irish·finances

Newcomer guide

Moving from the UK to Ireland

Closer than the US move in spirit, but the tax differences are real. ISAs lose their tax-free shelter, SIPPs need careful handling, and the GMS isn't quite the NHS.

Newcomer 6-week checklist

Immigration: the easy bit

UK and Irish citizens enjoy the Common Travel Area — no visa required, full right to work, study, vote in local + general elections. Land, sign a contract, get to work.

Northern Irish citizens with British passports or Irish passports have the same rights. Anyone else (e.g. non-UK partner) needs the standard residency permission process.

Tax residency — the 183/280 rule

Two tests:

  • 183 days in a single tax year (calendar year), OR
  • 280 days across this year and last (with at least 30 days each year).

Once you cross either threshold, you're tax-resident in Ireland for that year. Your worldwide income is potentially in scope of Irish tax, with the UK-Ireland Double Tax Agreement preventing double tax.

Arrival timing matters. If you arrive in October, you might not hit 183 days in year one and could remain a UK tax resident for that year — sometimes advantageous, sometimes not. Run the dates before you book the move.

Source: Revenue.ie — Tax residence.

PAYE → PAYE — the structural differences

The income-tax structure is broadly similar but the numbers differ:

  • UK: 20% basic, 40% higher (£50,270+), 45% additional (£125,140+). National Insurance ~12% basic / 2% above. Personal Allowance £12,570.
  • Ireland: 20% to €44k (single), 40% above. USC 0.5%/2%/3%/8% on top. PRSI 4.25%. No personal allowance — replaced by tax credits (Personal €2,000 + PAYE €2,000).

Quick comparison at €60k gross: Ireland gives ~64% net (€38,500), UK gives ~70% net at equivalent £52k. The Irish marginal rate above €70k hits ~52% (40 + 8 + 4.25), versus UK's ~42%.

Run yours through the salary calculator.

ISAs — they don't follow you

Once you become Irish tax-resident, the ISA wrapper is irrelevant for Irish tax purposes. Revenue treats your ISA holdings as a regular taxable account.

Worse: the same fund that was tax-free as an ISA holding becomes a 41% deemed-disposal asset under Irish rules if it's a UCITS ETF.

What this means in practice:

  • Stocks & shares ISAs holding individual UK shares: now CGT (33%) on disposals, dividends taxed as income.
  • Stocks & shares ISAs holding ETFs (the common case): now subject to 41% exit tax + 8-year deemed disposal. See the ETF guide.
  • Cash ISAs: interest now taxable as DIRT (33%) or income, depending on the product.
  • Lifetime ISAs: even messier — withdrawals in Ireland may not get the same treatment.

Practical move: consider closing or repositioning before you become Irish tax-resident. Once-off CGT in the UK at the time of sale (within the UK CGT exemption £3,000) is usually cheaper than years of Irish deemed-disposal drag. Take advice on timing.

SIPPs and UK pensions

Generally fine to leave alone. The UK-Ireland DTA covers personal pensions — Ireland gets primary taxing rights once you're resident, but there's no immediate liability. You can usually:

  • Continue contributing to a SIPP as a non-resident (some platforms restrict this; check yours)
  • Take normal distributions in retirement, taxed in Ireland under PAYE
  • Transfer to an Irish PRSA via QROPS — possible but expensive; only worth it for large balances

Watch out: 25% UK tax-free lump sum is NOT tax-free in Ireland if you're resident here when you take it. Check timing carefully.

NHS to GMS / private health

Ireland's public system (HSE/GMS) is means-tested for full-cover. Most working professionals end up paying privately:

  • GP visit fees: typically €60–€75 per visit (no NHS-style free at point of use)
  • A&E charge: €100 if you self-present, waived with a GP referral
  • Prescription charges: often higher than UK NHS
  • Many employers offer private health insurance (VHI / Laya / Irish Life Health) as a BIK

Private health premiums get tax relief at source (TRS) — typically 20%, capped — and the premium your employer pays counts as BIK (taxable). The salary calculator's BIK input handles this.

Banking and credit

  • UK credit history doesn't carry over. Most lenders need 6–12 months of Irish residency before approving a mortgage.
  • Revolut and N26 work in both jurisdictions — useful bridge.
  • AIB, BOI, PTSB are the main pillar banks. PTSB/Avant tend to be the most expat-friendly.
  • UK ISA savings won't show on your Irish credit profile — useful or annoying depending on the lender.

If you own UK property

  • Rental income from UK property: report on UK self-assessment AND on Irish Form 11 (foreign rental income, Case III).
  • UK tax credit for tax already paid prevents double tax.
  • Eventually selling the property: UK CGT and Irish CGT both apply, with credit for UK tax. Watch the residency clock.
  • Mortgage interest — Irish rules allow 100% deduction now (the 75% restriction was repealed).

Six-week checklist

  1. Apply for PPS number (MyWelfare.ie). UK passport + proof of address + employment letter.
  2. Open Irish bank account or use Revolut/N26 for the first salary.
  3. Register your employment with Revenue myAccount → triggers RPN, avoids emergency tax.
  4. Decide on private health insurance (open enrolment, no medical questions in first job switch).
  5. Position UK ISA / SIPP investments before you become Irish tax-resident.
  6. Update HMRC: P85 to formally tell them you've left UK tax residency.

Next