My home is badly flooded. Can I claim any State help?

QOur home, which had never been flooded before, was inundated with three feet of water last month, causing untold damage. I see that the Government, no doubt with the upcoming election in mind, has been quick to announce flood relief measures. But how much of the damage does this cover? It also said we could defer taxes, including property tax. Do we have to pay interest on this? And can we also get a reduction in property tax as the value of our home is far less now?

AEmergency relief is available through your local Community Welfare Officer. He or she will determine how much you need to replace essential losses and to make any essential repairs. It’s usually paid out in stages: Stage 1: An initial sum of €100-€500 for emergency support to cover food, clothing and personal items lost.

Stage 2: The replacement of white goods, basic furniture and other essential household items.

Stage 3: Long-term financial support for repairs such as plastering, dry-lining, relaying of floors, rewiring and painting. This could take several months, as detailed assessments and estimates will be required.

The relief is means-tested. You only get 100% of the costs if you have a gross household income of €30,000 or less. For each €1,000 above that, you contribute 1% of the total outlay.

For example, if you have a gross household income of €35,000 you would be €5,000 over the limit and must contribute 5% of total costs (5 x €1,000). So you get 95% of the total in relief.

Regarding taxes, the Revenue has said it will allow those distressed by recent flooding to defer bills, including those for VAT, PAYE, PRSI and Local Property Tax (LPT).

But that may not be such a great deal if it involves paying interest. And the Revenue has confirmed that the 4% usually due on deferred LPT, for example, will still apply to flood victims who defer it.

To qualify for tax deferral, you must also be in receipt of humanitarian relief from the Department of Social Protection.

You are perfectly entitled to apply to have your LPT valuation reduced after serious flooding.

But it’s unclear how far this can be backdated.

If your area didn’t flood before this winter, then the Revenue could argue that previous years’ valuations still stand as the home was worth more at the time.

However, they seem open to having the latest valuations revised by flood victims.

The Revenue advises: ‘Property owners must submit their claim in writing to the Local Property Tax Branch, Revenue Commissioners, PO Box 1, Limerick.

‘The property owner should… confirm the revised valuation band/valuation for the property and include relevant documentation in support of the claim.’

Examples of documentation include photographs of the flood damage.

A dedicated Revenue helpline will clarify these points and answer further queries on 1890 203 070.

QI’m thinking of buying an apartment in north Dublin. It’s a bit small but very cheap compared to others in the area and I hope to ‘flip’ it and sell on fairly soon at a profit. How long would I have to live in it before being exempt from capital gains tax (CGT)?

ABeware of apparently cheap apartments. Irish people are cute when it comes to property and there are few genuine ‘bargains’ to be had without underlying problems that you may not have spotted.

Also, property prices in Dublin have been volatile (see table). Prices have been falling since the summer, a trend that may continue.

Regarding CGT, if the apartment is your main residence and you live in it for what the Revenue Commissioners say is a ‘reasonable’ amount of time, you should be exempt. They wouldn’t define how long ‘reasonable’ is, stating your local tax office will decide.