Capital Gains Tax in Ireland: Rate, Exemption and Gains

Capital gains tax in Ireland, or CGT, is the tax you pay on the gain you make when you dispose of an asset. For individuals, Revenue applies an annual personal exemption before calculating the tax on taxable gains. This page is the plain explainer: the rate, the €1,270 annual exemption, the costs you can deduct and how to work out a gain. For how these rules apply to bitcoin and other crypto, read our guide to crypto tax in Ireland.

Risk warning: Crypto-assets such as bitcoin are high risk and speculative. Their value can go down as well as up, sometimes sharply, and you could lose all the money you put in. Past performance doesn't necessarily give a guide to the future. Some crypto products and services are unregulated, and even under MiCA crypto is not covered by the Deposit Guarantee Scheme or the Investor Compensation Scheme. Crypto isn't suitable for everyone, so only use money you can afford to lose.

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Tax note: This is general information based on Revenue guidance, checked on 4 November 2026. It isn't tax advice. Your position depends on your circumstances, so speak to a tax adviser or Revenue before you file.

What capital gains tax applies to

CGT applies to chargeable gains on disposals of assets. A disposal can include a gift, so receiving cash is not a requirement. Revenue may require market value instead of the actual sale or purchase price, for example when an asset is gifted to someone other than a spouse or civil partner. Revenue says selling, transferring or redeeming crypto-assets will generally be a disposal for CGT unless the activity amounts to a trade. Each case depends on its facts. Our crypto tax guide sets out when a crypto transaction counts as a disposal for Revenue and when income tax rules apply instead.

The rest of this page sticks to the mechanics that apply to any chargeable gain: the rate, the exemption and the sum.

The CGT rate

Revenue's How to calculate CGT page, which we checked on 4 November 2026, applies a standard rate of 31% to most gains on disposals made on or after 7 October 2026. For disposals earlier in 2026, the standard rate was 33%. So if you made disposals across 2026, the date of each one decides which rate applies.

The same page notes that some assets carry different rates, for example 40% on certain foreign life policies and 33% on development land. These exceptions mean the standard rate does not apply to every asset.

The €1,270 annual exemption

The first €1,270 of chargeable gains you make in a year is exempt from CGT. Revenue says that if your chargeable gain is less than this amount, no CGT is due.

It helps to be clear on what the exemption is and isn't:

• It is one allowance per person, per year, covering all your gains for that year added together.
• It is not €1,270 for each sale, and it is not €1,270 for each coin.
• It reduces a gain, but Revenue applies it after losses and other reliefs, so it comes near the end of the sum.

From disposal proceeds to taxable gain

Revenue sets out the calculation in two parts: first the chargeable gain, then the taxable gain.

For a straightforward sale using actual prices, the chargeable gain is the sale price minus the purchase price minus allowable expenses. In other words, what you got for the asset, less what you paid for it and the allowable costs of buying and selling it.

Deduct allowable losses and any applicable reliefs, then the annual personal exemption, to arrive at the taxable gain. You then apply the CGT rate to what is left.

Gains are worked out one disposal at a time. You calculate the gain or loss on each disposal before adding anything up, rather than looking at what an account was worth at the start and end of the year.

Crypto tax software examples include Koinly (affiliate link).

Allowable costs you can deduct

Revenue's calculation page lists the costs you can take off before you arrive at the gain:

• Enhancement expenditure, meaning money you spent that adds value to the asset.
• The costs of acquiring and disposing of the asset, such as professional fees.

Whether a particular cost qualifies depends on the applicable rules and facts.

Worked example

The figures below are made up to show the steps. They are not a prediction and not advice. The example uses Revenue's standard 31% rate for a disposal on or after 7 October 2026, and assumes this is your only chargeable gain for the year with no losses or other reliefs to set against it.

Change any of the inputs and the answer changes. Real cases are messier, especially with many transactions, so treat this as an illustration of the order the rules apply in, not a template for your own return.

Losses and the exemption

Allowable losses come off before the exemption. Subject to exceptions, allowable losses are set against gains in the same year, with unused losses carried forward against the next available gains. The €1,270 exemption can reduce a gain, but it can't create or increase a loss. Our guide to claiming crypto losses in Ireland explains how losses work in more detail.

Paying and filing

Revenue's paying and filing guidance distinguishes payment from filing: the payment deadline depends on when the disposal happened, while the return has a separate deadline. A return is still required when reliefs or allowable losses leave no tax due. For deadlines, return options and registration, see how to pay crypto tax in Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital gains tax rate in Ireland?

Revenue's How to calculate CGT page, checked on 4 November 2026, applies a standard rate of 31% to most gains on disposals made on or after 7 October 2026, with 33% applying to disposals earlier in 2026.

How much can I gain before paying CGT?

The first €1,270 of chargeable gains per person each year is exempt. Revenue says that if your chargeable gain is less than €1,270, no CGT is due. It is one allowance per person per year across all your gains, not per sale.

How do I calculate a capital gain?

For a straightforward sale, subtract the purchase price and allowable expenses from the sale price. Market value may be required instead for some disposals, including gifts. Calculate each disposal separately, combine the gains, deduct allowable losses and applicable reliefs, then the personal exemption, and apply the relevant rate to the taxable gain.

What costs can I deduct from a gain?

Revenue allows enhancement expenditure that adds value to the asset, and the costs of acquiring and disposing of it, such as professional fees. Whether a particular cost qualifies depends on the applicable rules and facts.

Does capital gains tax apply to crypto in Ireland?

Revenue says selling, transferring or redeeming crypto-assets generally gives rise to a CGT disposal unless the activity amounts to a trade. Each case depends on its facts. Whether a particular crypto transaction is a disposal depends on Revenue's rules, which we cover in our crypto tax in Ireland guide. Speak to a tax adviser if your situation is unclear.