DIRT (Deposit Interest Retention Tax) is the 33% tax Irish banks deduct on deposit interest before paying you. Enter the gross interest you've earned to see the DIRT amount and your net take-home.
Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT)
A flat 33% withholding tax on interest earned in Irish deposit accounts, deducted at source by the bank or credit union.
Annual Equivalent Rate (AER)
A standardised gross annual interest rate that accounts for compounding, used to compare savings accounts on a like-for-like basis.
Exit Tax
A 41% tax charged on gains from Irish life-assurance bonds and most regulated investment funds, applied on disposal or every eight years on a deemed-disposal basis.
DIRT is charged at a flat 33% on most deposit interest paid by Irish financial institutions. Headline interest rates are typically quoted as AER (gross) — so a 4% AER account returns ~2.68% net after DIRT. The exemption applies if you’re aged 65+ AND your total annual income (including the deposit interest) is at or below €18,000 (single) or €36,000 (married/civil partnership combined). Children’s accounts are also exempt under specific Revenue rules.
DIRT does not apply to investment funds, which are taxed under the separate exit tax regime at 41%.
DIRT is the Deposit Interest Retention Tax — a 33% withholding tax that banks and financial institutions deduct from interest before paying you. It's collected at source so you don't need to file separately for it.
Most regular Irish bank deposits and credit-union dividends are subject to DIRT. State Savings products (Prize Bonds, Savings Bonds, Savings Certificates) are explicitly DIRT-FREE — that's a major attraction for tax-conscious savers.
Generally no. DIRT is final tax, not a withholding against your income tax bill. Specific groups (over-65 with low income, certain charities, registered first-time-buyer Help-to-Buy claimants) can apply for exemption or refund — see Revenue's DIRT page.
DIRT was raised as part of austerity measures after 2008, peaking at 41% in 2014. It's been gradually reduced since (39% in 2017, 37% in 2018, 35% in 2019, 33% in 2020) and has stayed at 33% since. Successive Budgets have not changed it.
No — investment funds are taxed under different regimes. Most Irish fund products are taxed at 41% exit tax under the gross-roll-up regime (and subject to 8-year deemed disposal). ETFs follow similar rules. DIRT applies specifically to deposit-account interest.
Last updated: May 2026 · Rates sourced from Revenue
