In short
Money you put into an approved pension, including a workplace scheme, AVCs or a PRSA, gets income tax relief at your highest rate. So for a 40% taxpayer, €100 into a pension costs €60. The relief is limited by your age and earnings. Auto-enrolment (MyFutureFund) is different: it gets a State top-up instead of tax relief.
Age-related limits
| Your age during the year | Max % 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% |
Earnings over €115,000 a year don't count towards the limit. The relief is from income tax only, not USC or PRSI.
How you get it
- Through payroll: contributions to your employer's scheme, and AVCs taken from your pay, usually get the relief automatically
- Paid directly: PRSA or AVC payments you make yourself are claimed through myAccount or your tax return
- One-off payments: you may be able to treat a payment made by 31 October as paid in the previous tax year ◆
Get your tax back for missed years
Missed the pension tax relief? You can still get the tax back as a tax refund for every year since 2022.
For the current year, add the credit in myAccount and it comes through your pay. For earlier years, it's claimed in the income tax return for each year.
Common questions
Does auto-enrolment get tax relief?
No. MyFutureFund contributions come from your pay after tax, and the State adds a top-up instead. Auto-enrolment explained.
I paid into a PRSA but my tax didn't change. Why?
If you paid it directly rather than through payroll, the relief has to be claimed. We can claim it for every open year.
Sources
Revenue: Tax relief for pension contributions, AVCs and PRSAs, on revenue.ie. Confirm the earnings cap and the rules for backdating a one-off contribution before publishing ◆.
Questions for Revenue directly? Call the PAYE helpline on 01 738 3636 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 1.30pm), or see all Revenue contact numbers.
General information, not advice on your own situation. TaxMind checks your record before filing anything.
