How to do a tax return in Ireland

Wondering how to do a tax return in Ireland? You’re not alone. In this guide, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to completing Form 11 online via ROS, and we’ll explain exactly what you need to do to file a tax return in Ireland and submit it on time.

The information provided here is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute tax advice. You should consult with a qualified tax professional or adviser regarding your individual tax situation. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, and the information provided may not be applicable to your specific circumstances. We are not liable for any tax decisions or actions you take based on this information.

A tax return is a formal statement of your income, expenses, and other relevant financial information that you’ll submit to the tax authorities. In Ireland, these are called the Revenue Commissioners, commonly known simply as ‘Revenue’. The purpose of the tax return is to calculate how much income tax you owe, or, in some cases, how much you’re owed and can claim to have refunded. Not everyone needs to file a tax return in Ireland - there are specific instances when you would be required to, such as if you’re self-employed or have non-PAYE income.

Discover whether you need to complete a tax return.

In order to file a tax return in Ireland, you’ll need a few key pieces of information and documents, so you should take time to gather these before you begin. These may include:

• Personal details, for example your Personal Public Service Number (PPSN)

• Income information, including payslips and invoices from your business or other income sources (for example, if you have investments or rental properties)

• Proof of any eligible expenses or deductions, such as medical expenses, tax credits, or tax relief

You may also need other documents to hand, such as last year’s tax return, details of any capital gains (for example, if you’ve sold a property this year), and details of any pensions you’ve contributed to or received an income from.

Filing a tax return in Ireland is generally a simple process, whether you choose to do it online or via the paper form. We’ll go into more detail below about the step-by-step process of how to do a tax return in Ireland, but here is a brief overview.

Once you’ve gathered all the necessary information mentioned above, you can choose your filing method - you can opt to file your tax return online or via the paper form. You’ll then need to complete your return by filling in all the required details and providing the necessary documents. Once you’ve done this, you’ll submit (or post) your tax return. 

Then, you’ll simply wait to find out whether you owe any tax or whether you’re due a refund. If you owe tax, you’ll need to do this by the deadline. If you’re owed a refund, Revenue will process this within their given timeframe and pay it to your bank account. 

Filing your income tax return can feel confusing, but there are a number of useful resources to help you through the process. You can follow the steps below, and you can also access tutorial videos on how to do a tax return on the Revenue.ie website to help you further.

1. First, access Revenue Online Services (ROS) on the Revenue.ie website, log in to your account (you may need to create an account if you haven’t done so before) and navigate to ‘My Services’.
2. Open Form 11 on ROS. Under ‘File a return’, select ‘Income tax’ from the dropdown menu, and click on ‘Form 11’. You’ll need to choose the year you want to file a tax return for, and you can opt to open and use a pre-populated form.
3. Enter your personal details. You’ll need to fill in mandatory information (indicated by an asterisk), such as your main residence address and your marital status. If you’ve filed your tax return online before, you may see information from your previous form. It’s important to check properly that this is still accurate, and update it if it isn’t.
4. Fill in your income information. You’ll need to provide income details, including your PAYE or non-PAYE income, any rental income, dividends, and other earnings. 
5. Ensure you complete all relevant forms. There are several sections you’ll need to complete on the form, but you only need to review the ones that are relevant to you or already contain pre-populated information. For example, if you have no foreign income, you don’t need to fill in the ‘Foreign Income’ section. You’ll see a yellow tick next to all the sections you need to complete, and once you’ve finished a section, you’ll see a green tick. 
6. Make your self-assessment. At the end of the form, you’ll see two columns: A and B. In column A, Revenue will complete its indicative calculation of your liability based on the information you’ve provided in the form. To make your self-assessment, all you need to do is agree with the figure. If you do not agree with the ROS calculation, you will have to make your own assessment and update this in Column B.
7. Complete your ‘Statement of Net Liabilities’ and pay this via ROS.

8. Send your tax return to Revenue. You’ll need to re-enter your password in the ‘Sign and Submit’ box, then send your return to Revenue.

You don’t need to complete your tax return in one go. At any time, you can select ‘Save’ at the bottom of the page you’re on, and return to it later.

If you prefer, you can also fill in a paper version of Form 11, which you can find on the Revenue.ie website. Just note that with a paper tax return, you’d need to complete your own self-assessment section. The only exception to this is if you submit your tax return early (before 31 August), in which case Revenue will complete that section for you.

Once you’ve entered, completed, and checked all the information on your tax return (as listed above), you’ll need to complete the self-assessment panel. You won’t be able to submit Form 11 without doing this. Make sure the self-assessment is updated every time you review the form so that all the information is correct when the final version is submitted and sent to Revenue.

You’ll also need to complete your ‘Statement of Net Liabilities’ and pay this before you can submit a tax return in Ireland. Once you’ve paid, re-enter your password in the ‘Sign and Submit’ box, then click ‘Send’ to submit your return to Revenue. That’s it - that’s how to do a tax return in Ireland.

In terms of how to apply for a tax refund in Ireland, it’s quite simple. Once your tax return is filed, if you’re entitled to a refund, the Revenue Commissioners will typically issue it within five working days. The timeline depends on how quickly and accurately the information is submitted - if there is missing information or discrepancies, it may take longer. 

In general, refunds are processed faster if you file a tax return in Ireland through the online system, rather than via a paper tax return.

The deadline for filing a tax return in Ireland for a given tax year (which runs from 1 January to 31 December) is midnight on 31st October. You should ensure you stay up to date with the 2025 tax return deadline and other important dates, as they will be different depending on whether you’re submitting an online form or a paper form, and you may be fined if you fail to submit your tax return before the deadline.

Interest earned on an account through Raisin Bank is subject to Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT). Although your savings are held with partner banks from across the EU, tax residents in Ireland are still responsible for declaring and paying any tax they owe. So it’s important to include savings interest in your tax return. Find out more about how savings accounts are taxed at Raisin Bank.

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