Sole Trader Tax in Ireland for 2026: Income Tax, USC and PRSI
General information, not tax advice. Rates, thresholds and dates change: check anything you act on with your accountant or Revenue.
On this page
For 2026, Revenue lists income tax at 20% on the first €44,000 for a single person without qualifying children and 40% on the balance, a single person tax credit of €2,000 and an earned income tax credit of up to €2,000. The standard USC rates are 0.5%, 2%, 3% and 8% across its bands. Self-employed PRSI (Class S) is 4.2% until 30 September 2026 and 4.35% from 1 October 2026. Your accountant works out which bands and credits apply to you.
This guide follows the official pages, linked in each section and listed at the end, all checked on 27 September 2026.
Income tax rates and bands for 2026
From Tax rates, bands and reliefs (Revenue, published 1 January 2026):
| Your circumstances | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Single, widowed or surviving civil partner, without qualifying children | €44,000 at 20%, balance at 40% |
| Single, widowed or surviving civil partner, qualifying for the Single Person Child Carer Credit | €48,000 at 20%, balance at 40% |
| Married or in a civil partnership, one spouse or civil partner with income | €53,000 at 20%, balance at 40% |
| Married or in a civil partnership, both with income | €53,000 at 20% (increased by up to €35,000), balance at 40% |
Tax credits for 2026
From the same page:
| Credit | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Single Person | €2,000 |
| Married Person or Civil Partner | €4,000 |
| Earned Income Tax Credit (maximum) | €2,000 |
Revenue's page lists further credits and reliefs.
USC for 2026
From Standard rates and thresholds of USC (Revenue, published 1 January 2026):
| Income | Rate |
|---|---|
| First €12,012 | 0.5% |
| Next €16,688 | 2% |
| Next €41,344 | 3% |
| Balance | 8% |
Added up, the 2% band ends at €28,700 and the 3% band at €70,044 (our arithmetic from Revenue's table).
PRSI for the self-employed (Class S)
From PRSI Class S Rates (Department of Social Protection, last updated 20 January 2026):
- Class S covers self-employed people, including certain company directors and certain people with income from investments and rents.
- The rate is 4.2% of all income until 30 September 2026 and 4.35% from 1 October 2026.
- If you return PRSI through Revenue's self-assessment system, the rate on your 2026 income is a blended 4.2375%, or a minimum payment of €650.
- The minimum annual contribution for Class S is €650.
Paying and filing
From Pay and file system (Revenue, published 12 March 2026):
- By 31 October 2026, pay your preliminary tax for 2026, file your 2025 self-assessment tax return and pay any Income Tax balance for 2025.
- If you pay and file through ROS, the 31 October deadline is extended to 18 November.
- A return filed less than two months late brings a surcharge of 5% of the tax due, up to €12,695; more than two months late, 10%, up to €63,485.
What NumWise shows
- The profit and loss report: income and costs for any period, from the invoices and costs you recorded.
- For a VAT-registered business, income and costs without VAT, and only the business share of each cost.
- An Excel export of each report, so your accountant does not have to retype the figures.
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Related: sole trader expenses in Ireland.
Sources
All checked on 27 September 2026.
- Revenue, Tax rates, bands and reliefs, published 1 January 2026.
- Revenue, Standard rates and thresholds of USC, published 1 January 2026.
- Department of Social Protection, PRSI Class S Rates, last updated 20 January 2026.
- Revenue, Pay and file system, published 12 March 2026.
Read next
- Tax Guides
Sole Trader Expenses in Ireland: What You Can Claim
The expenses Revenue lets a business deduct, the ones it cannot, how to treat costs you also use privately, and the records to keep for six years.
- How-to guides
Prepare an export of your records for your accountant
Prepare one Accountant pack with period reports, registers and available source documents. Check the gaps before handing it over, or export single reports.
- How-to guides
Check a receipt read by NumWise before you save the cost
Add a receipt photo or a supplier invoice, let NumWise fill the expense form, then check each value against the document before you save, field by field.
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