Tax decides how much of your wealth you keep: what you pay into a pension, how you take profit out of your business, and how you pass assets to your children. We advise on the tax side of each of these decisions, so your personal wealth is managed as tax-efficiently as possible.
Information checked 3 October 2026 against Revenue guidance.
What's included
You get Income Tax relief at your highest rate on personal contributions, up to an age-related percentage of your earnings. Earnings above €115,000 a year are ignored. There is no relief from USC or PRSI, and employer contributions do not count towards your limit.
| Your age | Limit (% of earnings) |
|---|---|
| Under 30 | 15% |
| 30 to 39 | 20% |
| 40 to 49 | 25% |
| 50 to 54 | 30% |
| 55 to 59 | 35% |
| 60 or over | 40% |
Worked example
A single person aged 52 earns €80,000 in 2026. The 30% limit allows relief on contributions of up to €24,000. Income above €44,000 is taxed at 40%, and €36,000 of income sits in that band, so the full €24,000 gets relief at 40%: €9,600 less Income Tax. The contribution costs €14,400 out of take-home pay.
At retirement, the first €200,000 of retirement lump sums is tax-free for life; the next €300,000 is taxed at 20% and anything above €500,000 at 40%. Total pension savings above the Standard Fund Threshold, €2.2 million for 2026 and rising to €2.8 million by 2029, face a chargeable excess tax.
Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) is charged at 33% on gifts and inheritances above a lifetime tax-free threshold that depends on the relationship. A child can receive €400,000 from their parents, in total, before any CAT is due. Gifts and inheritances between spouses or civil partners are exempt.
| Group | Who it covers (main cases) | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| A | A child, or a minor child of a deceased child | €400,000 |
| B | A brother, sister, niece, nephew, grandchild, or a parent receiving a gift | €40,000 |
| C | Anyone else | €20,000 |
On top of that, each person can give anyone €3,000 a year tax-free under the small gift exemption. These gifts do not count towards the lifetime threshold, so two parents can give each child €6,000 a year without using any of it. The exemption covers gifts only, not inheritances.
Worked example
Two parents each give their daughter €3,000 a year for ten years: €60,000, none of it taxable or counted. She later inherits a property worth €450,000 from them. The Group A threshold of €400,000 covers most of it, and CAT is 33% of the €50,000 excess, so €16,500. A CAT return is due because the inheritance is above 80% of the threshold.
Two reliefs usually work together. For the parent, Retirement Relief can remove Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on the transfer of business or farm assets to a child: from 1 January 2025 the relief is capped at €10 million if you are 55 to 69, and €3 million from age 70. The relief is clawed back if the child sells within six years. For the child, Business Relief or Agricultural Relief reduces the taxable value for CAT by 90%, subject to conditions.
Worked example
A parent aged 62 transfers a trading company worth €2 million to a son. Retirement Relief covers the CGT because the value is under the €10 million cap. If Business Relief applies, the son's taxable value falls by 90% to €200,000, which is inside his €400,000 Group A threshold, so no CAT is due, provided he has had no earlier gifts from his parents and keeps to the conditions.
CGT is charged at 33% on most gains, after an annual exemption of €1,270 for each individual. Gains made from 1 January to 30 November are paid by 15 December; gains in December by 31 January. The CGT return is due by 31 October of the following year. Timing a sale, using losses and claiming every allowable cost all change the bill.
Choosing a pension fund, investment or insurance product is regulated financial advice. For that, speak to an adviser authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland; we work alongside your adviser on the tax side.
€3,000 a year from each parent under the small gift exemption, which does not count towards anything else, plus a lifetime total of €400,000 from both parents under the Group A threshold. CAT at 33% applies above that.
Source: Revenue: CAT group thresholds, checked 3 October 2026.
It depends on the valuation date. If it falls between 1 January and 31 August, you pay and file by 31 October that year. If it falls between 1 September and 31 December, the deadline is 31 October of the following year.
Source: Revenue: Important dates for CAT, checked 3 October 2026.
No. Despite the name, you do not need to stop working. The relief depends on your age, normally 55 or over, on the assets and on who receives them.
Source: Revenue: Disposal of a business or farm (Retirement Relief), checked 3 October 2026.
The maximum pension fund that can be built with tax relief. It is €2.2 million for 2026, €2.4 million for 2027, €2.6 million for 2028 and €2.8 million for 2029. Funds above it are taxed under the chargeable excess tax.
Source: Revenue: Chargeable excess tax (Standard Fund Threshold), checked 3 October 2026.
Next step
Most of these reliefs depend on doing things in the right order. Book a call before you commit.
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