# Landlord wont supply his pps no. to claim tax back



## Delphi (8 Aug 2008)

Hi,

I have been renting for the last year (from July 2007) which is my first time to rent. In July I signed my lease for another year, however when I recently asked my landlord for his pps number to claim tax back for rent that I paid he refused to give it to me and said that he would send me a cheque for €360. This doesn't sound right to me. What do you think I should do? Dont feel right about cashing his cheque. Is €360 for a year? And what if I want to leave before this year is up? I wont be able to claim tax back for less than a year will I?


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## Slaphead (8 Aug 2008)

this happened me too, i took the cheque and said no more. Thing is i would have been due double that as my wife works too and would be due the same. 
The tax back you will earn will be €360, just take it unless your morals tell you otherwise.


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## mathepac (8 Aug 2008)

Sounds like the landlords concerned might be on the old "hey diddle diddle".

A more devious person than I am might consider taking the landlord's cheque and making a 2-year tax claim after leaving the property...

This is not a suggestion BTW, just speculation as to what "some people" might do.


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## bacchus (8 Aug 2008)

Open to correction, but i think you can still make a claim without landlord pps.
If you want to stay overboard, don't take the cheque and make a claim.
I take it tenancy is not registered with PRTB?


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## bankrupt (8 Aug 2008)

bacchus said:


> Open to correction, but i think you can still make a claim without landlord pps.
> If you want to stay overboard, don't take the cheque and make a claim.
> I take it tenancy is not registered with PRTB?



Quite correct, you don't need to supply the PPS number to claim, just as many details as you can.  I suggest you pocket the landlord's cheque and the rent relief.


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## alaskaonline (8 Aug 2008)

it's true, you don't need the pps number. if you have the address of the landlord then that's more than sufficient. it was in my case though. also i wouldn't take the cheque as they can be traced  the idea with the tax back on rent is that you can claim it back from previous years (max.4) and get your tax credits updated for the present year and future (unless circumstances are changing) which means you will have higher tax credits and pay less tax. how much it is exactly depends on how much rent you pay and how much you earned. the revenue will calculate it all for you and sends a letter back with the cheque from the previous year and the most up to date tax credit cert.


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## micmclo (8 Aug 2008)

Take the cheque from the landlord and then claim from the Revenue anyway

Does that sound bad? Maybe so but you can’t cheat an honest man and if the landlord was honest about this it wouldn’t happen


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## Delphi (8 Aug 2008)

Hi,

Thanks for all the advice.  He rang me today and asked if I would take the cheque.  I said I would, what else could I say?  Wouldn't feel right to get him into trouble.  Blimey nothing is ever straight forward.

Thanks again

_Delphi_


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## WaterSprite (9 Aug 2008)

See this thread for some discussion about who is/should be responsible for tax evasion - it's quite on-point I think.  

You should claim tax relief - you're not getting him in trouble (he's either paying tax on rent or he isn't); you're claiming a tax relief that is due to you.  It's his look-out if he is evading tax and by registering for rent relief, you are not "dobbing him in".  If you feel you are, then you know that he is evading tax and, in the words of the link posted, you are facilitating fraud.  In this case, I'd agree totally with DavyJones' sentiments.

Sprite


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## Complainer (9 Aug 2008)

You could send on the cheque (or a copy of same) to the Revenue when you claim the tax relief, as this may help them to track him down. If you felt so inclined, you are now in a strong negotiating position for any issues that arise with the tenancy.


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## advisor (10 Aug 2008)

You don't need landlords pps number to claim rent relief, just as much information that u can supply i.e. name or address.  You should check and see if landlord is registered with prtb - www.prtb.ie.  If you have a dispute with landlord and he is not registered you will find it hard to get any satisfaction.


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## Delphi (14 Aug 2008)

Well guys no sign of the cheque. I'm worried because I want to give him notice to leave the apartment and I am worried that he wont give me back my deposit


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## wenzelc (14 Aug 2008)

did you get a receipt confirming you paid a deposit? if yes, of course he has to pay it back and if he doesn't - well it might give you a bit of hassle but you can take legal steps to force him giving it back to you.

also, if you're planning to move out anyway, why bother with the "i dont want to give him any hassle" part? this rent tax will affect your tax credits in a possitive way. i dont know whats keeping you thinking!


