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See all reviews“Stephen has recently been successful in getting grant funding on the diesel rebate scheme for our company. No hassle, straight forward and upfront at all times. A real pleasure to work with...”
Garrett
Ardee Asphalt Ltd · Ardee, Co Louth
“Top Class Man, true to his word, no messing about or false promises. He got the rebate done for me quite promptly.”
Eamonn
Curran Plant & Grab Hire · Caherlistrane, Galway
“Thanks to Stephen for all his help in the fuel rebate scheme, hassle free, highly recommend.”
Joe Whelan
Wexford Garden Services · Ballybrennan
Some of the Irish businesses we've helped
Diesel Rebate Scheme,
made simple.
Licensed hauliers and bus operators can claim back up to 7.5c per litre of auto-diesel (road fuel) bought on a Revenue-approved fuel card or in bulk deliveries over 2,000 litres. Quarterly, via ROS.
Scheme information
A quarterly refund
of excise duty
The Diesel Rebate Scheme is a Revenue-operated refund of part of the Mineral Oil Tax paid on auto-diesel (road fuel, not green diesel). It has been running since July 2013 under section 99A of the Finance Act 1999 — it is not a grant or discretionary award, it is a statutory repayment of tax you have already paid.
Rate & how it's calculated
The rebate is paid per litre on a sliding scale set by Revenue each quarter, driven by the national average diesel price measured by the CSO. No rebate is payable at or below €1.23/L; the rate rises on a sliding scale up to €1.43/L, at which point the maximum applies.
Revenue publishes the actual rate ~10 days after each quarter ends.
Budget 2027 (6 October 2026) extended the enhanced Diesel Rebate Scheme to the end of 2026, but Revenue has not yet confirmed whether the 12c maximum applies from 1 October — its published maximum for Q4 is 7.5c. We'll update this page as soon as Revenue confirms.
Eligibility — licence, vehicles, and how you buy
Three things, all required. Not one or two.
Licence
Irish operators need a national or international road haulage operator's licence, or a national or international road passenger transport operator's licence — active for the claim period, with a current Tax Clearance Certificate. EU operators need a community licence plus tax compliance from the issuing authority. Northern Ireland operators are eligible on the same terms as EU operators. UK operators are no longer eligible since the Brexit transition ended.
Vehicles
Haulage vehicles with a maximum permissible gross laden weight of 7.5 tonnes or more, or passenger transport vehicles in category M2 or M3. Vans, light commercials and cars do not qualify, whatever they're used for.
How you buy the diesel
Diesel only qualifies if it is bought in the Republic of Ireland by either a Revenue-approved fuel card, or a bulk delivery of more than 2,000 litres from an auto-fuel trader with a current licence, delivered to premises under your control.
Diesel bought at a forecourt with cash or a debit/credit card does not qualify. Neither does a bulk delivery of 2,000 litres or less. If your drivers currently fill up on a debit card, you have no claim until that changes — usually a straightforward fix, and often the single highest-value change an operator can make.
Revenue can ask you to show the diesel was actually dispensed into a qualifying vehicle, so the records behind a claim matter as much as the claim itself.
How claiming works
Claims are made through Revenue Online Service (ROS), quarterly. You must first register for the Diesel Rebate Scheme taxhead on ROS — an agent can do this on your behalf. Each quarter's claim can be submitted within four months of the end of that quarter.
| Claim period | Window to submit |
|---|---|
| January – March | 1 April – 31 July |
| April – June | 1 July – 31 October |
| July – September | 1 October – 31 January |
| October – December | 1 January – 30 April |
Miss the window and that quarter is gone. Late filing — not rejection — is the most common way money is lost on this scheme.
Why eligible operators don't claim
In our experience it comes down to four things:
- The four-month window closes quietly. Nobody sends a reminder.
- Reconciling fuel card data to individual vehicles is tedious — and has to be done every quarter, forever.
- Purchases are being made in a way that doesn't qualify — usually forecourt debit card fuelling — and nobody has flagged it.
- The quarterly effort feels disproportionate to the return, so it slips down the list and never gets done.
None of these are reasons the money isn't owed. They're reasons it goes unclaimed.
How we help
- Register you (or your agent) for the DRS taxhead on ROS
- Reconcile fuel card data and bulk delivery invoices to individual vehicles each quarter
- File quarterly returns within the four-month window — no missed quarters
- Keep the records Revenue needs on file in case of an audit or query
- Flag any purchasing patterns that are costing you eligibility (e.g. debit card fuelling)
We can give you an estimate based on your actual fuel card or delivery volumes rather than an average.
This page explains the Diesel Rebate Scheme in general terms and is not tax advice. Rates, thresholds and eligibility conditions are set by Revenue and can change. Full details are published by Revenue at revenue.ie.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the Diesel Rebate Scheme rate?
Revenue's published maximum for October–December 2026 is 7.5c per litre (it was 12c per litre from January to September 2026). The actual rate each quarter slides with the CSO national average diesel price: no rebate is paid at or below €1.23 per litre, and the maximum applies at €1.43 per litre or above. Revenue publishes each quarter's rate about 10 days after the quarter ends.
Did Budget 2027 extend the 12c diesel rebate?
Budget 2027 (6 October 2026) extended the enhanced Diesel Rebate Scheme to the end of 2026, but Revenue has not yet confirmed whether the 12c maximum applies from 1 October. Its published maximum for October–December 2026 is 7.5c per litre. We'll update this page as soon as Revenue confirms.
Who qualifies for the Diesel Rebate Scheme?
You need all three: a road haulage or road passenger transport operator licence that is active for the claim period, with a current Tax Clearance Certificate; qualifying vehicles; and diesel bought in the Republic of Ireland on a Revenue-approved fuel card or in bulk deliveries of more than 2,000 litres from a licensed auto-fuel trader.
Do vans qualify for the diesel rebate?
No. Only haulage vehicles with a maximum permissible gross laden weight of 7.5 tonnes or more, and passenger vehicles in category M2 or M3 (buses and coaches), qualify. Vans, light commercials and cars do not, whatever they are used for.
Does diesel bought with a debit or credit card qualify?
No. Diesel bought at a forecourt with cash or a debit or credit card doesn't qualify, and neither does a bulk delivery of 2,000 litres or less. Switching drivers to a Revenue-approved fuel card is usually a straightforward fix.
What is the deadline for a Diesel Rebate Scheme claim?
Each quarter must be claimed on ROS within four months of the quarter ending: January–March by 31 July, April–June by 31 October, July–September by 31 January, and October–December by 30 April. A quarter that misses its window cannot be claimed.
Can Northern Ireland or UK operators claim?
Northern Ireland operators are eligible on the same terms as EU operators, who need a community licence and tax compliance from the issuing authority. Operators licensed in Great Britain are no longer eligible since the Brexit transition ended.
Is the Diesel Rebate Scheme a grant?
No. It is a statutory repayment of part of the Mineral Oil Tax you have already paid on auto-diesel, run by Revenue under section 99A of the Finance Act 1999 since July 2013. It is not a discretionary award.
Who we are
Ireland's specialist
fuel rebate consultancy.
Fuel Rebates Ireland is an independent grant consultancy operated by Talvara Limited, an Irish-registered company based in Galway. We help transport and construction operators claim what Revenue and the Department owe them.
In the recently closed RTSS 2026 scheme we recovered €887,895 across 60 client companies, on top of a prior track record of over €1m in Electric Vehicle grants. Small, focused, hands-on - one thing done properly.
Register
Register your interest.
A few quick details and we'll come back to you with an eligibility check, an estimate based on your actual fuel volumes, and the next quarterly window we can file for you.