Avail of Stay & Spend scheme

I have booked a hotel break in Kerry in October. What is the new Stay and Spend scheme and how does it work?

The new Stay and Spend scheme allows you to claim tax back on accommodation, food and non-alcoholic drink (known as qualifying expenditure) bought between October 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021.

You can check if a business is participating in the scheme by looking out for the ‘Stay and Spend Tax Credit’ logo or you can check Revenue’s list of qualifying service providers.

You must spend a minimum of €25 in a single transaction on qualifying expenditure and submit the receipt to Revenue: you can submit receipts up to a total of €625, or €1,250 for a jointly-assessed married couple; Revenue will provide an income tax credit of up to €125 per person, or up to €250 for a jointly-assessed married couple.

You can claim expenses on: Fáilte Ireland registered accommodation, including hotels, guest houses, B and Bs, self-catering, caravan parks, camping parks and holiday camps; food and non-alcoholic drink – served in a café, restaurant, hotel or pub.

You cannot claim expenses on takeaway food, alcoholic drinks, drinks (either alcoholic or non-alcoholic) served without food or amounts below €25.

You do not need to be on a ‘staycation’ to avail of the scheme. You must have receipts to prove your claim for Stay and Spend expenses.

You can make your claim in two stages: 1. Submit your receipts to Revenue using the Revenue Receipts Tracker mobile app or using the receipts tracker service in Revenue’s myAccount and 2. Make an electronic claim for Stay and Spend tax credit through your Income tax return – Form 12 in myAccount (if you are a PAYE taxpayer) or Form 11 in ROS (if you are self- employed).