Guide to Tax Return Individuals
(D)
How to Complete the Return

Part 8 Deduction for Interest Payments / Domestic Rents
  If you do not claim deduction for interest payments / domestic rents for a particular property,
  you are not required to report the details of that property and the relevant information under
  this part of your tax return.
   
8.3 Deduction for Interest Payments to Produce Rental Income from Properties
(Part 8.1 for Internet filing)
Item point

If you have elected for Personal Assessment (Part 7 of paper return), you may claim

  deduction of the interest paid by you during the year in respect of a loan obtained for the
  purpose of acquiring a solely / jointly owned or co-owned property in Hong Kong which
 

was let.

Item point
Fill in your share of interest paid. Your share of interest must be proportional to the number
  of joint tenants / share of your ownership. Amount allowed for deduction will not exceed
  the net assessable value of each individual property as proportionately reduced.
Item point Interest payments relating to periods when the property was not let (e.g. occupation
  as residence for your own family or vacant) are not deductible.
 
8.4 Deduction for Home Loan Interest
(Part 8.2 for Internet filing)
Item point
Deduction for home loan interest can be claimed under Salaries Tax or Personal
  Assessment.
Item point
You may claim deduction of the interest paid by you in respect of a loan obtained for the
  purpose of acquiring a property in Hong Kong which was used by you as your place of
  residence, provided that the loan was secured by a mortgage or charge and the lending
  institution providing the loan to you was an approved one.
Item point
The deduction of the home loan interest was the interest you actually paid in the year of
  assessment, subject to a maximum amount for the year of assessment as specified. Fill in
  your share of total interest paid (boxes 74, 88 & 102 of paper return). Your share of
  interest must be proportional to the number of joint tenants / share of your ownership.
  Amount to be allowed for deduction will be restricted to the prescribed amount as
  proportionately reduced.
Item point
For the years of assessment 2018/19 to 2023/24, the maximum amount is $100,000.
  Starting from the year of assessment 2024/25, if the prescribed conditions are met, apart from
  the aforementioned basic deduction, you may be allowed an additional deduction capped
  at the ceiling amount of $20,000. Hence, coupled with the basic deduction ceiling amount of
  $100,000, the increased deduction ceiling amount is $120,000. Refer to Part 8.6 for the
  details.
Item point
For the basic deduction, the number of years of deduction is 20 years of assessment,
  whether continuous or not. However, you are only entitled to claim the home loan interest
  additional deduction or domestic rents additional deduction for an aggregate of 19 years of
  assessment, whether continuous or not. Notwithstanding this, you will not be allowed the
  home loan interest additional deduction if home loan interest basic deduction has been
  allowed to you for 20 years of assessment, regardless of whether any home loan interest
  additional deduction has been allowed to determine the amount of deduction for any of
  those 20 years.
Item point
Ownership of a property is by reference to the registered owners of the property as shown
  in the record maintained by the Land Registry.
Item point
Spouse nomination: Your spouse who is entitled to a deduction for home loan interest but
  has no income chargeable to tax, may nominate you to claim the deduction, see examples
  under Scenario 2 and Scenario 3. If your spouse has income from employment, property,
  trade, profession or business chargeable to tax, he / she should not make the nomination
  but to elect for Joint Assessment or Personal Assessment, see example under Scenario 4.
   
Item point
Examples to show how the parts 'Claim for Deduction for Interest Payments to Produce Rental Income from Properties' and 'Claim for Deduction for Home Loan Interest' are to be completed
 
項目符號
Scenario 1: You have 2 solely-owned properties, Property A and Property B. Property
  A was used as a residence for the full year and the Property B was let for rental
  income also for the full year. Property A was subject to a re-mortgaged loan.
  Total interest paid by you:
      Property A (1/4/2024 - 31/3/2025) = $142,500 (See Notes for
      calculation of deductible interest $120,000.)
      Property B (1/4/2024 - 31/3/2025) = $240,000
 
項目符號
Scenario 2: You have income chargeable to tax. Property A is owned by your spouse
  and used by the family as residence. Your spouse does not have income chargeable
  to tax and wishes to nominate you to claim interest deduction.
  Total interest paid by your spouse:
      Property A (1/4/2024 - 31/3/2025) = $120,000
 
項目符號
Scenario 3: You and your spouse jointly own Property A for use as the family
  residence. Your spouse does not have income chargeable to tax and wishes to
  nominate you to claim his / her share of interest.
  Total interest paid by you and your spouse:
      Property A (1/4/2024 - 31/3/2025) = $120,000 (share per person, $60,000)
 
