Working

WORKING IN IRELAND

INCOME TAX

PENSIONS

FIND WORK

There are many advantages to living and working in Ireland. It is a small country easy to navigate, with less of a social structure than the UK, unemployment is low, there is strong demand for staff across all business sectors and career prospects are good with major international companies here. If you are looking to invest in your own business the lack of a bureaucratic structure, as in the UK, will bring fruition to your task much sooner. Further, in Ireland there is currently no similar legislation to the IR35 rules in the UK which apply from 6 April 2000 to contractors working through their own service companies.

It is advisable to have a job and, if possible, some form of accommodation organised before you travel to work in Ireland. If you have secured employment in advance of travel, make sure that you are fully aware of the pay and conditions on offer. If you are travelling from a country outside the European Union (EU) or the European Economic Area (EEA), make sure that you check out the legal requirements regarding the need for visas and work permits.

PPS (Personal Public Service) Number

In order to work, you require a Personal Public Service Number (PPS No.). You can obtain a PPS No. (or ask for your old number, if any, to be traced) at your local social welfare office. If you are a non-Irish National, you will need your passport and/or Green card and supporting documentation such as household bills. (Formerly, the PPS No. was known as your RSI No.). View information on how to apply for a PPS Number here. You will also need a PPS number before most banks will let you open an account

Social Insurance (PRSI)

Your employer will also deduct social insurance contributions (known in Ireland as 'Pay-related social insurance' or PRSI) from your pay which will help you to qualify for contributory social welfare payments such as Unemployment benefit, Disability benefit and Old Age (Contributory) Pension. The amount of your contribution will depend on your category as an employee. For example, most non-public sector employees pay "Class A" contributions, the precise rate depending on your earnings. More detailed information on moving to Ireland and your social security entitlements is available here. A general overview of the social security system in Ireland is available here.

INCOME TAX

If you are moving to Ireland - Income tax will be one of the things that will affect you eventually.
This Irish tax calculator will give you a rough idea of what you might pay.
Income Tax levels in Ireland are similar to the UK. A brief summary is given below -

Single Taxpayers
Personal tax credits of €1,520
Income Tax after subtracting deductions from total pay:
20% on the first € 28,000
42% on the balance

Married Taxpayers (two incomes)
Personal tax credits of €3,040
Income Tax after subtracting deductions from total pay:
20% on the first €uro 56,000
42% on the balance

Married Taxpayers (single income)
Personal tax credits of €3,040
Income Tax after subtracting these deductions from total pay:
20% on the first €uro 37,000
42% on the balance

In depth information can be found on the Revenue web site

The profits from the publication or sale of an original and creative work exempts an Irish resident from income tax if it falls under one of the following five categories: 1. A book or other writing 2. A play 3. A musical composition 4. A painting or other like picture 5. A sculpture.
Get painting now!

Tax relief is available on Water rates and Refuse disposal charges.

A tax credit of up to €770 is available from 1 January 2002 for married couples, where one spouse works in the home caring for a dependent person(s) and the home carer's income in their own right does not exceed €5,080.

Repayment of Tax may be claimed in respect of qualifying medical expenses incurred by a taxpayer and/ or his /her dependants. The first €125 per person does not qualify for relief..

PENSIONS

The Homemaker's Scheme

The Homemaker's Scheme is a scheme run by the Department of Social and Family Affairs in Ireland that makes it easier for a homemaker to qualify for the Old Age Contributory Pension. A homemaker is defined as a person (male or female) who gives up work to take care of a child aged under 12 or an incapacitated child/adult aged 12 or over on or after 6 April 1994.

State Pension:
If you have come from a country with which Ireland has a Bilateral Social Security Agreement, your pension rights from the other country are protected when you move to Ireland. You may be able to combine your insurance records from Ireland and the appropriate country in order to qualify for a pension. It is possible to have a pension from Ireland and one or all of the other countries. More Information here - on pensions when you move to Ireland

Occupational Pensions are not provided by all employers in Ireland. But Personal Retirement Savings Accounts (PRSAs) were introduced in Ireland in 2002. A Personal Retirement Savings Account is long-term personal retirement account designed to enable you to save for retirement in a flexible manner.
A PRSA is a contract between you and a PRSA provider in the form of an investment account. PRSAs allow you to change employment and continue to use the same PRSA. You can also switch from one PRSA to another at any time, free of charge.

Tax relief based on your age will be given by the Government for the contributions you pay into your PRSA. Employers that do not provide an occupational pension scheme for their employees are obliged to provide access to at least one Standard PRSA . Employers are required to have provided access to a PRSA to employees who are not entitled to join a pension scheme within 6 months of existing service.

PRSA Providers:
Hibernian , Eagle Star , Ark Life, Educational Building Society, Irish Life, Standard Life.

A full list is available on the pensions board web site above.

FIND WORK

As I have mentioned before according to a survey carried out by the Economist magazine Ireland is the top place to live and work.

Dublin is of course the capital and is expanding all the time. This is where most of the jobs can be found. Although a lot of the big pharmaceutical companies are based in Cork. There are of course jobs all over Ireland depending on what you are looking for. The links below are a good starting point for job searches, Or why not try working from home. Start your work-at-home career today. Get direct access to hundreds of freelance and home-based jobs. Click here to find work now.

This is a useful site both to find work and if you need a Tradesman in the dublin Area

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