Key facts
- Ireland's new tax-advantaged investment accounts will exclude cryptocurrencies and derivatives.
- The scheme aims to encourage Irish households to shift approximately $203 billion from bank deposits into traditional investments.
- Eligible assets include shares, bonds, exchange-traded funds, and other investment funds.
- The accounts are intended for Irish tax residents aged 18 and over.
- Specific tax rates and thresholds will be announced in Ireland’s Budget 2027.
- The accounts are slated to become available to residents next year.
Ireland's planned investment accounts will offer tax benefits for stocks, bonds, and ETFs, while excluding crypto and derivatives as higher-risk products. The Department of Finance unveiled the plans to encourage more retail investing, with crypto assets and derivatives classified as “highly complex and risky” products. The accounts will be available to Irish residents next year, though a specific launch date is not set. Tax rates and thresholds will be announced in Ireland’s Budget 2027. This exclusion leaves digital assets outside a new framework intended to make investing easier and more tax-efficient for Irish residents. Research from the Central Bank of Ireland indicates that Irish households hold a relatively low percentage of their financial assets in direct investments compared to the EU average, with about 10% of adults owning crypto assets.