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Irish tax rarely goes wrong in exotic ways. It goes wrong in six predictable ones: a new job on emergency tax, years of unclaimed credits, a departure year nobody reconciled, investments with their own deadlines, working from home, or a redundancy payment taxed as if it were salary. Each situation below explains what typically happens, what it is usually worth, and where to read more.
Just arrived in Ireland
New PPSN, first Irish payslip, emergency tax — we make sure Revenue has you set up correctly from day one so you keep more of your salary from the start.
Your first Irish payslip usually looks wrong because Revenue has not linked your employment yet. Registering the job in myAccount within your first weeks means your credits and cut-off point apply from the start instead of being clawed back months later. It is also the moment to check whether Split Year Treatment applies to your arrival year.
On emergency tax
If your payslip shows 40% off the top, you're on emergency tax. It's fixable — usually in a week — and any overpayment comes back to you.
Emergency tax means income tax at 40% and USC at 8% on most of your pay. Once Revenue issues the payroll notification, your employer refunds the overpayment through the next payslip — no claim form needed. If the job has already ended, the refund comes through an end-of-year review instead.
Settled — never sorted your tax
You've been here a couple of years and never claimed a thing back. Revenue lets you go 4 years back — most people find €800–€2,500 waiting for them.
Revenue allows four years of retrospective claims, so in 2026 that means 2022 to 2025. The credits most often left unclaimed are the Rent Tax Credit (up to €1,000 a year, €2,000 jointly assessed), medical expenses at 20%, remote working relief, and the flat rate expense for your occupation.
Leaving Ireland
There's often a specific leaving-the-country refund you can claim — plus anything you overpaid across your final year. Do it before your last payslip if you can.
When you leave part-way through a year, your credits were spread across twelve months of expected salary you never earned — so tax was overpaid. Claim after your final payslip, keep a bank account open for the payment, and check whether Split Year Treatment removes post-departure foreign income from the Irish net.
Investor or landlord
Shares, crypto, ETFs, rental income — every one of these has its own Revenue form and deadline. We handle the CGT and rental returns so nothing slips.
Capital gains are taxed at 33% above a €1,270 annual exemption, and crypto disposals are matched FIFO. Payment dates come before the return: gains from January to November are paid by 15 December, December gains by 31 January, with the CG1 filed the following October. Rental income goes on a Form 11.
Remote worker or contractor
Working from home in Ireland comes with a real (if small) tax relief you can backdate 4 years. If you contract, we'll handle your Form 11 too.
Remote working relief covers 30% of electricity, heating and broadband costs for days worked at home, claimed through your annual return with bills attached. Contractors on Form 11 can also deduct genuine business expenses and top up pension contributions before the October deadline.