Property Tax Overview in Ireland Confirm the cited source.

01What property taxes apply in Ireland?

Ireland levies three distinct property-related taxes that owners and buyers encounter. The Local Property Tax (LPT) is an annual self-assessed charge on residential market value, collected by Revenue and partially returned to local authorities. Stamp duty is a one-time transaction tax paid on the purchase deed. The Vacant Homes Tax (VHT) adds a further annual charge on dwellings left largely unoccupied. A fourth measure, the Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT), targets undeveloped land zoned for housing. A Derelict Property Tax is also legislated for future commencement. None of these replace income tax on rental profits or Capital Gains Tax on disposal: see the Ireland country overview for the full tax picture.

Ireland has no annual wealth tax on property and no general council-tax equivalent for residential occupiers. The LPT is the sole recurring residential property charge collected by central Revenue; commercial occupiers pay separate local-authority rates assessed by the Valuation Office.

02How does Local Property Tax work for the 2026 to 2030 period?

The Finance (Local Property Tax) Act 2012 established LPT as a self-assessed annual tax on the market value of any residential property in the State. The owner on the relevant valuation date is the liable person, even if the property is let to tenants on a short-term lease (under 20 years). Joint owners must nominate one designated liable person. Tenants with leases of 20 years or more, life-interest holders with exclusive occupation, trustees, and personal representatives of deceased owners all bear liability in their respective situations.

Revenue revalues the tax every five years. The 1 November 2025 revaluation date sets the market-value basis for every LPT bill from 2026 through 2030 inclusive. Property owners self-assess their valuation as of that date using Revenue's online reckoner or comparable sales evidence; the declared band locks the charge for the entire five-year period. A property improving in value between 2026 and 2030 does NOT trigger a mid-cycle reassessment unless there is a disposal or a significant structural change.

For the 2026-2030 cycle Revenue widened each band by 20 percent relative to the 2021 bands. The Department of Finance stated that an estimated 96 percent of properties remain in the same band as before, and that most owners with properties valued at EUR 525,000 or below face increases of EUR 5 to EUR 25 per year compared with 2025 charges.

For properties with a declared market value above EUR 2.1 million, the charge is not band-based. It is calculated as the sum of: 0.0906 percent of the first EUR 1.26 million, plus 0.25 percent of the portion between EUR 1.26 million and EUR 2.1 million, plus 0.3 percent of any value above EUR 2.1 million.

Each local authority may apply a Local Adjustment Factor of up to plus or minus 15 percent on the base annual charge. The actual bill an owner pays therefore depends on which local authority area the property falls in. Revenue publishes the factor chosen by each council each year.

Deferral is available for qualifying owner-occupiers on low incomes. Full deferral applies where gross income does not exceed EUR 25,000 for a single person or EUR 40,000 for a couple. Partial (50 percent) deferral applies where gross income does not exceed EUR 40,000 (single) or EUR 55,000 (couple). Both thresholds increase by 80 percent of gross mortgage interest payments on mortgages taken out before 1 November 2020. Deferred amounts accrue interest at 3 percent per annum and the debt attaches to the property.

LPT is paid by 9 January each year (single lump-sum options) or by monthly direct debit starting 15 January. An Annual Debit Instruction (ADI) is deducted from a bank account on 20 March. Non-payment triggers interest and can block a tax-clearance certificate, which is required for most property transactions.

Certain properties are exempt: properties owned by charities used for their charitable purposes, registered nursing homes, properties adapted exclusively for severely incapacitated individuals, and those subject to commercial rates in full. Properties damaged by pyrite or defective concrete blocks benefit from a six-year exemption (new pyrite applicants are no longer accepted after 22 July 2023; the defective-concrete-blocks exemption remains available on production of qualifying documentation).

03LPT valuation bands and base annual charges (2026-2030)

The table below shows Revenue's 19 standard bands and their base annual charges. Actual amounts vary by up to 15 percent depending on the local authority. Properties valued above EUR 2.1 million are charged on declared market value rather than a band.

Source: Revenue Commissioners, LPT valuation bands and rates page (accessed June 2026).

