If you’re a man and under 45 you’re more likely to apply for a tax refund

Men under the age of 45 are the biggest applicants for tax refunds – and they typically get 10 per cent more back than women, new figures show.

According to data compiled by Taxback. com, which files tax returns on behalf of customers, Ireland's men under 45 top the poll in terms of how active they are in seeking out what they are entitled to get back from the tax man.

Indeed the under-45s accounted for almost three-quarters (74 per cent) of all refunds filed with Taxback.com, with the 25-34 age group emerging as the most likely to apply – accounting for 42 per cent of all applications. Irish taxpayers are entitled to claim back tax on a host of items including health expenses, tuition fees, flat-rate expenses, rent relief and nursing home fees, as well as in cases where they may have overpaid tax. Refunds can be claimed either via a service such as Taxback.com, which charges a fee for the service, or via the Revenue Commissioner’s MyAccount platform.

The figures also show, however, that although those in the younger age brackets are better at coming forth to claim refunds and entitlements, it’s the older workers who get more. The average refund for someone aged between 16-24 for example, is €436.24, rising to €877.54 for for those between 25-34 and €1,221.96 for those aged between 45 to 54. Top of the refund cheques are those aged over 65, with typical reimbursements of €2,072.93.

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Older people

“The average refund rises steadily and significantly the older people get. This stands to reason as higher earners pay more tax and so are entitled to greater refunds. It could also be the case that older people have more medical expenses – which is one of the most popular items people can claim for, ” said Barry Flanagan, senior tax manager of Taxback.com.

Of the applicants, men make up the greater proportion, accounting for 57 per cent of all claims, while men are also getting a greater refund when they make a claim. The average refund for men is 10 per cent greater than that of their female counterparts, at €1,028 versus €932.

According to Mr Flanagan, there could be a number of reasons behind this, such as the gender pay gap, and the ratio of females to males in part-time work.

The data also reveals the geographic spread of applicants. In Donegal, for example, the 25-34 age group made up 55 per cent of applications, while in Mayo, the 25-34 group were also above average in their refund activity, accounting for 56 per cent of applications.

However, in Kerry, the 35- 44 grouping bucked the national average (29 per cent) accounting for 37 per cent of applications from this county.