The main advantage of the home savings account is that it is tax deductible. The contributions and premiums paid are deductible from taxable income within the limits defined by the law.
According to the current legislation, the contributions paid into the home savings account are deductible each year within the following limits:
- up to 1,344 € if the subscriber is between 18 and 40 years of age at the beginning of the year OR
- up to 672 € if they are over 40.
This amount is increased based on the number of people in the tax household:
- the spouse (married or in a jointly taxed partnership) AND
- each child for whom the taxpayer obtains child tax relief.
In order to be able to deduct the maximum amount at the end of the year, a single person who takes out a home savings account solely to benefit from tax deductions will have to save at least 56 € a month or 112€ (depending of the age of the contractor).
Any taxpayer, whether a Luxembourg resident or cross-border commuter, can benefit from the tax deductions linked to the home savings account.
However, they have to meet several conditions:
- file a tax return or an annual statement in Luxembourg;
- be considered as a resident for tax purposes (in the case of a cross-border commuter);
- take out the home savings account with an authorised company in Luxembourg (BHW Bausparkasse or Wüstenrot Bausparkasse) or in another EU Member State (Schengen Area);
- respect the legal duration of the contract before using the funds;
- take out a contract for the purpose of financing the acquisition, construction or renovation of the taxpayer’s main residence.
Deduction of contributions paid is done during your tax declaration with either the Luxembourg tax return model 100 or via an annual statement model 163.
As "special expenses", payments to the home savings account must be entered in section "E. Home savings scheme" on page 15 of the tax return.
You simply need to note the name of the company where your account is held, its identification number, the start date of the contract, and the amount of contributions paid during the year. It is advisable to attach a copy of the statement sent by the company proving the amount of annual contributions.
How do I take out a home savings account?