Section 15 Rate of charge

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(1) Subject to subsection (2), income tax shall be charged for each year of assessment at the rate of tax specified in the Table to this section as the standard rate.

What is the rate of income tax?

(1) Income tax is charged for every tax year at the standard rate (20% for the tax year 2010).

(2) Where a person who is charged to income tax for any year of assessment is an individual (other than an individual acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity), such individual shall, notwithstanding anything in the Income Tax Acts but subject to section 16(2), be charged to tax on such individual's taxable income-

(a) in a case in which such individual is assessed to tax otherwise than in accordance with section 1017 and is not an individual referred to in paragraph (b), at the rates specified in Part 1 of the Table to this section, or

(b) in a case in which the individual is assessed to tax otherwise than in accordance with section 1017 and is entitled to a reduction of tax provided for in section 462, at the rates specified in Part 2 of the Table to this section, or

(c) subject to subsections (3) and (5), in a case in which such individual is assessed to tax in accordance with section 1017, at the rates specified in Part 3 of the Table to this section,

and the rates in each Part of that Table shall be known respectively by the description specified in column (3) in each such Part opposite the mention of the rate or rates, as the case may be, in column (2) of that Part.

Amendments

Subs (2) substituted by Finance Act 2000 section 3(a) for 2000-01 and later tax years.

When is my income liable to the higher rate of income tax?

(2) If you are individual (other than a trustee or personal representative of a deceased person), you are liable to income tax at the higher rate (41% for the tax year 2010) on the part of your taxable income which exceeds the standard rate band (see...

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(3) Subject to subsections (4) and (5)-

(a) where an individual is charged to tax for a year of assessment in accordance with section 1017, and

(b) both the individual and his or her spouse are each in receipt of income in respect of which the individual is chargeable to tax in accordance with that section,

the part of his or her taxable income chargeable to tax at the standard rate specified in column (1) of Part 3 of the Table to this section shall be increased by an amount which is the lesser of-

(i) [€27,400]¹, and

(ii) the specified income of the individual or the specified income of the individual's spouse, whichever is the lesser.

Amendments

Subs (3) was originally added by Finance Act 2000 section 3(a) for 2000-01 and later tax years.

1 Substituted by Finance (No. 2) Act 2008 section 4(a) for 2009 and later tax years.

What is the standard rate band for a married couple?

(3) If you are jointly assessed (section 1017) married couple and you both have income in your own right, you may increase your standard rate band (€45,400 for the tax year 2009), by the lower of:...

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(4) For the purposes of subsection (3) "specified income" means total income after deducting from such income any deduction attributable to a specific source of income and any relevant interest within the meaning of Chapter 4 of Part 8.

Amendments

Subs (4) substituted by Finance Act 2001 section 3(a) for 2001 and later tax years. Originally added by Finance Act 2000 section 3(a) for 2000-01 and later tax years.

What is the "specified income" of a married couple?

(4) In (3), the net income (specified income) of either the husband or the wife means income after deductions attributable to a particular source of income.

(5) Where all or any part of an increase under subsection (3) in the amount of an individual's taxable income chargeable to income tax at the standard rate is attributable to emoluments from which tax is deductible in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 4 of Part 42 and any regulations made thereunder, then, the full amount of the increase, or that part of the increase, as may be appropriate in the circumstances, shall only be used in accordance with the provisions of that Chapter and those regulations in calculating the amount of tax to be deducted from those emoluments.

[TABLE

PART 1

Part of taxable income (1)	Rate of tax (2)	Description of rate (3)
The first €36,400	20 per cent	the standard rate
The remainder	41 per cent	the higher rate

PART 2

The first €40,400	20 per cent	the standard rate
The remainder	41 per cent	the higher rate

PART 3

The first €45,400	20 per cent	the standard rate
The remainder	41 per cent	the higher rate

]¹

Amendments

Subs (5) added by Finance Act 2000 section 3(a) for 2000-01 and later tax years.

1 Table substituted by Finance (No. 2) Act 2008 section 4(b) for 2009 and later tax years.

What is the standard rate band for a single person, a single parent, or a jointly assessed couple?

(5) For the tax year 2010, income of individuals and married couples is taxed as follows:...

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