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Exit Tax Calculator

Work out the exit tax on an Irish or EU ETF or fund over the years you hold it, including deemed disposal every 8 years, what you keep when you sell, and how that compares with shares.

€
€
More options· 6% growth a year
%

A year, after fund charges

You keep after exit tax, in 20 years

€96,085

€20,615 of exit tax, €13,612 of it on deemed disposals before you sell

You invest
€57,800
Worth before tax
€103,088
Exit tax
€20,615

Deemed disposal costs you about €3,809 compared with paying the tax only when you sell, because the tax taken every 8 years no longer grows. Shares held directly, under 33% capital gains tax, would leave €101,608.

What this means

Irish and EU-domiciled ETFs and funds aren’t taxed like shares. Gains pay exit tax at 35%, not 33% capital gains tax, and there’s no €1,270 yearly exemption.

Every 8 years after you buy, you pay tax on the gain as if you’d sold (deemed disposal), even if you haven’t. When you do sell, the tax already paid is taken off, so you aren’t taxed twice, but the money paid early can’t keep growing.

Next step

When you pay

Exit tax
Year 8: deemed disposal€2,078
Year 9: deemed disposal€499
Year 10: deemed disposal€499
Year 11: deemed disposal€499
Year 12: deemed disposal€499
Year 13: deemed disposal€499
Year 14: deemed disposal€499
Year 15: deemed disposal€499
Year 16: deemed disposal€3,380
Year 17: deemed disposal€1,190
Year 18: deemed disposal€1,190
Year 19: deemed disposal€1,190
Year 20: deemed disposal€1,091
When you sellAfter credit for the tax already paid€7,003
Total€20,615

What you keep

After 20 years
€122,559€61,280€0
ETF or fundNo deemed disposalShares (CGT)
You keepTax
Assumptions in this estimate
  • Exit tax of 35% on gains, the rate Budget 2027 announced from 1 January 2027 (38% in 2026). It still needs to pass into law.
  • Each purchase has its own 8-year clock. Deemed disposal tax is paid by selling units, and growth of 6% a year is after fund charges.
  • For an accumulating fund, which reinvests its income. Distributions from funds that pay them out are taxed too, and aren’t included.
  • Losses on funds can’t be set against other gains, and the €1,270 CGT exemption doesn’t apply. PRSI and USC don’t apply to exit tax.
  • The share comparison uses the same growth, taxed at 33% when you sell after the €1,270 exemption. Dividends from shares are taxed as income.
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How the calculator works

  1. Each purchase (your lump sum and every monthly amount) grows at the rate you choose.
  2. Every 8 years after each purchase, exit tax is charged on its gain. The calculator sells units to pay it, so less is left to grow.
  3. When you sell, exit tax is charged on the rest of the gain, after credit for what you’ve already paid.
  4. Comparisons: the same investment if tax were only charged when you sell, and shares taxed by capital gains tax.

Example

€10,000 in an ETF for 20 years, growing 6% a year:

Held as Tax You keep
ETF, with deemed disposal in years 8 and 16 €6,724 €22,487
ETF, if tax were only charged on sale €7,725 €24,346
Shares, 33% CGT on sale €6,864 €25,207

Deemed disposal costs about €1,859 here. You pay less tax in total, but you pay it earlier, so the money taken in years 8 and 16 can’t keep growing.

Exit tax and capital gains tax

ETFs and funds (exit tax) Shares (CGT)
Rate 38% in 2026, 35% announced for 2027 33%
Yearly exemption None €1,270
Taxed before sale Every 8 years (deemed disposal) No
Losses Can’t be used Set against gains
Income Taxed at the exit tax rate Dividends taxed as income

What this calculator doesn’t include

Distributions from funds that pay them out, funds domiciled outside the EU (taxed under different rules), and pensions, where investments grow without exit tax. Exit tax is the only tax on these gains: PRSI and USC don’t apply, even when you pay it through your own tax return.

Learn more

See where to invest in Ireland for the order to use each account, and our guide to capital gains tax.

Last updated

Frequently asked questions

What is the exit tax rate in Ireland?

38% on gains from Irish and EU-domiciled funds and ETFs in 2026. Budget 2027 announced a cut to 35% from 1 January 2027, which still needs to pass into law.

What is deemed disposal?

Every 8 years after you buy units in a fund, you pay exit tax on the gain as if you had sold them, even if you haven’t. When you do sell, the tax already paid is credited, so the same gain isn’t taxed twice.

Do ETFs pay exit tax or capital gains tax?

ETFs domiciled in Ireland or the EU (most ETFs sold to Irish investors) pay exit tax, not capital gains tax. Shares in individual companies and investment trusts pay capital gains tax at 33%, after a €1,270 yearly exemption.

Can I use losses on an ETF?

No. Losses on funds can’t be set against gains on other funds or on shares. If a fund falls after a deemed disposal, you can get back some of the tax you paid on it when you sell.

Is deemed disposal being abolished?

Not for funds. Budget 2027 announced a new Savings and Investment Account without deemed disposal, with details expected in the Finance Bill. Funds held outside it keep the 8-year rule.