costs rising sharply, every little bit helps. Many households are already feeling the pinch of higher utility bills, especially as energy suppliers continue to increase their prices So, if you’ve been working from home and covering those extra costs yourself, it’s definitely worth checking if you’re entitled to claim some tax back.
Who Can Claim?
You can claim working from home tax relief if:
- You regularly work from home because your employer requires you to.
- You use your own home for work purposes (not just occasionally checking emails).
- You pay household bills such as electricity, heating, or broadband in your own name.
- You keep receipts and bills as proof of your expenses.
It doesn’t apply to people who occasionally take work home outside of their normal working hours.
What Expenses Are Covered?
You can claim a portion of these household costs:
- Electricity and heating bills (gas, oil, etc.)
- Broadband or internet bills
You can’t claim for furniture or equipment such as desks, chairs, or laptops, even if you use them for work. If you share your bills with a partner or housemate, you can only claim your share of the cost.
How Much Can You Claim?
From 2022 onwards, you can claim 30% of your electricity, heating, and broadband costs for the days you worked from home.
Here’s how it works:
- Add up your yearly electricity, heating, and broadband costs.
- Multiply that total by the number of days you worked from home.
- Divide by 365 to find the portion of the year you worked remotely.
- Take 30% of that amount — that’s your allowable cost.
- Apply your tax rate (20% or 40%) to see your refund.
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