More than 375,000 PAYE workers could be due tax rebate ahead of Christmas

A taxpayer unit is defined as a single taxpayer or a couple who are married or in a civil partnership and are assessed for tax jointly.

The average amount overpaid is close to €600, according to figures obtained by Labour Party finance spokesman Ged Nash, who unearthed the figures in a parliamentary question to Tánaiste and Finance Minister Simon Harris.

Mr Nash has urged PAYE workers to file a tax return online with MyRevenue and claim tax reliefs they are entitled to.

Tax officials regularly encourage PAYE workers to file a tax return to find out if they are due a refund.

Mr Nash said: “I secure this data every year so I can make a simple appeal to PAYE workers – do a tax return online and claim all of the tax reliefs and credits the law entitles you to claim, from tax relief on medical bills to the renters’ tax credit.

“Every extra cent makes a difference to working families in the highest-cost economy in the EU.”

Mr Nash said the number of taxpayers overpaying taxes led him to believe that it may be some of the same workers who fail to do a return and get the cash back that they are owed every year.

“Hundreds of euro may be available to be refunded to anyone in this large cohort who has overpaid their taxes,” he said.

“Based on the figures from recent years, an average gain of €900 could be due to those who overpaid.

“I would encourage the minister and the Revenue Commissioners to run, on an annual basis, a high-profile promotional campaign to encourage PAYE taxpayers to file tax returns and claim all the reliefs and credits workers are entitled to.”