04What stamp duty applies when buying Irish property?

Stamp duty under the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 is a transaction tax paid by the purchaser within 44 days of executing the deed of transfer. Three rate tiers apply to residential property purchases after 2 October 2024:

• 1 percent on the first EUR 1 million of consideration
• 2 percent on the portion between EUR 1 million and EUR 1.5 million
• 6 percent on any consideration above EUR 1.5 million

The 6 percent tier was introduced in Budget 2025 to target higher-value acquisitions; it applies to instruments executed on or after 2 October 2024. Binding contracts signed before that date may avail of transitional relief under Revenue's transitional-arrangements rules.

For non-residential property (offices, retail, industrial, agricultural land) a flat rate of 7.5 percent applies, unchanged since October 2019.

A higher rate of 15 percent applies where a single acquirer purchases ten or more residential properties (excluding apartments) within any 12-month rolling period under Section 31E of the Act. This anti-bulk-purchase measure was increased from 10 percent in Budget 2025 to deter institutional investors from accumulating family-home stock. The 15 percent rate does not apply to approved housing bodies or to purchases of apartment blocks.

Where a new-build home includes VAT, stamp duty is assessed on the base price before VAT is added, not on the VAT-inclusive purchase price. A home costing EUR 454,000 including 13.5 percent VAT carries stamp duty on EUR 400,000 only.

The Residential Development Stamp Duty Refund Scheme (extended to 31 December 2030 in Budget 2026) allows developers who purchased non-residential land and then develop it for housing to claim back a portion of the 7.5 percent non-residential stamp duty. Multi-phase developments may now claim the full refund on commencement of the first phase.

05What are the Vacant Homes Tax and Derelict Sites obligations?

The Vacant Homes Tax (VHT) under Part 22B of the Stamp Duties Consolidation Act 1999 applies to any residential dwelling occupied as such for fewer than 30 days in a 12-month chargeable period running 1 November to 31 October. VHT is in addition to LPT, not a substitute for it.

The current rate for Chargeable Period 4 (1 November 2025 to 31 October 2026) is seven times the base LPT charge for the property. The multiplier has escalated since the tax launched: it was three times LPT in Period 1 (2022-2023) and five times in Period 2 (2023-2024) before reaching seven times from Period 3 onwards. A property in Band 4 with a base LPT of EUR 428 therefore carries a VHT liability of EUR 2,996 for Period 4, before any local adjustment factor.

Exemptions from VHT are available where, among other circumstances, the property is actively on the market for sale, where it is undergoing substantial structural refurbishment with appropriate planning consent, where the owner has died during the chargeable period, or where a court order prohibits occupation.

The existing Derelict Sites Levy under the Derelict Sites Act 1990 charges local authorities 7 percent of market value annually on registered derelict urban sites. Budget 2026 announced that this levy will be replaced by a centrally administered Derelict Property Tax (DPT) collected by Revenue at a rate of at least 7 percent of market value. Preliminary registers will be published in 2027 and the DPT is expected to commence as soon as practicable thereafter; the enabling legislation is being advanced during 2026. Until the DPT commences, the existing levy continues to apply.

The Residential Zoned Land Tax, a separate instrument targeting undeveloped land zoned for housing, runs at 3 percent of market value per annum and is assessed by self-declaration. It is not addressed in detail here; a qualified tax professional can assess whether a particular landholding falls within scope.

06LPT, stamp duty, and VHT at a glance

Ireland's property tax landscape has grown more layered since 2022. For a Band 4 property (EUR 420,001 to EUR 525,000) in a local authority that applies no adjustment, the total recurring annual burden is EUR 428 LPT plus, if vacant, EUR 2,996 VHT -- a strong financial incentive to keep residential property in active use.

For the broader Irish tax position, including Capital Gains Tax on property disposal and income tax on rental profits, consult the Ireland country overview. The rules summarised here are complex and individual circumstances vary. Engaging a qualified tax professional -- such as a Chartered Accountant Ireland member or a CPA Ireland practitioner with property expertise -- is the appropriate next step before making any property purchase, ownership, or compliance decision.