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## Welfarite (14 Aug 2008)

Delphi said:


> Well guys no sign of the cheque. I'm worried because I want to give him notice to leave the apartment and I am worried that he wont give me back my deposit


 

Why should you be worried? I would bet my bottom dollar he'll give you your deposit back AND the cheque as a "thabk you" for not reporting him for tax evasion. As another poster said, you're in a great bargaining position now. He knows that you know he isn't registered with PRTB and hasn't declared rental income for tax purposes.


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## webtax (14 Aug 2008)

Slaphead said:


> this happened me too, i took the cheque and said no more. Thing is i would have been due double that as my wife works too and would be due the same.
> The tax back you will earn will be €360, just take it unless your morals tell you otherwise.


 
I take it you won't be complaining if the governments imposes health/education cutbacks or raises taxes next year so...


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## g1g (14 Aug 2008)

this is the norm with landlords. generally they up the rent if you ask for pps number as landlord will need to pay taxes if registering as a landlord.  have a look around and see what similiar properties in your area are being rented for and then approach landlord again. I would not go behind his back though - could lead to trouble later on if you want things fixed, rent being late a day etc etc.


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## Graham_07 (14 Aug 2008)

g1g said:


> this is the norm with landlords. generally they up the rent if you ask for pps number as landlord will need to pay taxes if registering as a landlord. have a look around and see what similiar properties in your area are being rented for and then approach landlord again. I would not go behind his back though - could lead to trouble later on if you want things fixed, rent being late a day etc etc.


 
Being a landlord is no different to any other business, as far as being obliged to return income for tax. But there seems to be a certain culture among some landlords of , "oh if you want to claim the tax relief then I'll have to up the rent". This then puts unfair pressure on the tenant who may, in some cases be on low income and worried about having to find somewhere else. I  find that attitude disgusting.


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## g1g (14 Aug 2008)

I agree if the landlord had loads of properties but for someone who owns one house and the rent isn't even covering the mortgage it's a whole different scenario. Just trying to see it from both points of view.
By the way, its not my attitude, i'm just stating what i've come across after renting.


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## webtax (14 Aug 2008)

g1g said:


> I agree if the landlord had loads of properties but for someone who owns one house and the rent isn't even covering the mortgage it's a whole different scenario.


 
Landlords only pay tax on their profits. If a household is struggling to make ends meet should they be able to evade paying income tax too?
Thankfully, it is a lot more difficult for a landlord to pressure a tenant looking to claim rent credit with higher rent in the present environment.


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## thundercat (14 Aug 2008)

g1g said:


> I agree if the landlord had loads of properties but for someone who owns one house and the rent isn't even covering the mortgage it's a whole different scenario. Just trying to see it from both points of view.
> By the way, its not my attitude, i'm just stating what i've come across after renting.



I don't really see why the tenant should pay for bad investments. If they are paying the market value for rent then the rest is the landlord's problem including paying taxes.


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## Black Sheep (15 Aug 2008)

Many tenants are scared to claim their rent relief as they fear it will result in notice to quit (which it does in many cases). If they are happy with their conditions, location etc. they will forfeit their claim rather than risk having to move. As many of our tenants are from other countries with little knowledge of language they can be easily fobbed off with excuses.

While I could never condone tax evasion each person has to make up their own mind on the affects to themselves of whistle-blowing


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## COLAKO (18 Aug 2008)

Without opening a can of worms, I suspect you didnt register with the PTRB? Or your landlord isnt registered. A tennancy shouldnt be about being in a better negotiating position, it should be black and white. You sound nervous to upset your landlord. You're paying him rent every month so dont sell yourself short. The landlord is legally obliged to register your tenancy. This protects both of you. The only way to reduce the amount of cowboy landlords is if everybody tries to take only PTRB registered places....Re that tax, just take the cheque and forget it.....tax relief is rubbish anyway.


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## Bronte (18 Aug 2008)

Black Sheep said:


> As many of our tenants are from other countries with little knowledge of language they can be easily fobbed off with excuses.


  I have 'foreign' tenant's and I'd say they know the rules better then the natives.  Very silly landlord not to be registered with the PRTB, which means the interest on the mortgage will not be allowable, (maybe there's no mortgage) and you don't need the pps number to claim tax relief.


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## Luternau (19 Aug 2008)

As a tax compliant landlord I would encourage the OP to contact the revenue with the address of the property and any evidence that they have been paying rent to this individual. 
How can tax compliant LL's compete against other non compliant LL's that can discount rent on the basis that the discount is the taxmans money anyway?


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