Ireland
Budget 2026 Changes Explained: What It Means for Your Wallet
A plain-English breakdown of Ireland's Budget 2026 — income tax bands, USC thresholds, credits, PRSI changes, and what the measures mean for take-home pay.
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Ireland · Tax & Income
Irish Income Tax & PAYE Calculators
Ireland's income tax system stacks three charges on most pay packets: PAYE income tax (20% standard rate, 40% above the cut-off), USC (a banded charge from 0.5% to 8%), and PRSI (around 4.1% for most employees). On top of that sit tax credits, BIK on company perks, and a handful of self-assessed taxes like CGT and CAT. The calculators in this hub work through each one — start with the take-home pay calculator for the all-in view, or the USC and PRSI calculators when you want to drill into a single component.
Calculators
Income Tax
Full Irish PAYE calculator with USC, PRSI, and tax credits
Take-Home Pay
See your net salary after income tax, USC, and PRSI deductions
Self-Employed Tax
Calculate Irish Schedule D tax for sole traders and freelancers
USC
Calculate your Universal Social Charge liability
PRSI
Calculate your Pay Related Social Insurance contributions by class
Employer PRSI
Calculate employer PRSI liability per employee
BIK
Calculate Benefit in Kind tax on company cars and other benefits
Tax Credits
Find out which Irish tax credits you're entitled to claim
Preliminary Tax
Calculate preliminary tax due for self-employed individuals
Key terms
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Benefit-in-Kind (BIK)
A taxable perk provided by an employer — most commonly a company car, fuel card, or accommodation — valued and taxed as if it were salary.
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Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT)
Ireland's gift and inheritance tax — a 33% charge on assets received above lifetime tax-free thresholds set by the relationship between giver and recipient.
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Capital Gains Tax (CGT)
A 33% tax on the profit from selling or transferring an asset that has risen in value — investments, second properties, businesses and crypto.
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Gross vs Net Pay
Gross pay is your salary before tax; net (take-home) pay is what lands in your bank account after PAYE, USC, PRSI and pension are deducted.
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Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI)
Ireland's social-insurance contribution funding state pension, jobseeker, illness and parental benefits, paid by employees, employers and the self-employed.
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Standard Rate Cut-off Point
The income threshold up to which Irish income tax is charged at the 20% standard rate. Income above the cut-off is taxed at the 40% higher rate.
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Tax Credit
A flat amount that reduces the income tax you owe, applied after the tax is calculated — €1 of credit cancels €1 of tax.
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Universal Social Charge (USC)
A progressive tax on most income above €13,000 a year in Ireland, charged on top of income tax and PRSI.