項目符號
Scenario 4: You and your spouse jointly own Property A and Property B, which were
  used at different periods as the family residence. Your spouse has income
  chargeable to tax.
  Total interest paid by you and your spouse:
      Property A (1/4/2024 - 30/6/2024) = $30,000 (share per person, $15,000)
      Property B (1/7/2024 - 31/3/2025) = $180,000 (share per person, $90,000)
 
Item point
The part 'Details of the Properties Involved' (Parts 8.1, 8.2, 8.3 and 8.4 of paper return) should be completed as:
Part in
paper return
Scenario 1 2 3 4
8.1 Location of Property Pty A Pty B Pty A Pty A Pty A Pty B
8.2(1) Secured by a mortgage or charge Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
8.2(2) A re-mortgaged loan is involved # Yes No No No No No
8.2(3) My share of ownership 100% 100% 0% 50% 50% 50%
8.3 My share of interest
payments to produce the
rental income
  240,000        
8.4(1)(a) Total home loan interest payments 142,500   120,000 120,000 30,000 180,000
8.4(1)(b) My share of home loan interest payments 142,500
(see Notes)
    60,000 15,000 90,000
8.4(2)(a) Nominated by spouse to claim deduction No No Yes Yes No No
8.4(2)(b) My spouse's share of
ownership
Not
Applicable
Not
Applicable
100% 50% Not
Applicable
Not
Applicable
8.4(2)(c) My spouse's share of home
loan interest payments
Not
Applicable
Not
Applicable
120,000 60,000 Not
Applicable
Not
Applicable
8.4(3) Property was occupied as my residence for FULL YEAR Yes Not
Applicable
Yes Yes No No
# If a re-mortgaged loan is involved, you must complete Section 10 of the Appendix. Please
refer to Section 10 of the Appendix in this Guide for details.
   
Notes: In Scenario 1 under Part 8.4, you had re-mortgaged Property A to ABC Bank
  on 1/7/2024 to obtain a new loan of $2.5 million. At that date, the unpaid balance
  of the old loan was $2 million. The total mortgage interest paid during the year was:
  1/4/2024 - 30/6/2024 = $30,000 on old loan
  1/7/2024 - 31/3/2025 = $112,500 on new loan
      Calculation of the allowable interest: $30,000 + $112,500 x 2,000,000/2,500,000 = $120,000 *
  * restricted to the deduction limit specified under the Inland Revenue Ordinance
   
8.5 Deduction for Domestic Rents
(Part 8.3 for Internet filing)
(1)

If you are chargeable to Salaries Tax or have tax charged under Personal Assessment, you may claim deduction of the rents paid by you or your spouse (not living apart) as a tenant under a qualifying tenancy (e.g. stamped tenancy agreement) of domestic premises. The deduction is applicable to the year of assessment 2022/23 and after.

(2)

The rented domestic premises must be used by you as your principal place of residence in Hong Kong.

(3)

For the years of assessment 2022/23 and 2023/24, the maximum amount of basic deduction allowable to you is, in general, $100,000. Starting from the year of assessment 2024/25, if the prescribed conditions are met, apart from the aforementioned basic deduction, you may be allowed an additional deduction capped at the ceiling amount of $20,000. Hence, coupled with the basic deduction ceiling amount of $100,000, the increased deduction ceiling amount is $120,000. If you are married, either you or your spouse or both of you are the tenant(s) of the qualifying tenancy, and both of you elect to use domestic rents additional deduction ceiling amount, the maximum amount of additional deduction allowable to the couple is $20,000. Refer to Part 8.6 for the details.

(4)

Starting from the year of assessment 2024/25, you are entitled to claim the domestic rents or home loan interest additional deduction ceiling amount for an aggregate of 19 years of assessment, whether continuous or not.

(5)

Fill in the total amount of deduction claimed (i.e. basic deduction plus additional deduction, if applicable) (boxes 84, 98 & 112 of paper return)

(a) The amount of deduction allowable is the lesser of Qualifying Rental Amount or the
     deduction ceiling for the tenancy in relation to the year of assessment.

(b) The Qualifying Rental Amount is (i) the amount of rents paid under the tenancy in relation
     to the period, divided by the number of tenants under the tenancy; and (ii) if the premises
     are used partly as a place of residence and partly for other purposes, it is such part of the
     amount that is reasonable in the circumstances of the case.

(c) The deduction ceiling for the tenancy is the maximum amount of deduction, to be
     reduced:
     (i) if there is more than one tenant under the tenancy - in proportion to the number of
          co-tenants; and / or
     (ii) if the contractual period of the tenancy covers only a part, but not the whole, of a year of
          assessment - in proportion to the contractual period of the tenancy that overlaps with
          the year of assessment.

