Forex Trading Tax in Ireland 2026 — Complete Guide

Forex Tax Treatment in Ireland

Forex profits are subject to Capital Gains Tax (CGT) at 33%. Losses can be offset against gains in the same year or carried forward indefinitely. The first EUR 1,270 of annual gains is exempt. CGT must be reported and paid in two installments (preliminary and balance).

Forex and CFD trading profits are normally treated as capital gains and assessed under CGT. If trading is deemed a trade rather than investment, profits become Case I income tax at progressive rates plus PRSI and USC.

Tax Rates Table — Ireland EUR

Applicable rates as of April 2026.

What Counts as Taxable?

Most Ireland residents need to declare the following types of trading income:

• Realised forex/CFD capital gains. Profits from closing positions during the tax year.
• Dividend-equivalent payments. Cash adjustments paid by your broker on long share-CFD positions when the underlying issues a dividend.
• Carry / swap interest received. Positive overnight financing credited to long carry-trade positions is normally taxable as financial income.
• Cashback, rebates and bonuses. Cash incentives paid by the broker may be reportable as miscellaneous or financial income.
• Crypto CFD profits. Profits from cryptocurrency CFDs are taxed under the same rules as other CFDs (this is different from spot crypto, which usually has its own treatment).
• Foreign exchange differences. Gains or losses from holding foreign-currency balances may need to be reported separately when converted back to your home currency.

Professional vs Retail Trader — Tax Implications

Revenue uses 'badges of trade' to decide whether activity is a 'trade'. If yes, profits move from CGT (33%) to Case I income tax at marginal rates up to 52% (income tax + USC + PRSI).

How to Declare Forex Income in Ireland

1. 1

   Download your annual statement from each broker (and convert all amounts to EUR using year-end FX rates if your account is in another currency).

2. 2

   Calculate net realised profit or loss for the tax year — buy/sell pairs only (unrealised positions are usually excluded, except for mark-to-market regimes).

3. 3

   Add carry/swap interest, dividend-equivalent payments, and any cashback or rebates.

4. 4

   Open Form 11 (self-assessment) or Form CG1 on the Revenue Commissioners portal.

5. 5

   Enter the totals in the capital-gains / investment-income section and indicate the source country of each broker.

6. 6

   Pay any balance owed by the deadline (31 October of the following year (paper); mid-November for ROS online) and keep the receipt and broker statements with your records.

Loss Offset Rules

Record Keeping Requirements

Keep contract notes, broker statements, and a record of disposal proceeds and acquisition costs (in EUR) for at least 6 years.

• Annual broker statements (PDF and machine-readable formats)
• Trade-by-trade ledger with timestamps, instrument, and P&L
• Year-end account valuation (mandatory for wealth-tax regimes)
• Proof of any foreign tax already paid, to claim against home liability under double-tax treaties
• FX-conversion rates used to translate amounts into EUR

Tax Reporting Deadlines

Recommended Accountants & Software

File via Revenue's ROS (Revenue Online Service). For complex multi-broker years, an Irish accountant familiar with CGT and Case I trade-of-dealing assessments is recommended.

We do not endorse any single product. For active traders we generally recommend a local advisor who has direct experience with CFD/derivative reporting and any cross-border passporting that applies to your broker.

Frequently Asked Questions

Popular brokers used by Ireland traders