The average amount that taxpayers reclaim from the tax authorities has risen to almost € 1,900.
This is because the cost of living crisis is pushing more people to reclaim money they have in their possession.
Men are more active in claiming refunds than women, and for higher amounts, according to a study by claims specialist Taxback.com.
The average tax refund has increased by over $700 in recent years and is now $1,888.
Recent figures obtained from a Dáil question by Sinn Féin Finance spokesman Pearse Doherty revealed that hundreds of thousands of taxpayers have overpaid in taxes.
The figures show that in 2021 the taxpayer admitted that €300 million was overpaid by 450,000 taxpayers.
In 2019, about 620 million euros was overpaid.
Taxback.com said that between the end of 2020 and the end of 2021, its customers’ average refund was $1,880. This was an increase of €1,076 in previous years.
Reimbursement of medical expenses turned out to be the most common deductible item last year. The average reimbursement for men was €490 last year, compared to €470 for women.
Taxback.com chief executive Joanne Murphy said: “While we are only halfway through the year, 2022 has already seen record levels of inflation jump to 40-year highs and hit the pockets of Irish households hard.
“Most of us somehow want to tighten our belts. And yet in recent weeks we have learned that 450,000 people have paid a total of 300 million euros too much in income tax in 2021.”
Ms. Murphy said going back to the last year when people can still claim. Revenue data shows that some €620 million has been overpaid since 2019.
In addition to medical expenses, expenses people reclaim include tuition, flat-rate expenses, and homework.
Ms Murphy said: “The reality is that in this country we are really not good at claiming the benefits and refunds owed – which is a shame because many households across the country could really benefit from that extra cash injection.”
She said many people are still unwilling to apply for tax refunds, possibly because they believe this is a difficult process or hassle.
“But the reality is that it’s very simple and just takes a little bit of preparation in terms of keeping receipts or following up with your health practice or dentist, etc. to get the one you don’t have.”
Ms. Murphy encouraged everyone to take a bigger look at their financial well-being and make sure they don’t pay too much in taxes.
The IRS writes to taxpayers who may have paid too much or too little tax during these years and invites them to file returns to finalize their tax position.
In the past month, the IRS wrote to more than 50,000 PAYE taxpayers.