MORTGAGE experts have criticised as "unfair" the decision to abolish mortgage interest relief for first-time buyers.Those new home buyers will lose more than €30,000 if they do not purchase a property before June when mortgage interest relief is to be stopped. Currently mortgage interest relief is available to first-time buyers for up to seven years after they buy their property. The changes to the relief — also known as Tax Relief at Source (TRS) — are outlined in the Programme of Government. The new measures include an increase in TRS for people who bought properties between 2004 and 2008.
