It’s surprising how many tax payers are unaware of the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI).

It’s the big spring clean — figures show that Irish homeowners have availed of €1.2bn through the Home Renovation Incentive to fund home improvement projects over the last three years.

It’s nearly summer holiday time. Brilliant if you’re looking forward to taking the shortest route possible to the nearest beach; not so good if you’re fretting about leaving your house unattended, writes Gráinne McGuinness.

LAST month Revenue announced an extension of the Home Renovation Incentive (HRI), due to finish at the end of this year, until December 31, 2016. This scheme, introduced in 2013, is the government’s way of encouraging people to use tax compliant contractors, rather than pay cash into the black economy, as many did in the height of the recession.

The Revenue Commissioners has lauded the strong compliance culture among taxpayers, noting a 95% rate for Local Property Tax (LPT) payments last year.

THE song should never have been a hit anywhere because its title was weird: ‘Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah’. (Translation: ‘Hello Mother, Hello Father’.) It should certainly never have been a hit in Ireland because the entire song was about something we didn’t have back in the 1960s: Summer camps.

The Construction Industry Federation has warned that the low level of housing supply will continue because of the lack of measures to address the issue in yesterday’s budget.

The Home Renovation Incentive scheme is to be extended to landlords in order to improve the quality of rented housing stock, said Finance Minister Michael Noonan.

Three businessmen give their views on Budget 2015.