Women who returned to work received €2.1 million in income tax refunds last year, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said in reply to a parliamentary question.

He told Labour MP Justyne Caruana that €436,625 were refunded to women who returned to work in 2008.

€3.2 million were given in refunds since 2006.

The minister said 3,661 requests for refunds were made and 3,652 were accepted.

Women are entitled to refunds in order to encourage them to return to work after leaving, usually to bring up their children.

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