(d) If you are married and not living apart from your spouse, the total amount of deduction
     allowable to you and your spouse is the amount determined in accordance with
     paragraph (5)(a) above. You may claim deduction for the total amount of rents paid by
     you and / or your spouse, or in accordance with an agreement on the respective claim
     amount reached by you and your spouse, but the amount already claimed in your
     spouse's return should be excluded.

(e) If you are married during part of a year of assessment, the above principle for determining
     the total amount of deduction allowable to you or your spouse (or both of you) will apply to
     that part of the year of assessment when you are married.

(f) If there is more than one qualifying tenancy in relation to a year of assessment, the
     amount of deduction allowable to you or the total amount allowable to you or your spouse
     (or both of you), for the year of assessment is the aggregate of the amount determined in
     accordance with the above principle for each of the tenancies.

(g) If there is more than one tenant under a qualifying tenancy, the rents paid under the
     tenancy will be taken to have been paid by each of the co-tenants in equal shares.

(6)

Circumstances in which deduction is not allowed:

(a) You or your spouse (not living apart):
     (i) is the legal and beneficial owner of any domestic premises in Hong Kong;
     (ii) is provided with a place of residence by employer or an associated corporation of the
          employer (including a refund for any rent paid); or
     (iii) is a tenant or an authorised occupant of a public rental housing flat.

(b) The landlord of the rented property is an associate of you or your spouse (e.g. spouse,
     parents, child, brother/sister, partner, or a corporation controlled by you or your spouse,
     etc).

(c) The premises concerned is prohibited from being used for residential purposes or tenancy
     is prohibited under any law or a Government lease.

(d) The rents are allowable as a deduction under any other provision of the Inland Revenue
     Ordinance.

(e) Any rent paid in respect of any other domestic premises has been allowed to you or your
     spouse (not living apart) as a deduction for the same period for which the rent is paid.

(f) You or your spouse has entered into a lease purchase agreement in respect of the
     premises.

(7)

More information is available at www.ird.gov.hk/eng/tax/drd.htm.

   
8.6 Election for using the Home Loan Interest / Domestic Rents Additional Deduction
Ceiling Amount
(Part 8.4 for Internet filing)
(1)

From the year 2024/25 onwards, you may elect to use the home loan interest or domestic rents additional deduction ceiling amount. You may be allowed the aforementioned additional deduction if the following conditions are met:

(a) You reside, during the year of assessment concerned, with your child in Hong Kong for:
     (i) a continuous period of not less than 6 months; or
     (ii) a shorter period that the Commissioner of Inland Revenue considers reasonable in the
          circumstances;

(b) The child:
     (i) was born on or after 25 October 2023; and
     (ii) is, at any time during the year of assessment, under the age of 18;

(c) The amount of home loan interest paid or the qualifying rental amount concerned is larger
     than the home loan interest basic deduction ceiling amount or the domestic rents basic
     deduction ceiling amount for the relevant year of assessment;

(d) You claim to use in Part 8.4 or 8.5 of your return home loan interest basic deduction ceiling
     amount or domestic rents basic deduction ceiling amount, and their respective additional
     deductions ceiling amounts to determine the amount of home loan interest deduction and
     domestic rents deduction.

(2)

(a) If all the conditions under (1) are met and you wish to elect for using the additional
     deduction ceiling amount, you are required to enter either ‘1’ or ‘2’ in box 113 of
     paper return stating the period you are residing with your child in Hong Kong during the
     year.

(b) You may be eligible for using the additional deduction ceiling amount if you reside with your
     child in Hong Kong for a period of less than 6 months. For details, you may refer to
     frequently asked question no. 4 at Department’s webpage
     (www.ird.gov.hk/eng/faq/adc.htm).

(3)

(a) If you are married and your spouse is eligible and wishes to elect for using the additional
     deduction ceiling amount, you are required to enter either ‘1’ or ‘2’ in box 114 of
     paper return stating the period he/she is residing with the child in Hong Kong during the
     year. Your spouse must sign in Part 13 to indicate that he/she agrees to elect.

(b) Your spouse may be eligible for using the additional deduction ceiling amount if he/she
     resides with the child in Hong Kong for a period of less than 6 months. For details, you may
     refer to frequently asked question no. 4 at Department’s webpage
     (www.ird.gov.hk/eng/faq/adc.htm).

(c) Even if box 114 of paper return is completed, if your spouse wishes to claim home loan
     interest deduction / domestic rents deduction, he/she is still required to make the claims in
     his / her own tax return, and elect to use the additional deduction ceiling amount
     (if appropriate).

   

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(April 2024)