Capital Acquisitions Tax in Ireland: Gifts, Inheritances and Revenue Filing

Capital acquisitions tax (CAT) is the Irish tax on gifts and inheritances, and for many people it is the one tax that lands on them without a business or payroll behind it. This guide explains, using Revenue and Citizens Information pages, how CAT works for a gift or inheritance in Ireland: who is liable, what counts as taxable, how the valuation date drives the filing deadline, and how to file a return. It is written for finance, HR and compliance staff, and for advisers in Dublin and elsewhere who field these questions. It is general information, not tax advice, and we leave out threshold amounts because they change. Whether a gift or inheritance falls within Irish CAT can depend on tax residence, so our guide to tax residency in Ireland for individuals is useful background.

What CAT is and who the parties are

Revenue's gift and inheritance tax page (dated 25 August 2026) says "CAT is a tax on gifts and inheritances". Recipients can receive gifts and inheritances up to set values before CAT applies. The page calls the giver the disponer and the receiver the beneficiary. It also says that a gift becomes an inheritance if the giver dies within two years of giving it.

Citizens Information (page dated 7 October 2026) puts liability plainly: if you get a gift or inheritance, you are responsible for paying any CAT that is due. It also says the rate applies only to amounts over the relevant group threshold. Both Revenue and Citizens Information give the current rate as 33%, and Revenue says this rate has been in place since 6 December 2012. Rates and thresholds can change at budget time, so check the Revenue page on the day.

What CAT is charged on

Revenue's "What do you pay CAT on?" page (25 August 2026) lists the kinds of benefit that can be subject to CAT. They include:

• funds in bank, building society, An Post, credit union or other financial institution accounts, and cash;
• a house or land, household contents, paintings, jewellery and cars;
• stocks and shares;
• free use of property and interest-free loans;
• a limited interest or right of residence in a property;
• a benefit appointed out of a discretionary trust;
• an extra share of jointly held property inherited from another joint owner.

The list is not a ruling on whether tax is actually due on any of them. Exemptions, reliefs, credits and thresholds all come into the calculation, and Revenue deals with those on separate pages.

When a gift or inheritance is within Irish CAT

Revenue's IT38 page (21 November 2025) says CAT applies to gifts and inheritances that are taxable in Ireland where any one of three things is true:

• the disponer is resident or ordinarily resident in Ireland for tax purposes;
• the beneficiary is resident or ordinarily resident in Ireland for tax purposes;
• the property is situated in Ireland.

The page adds that exceptions may apply, for example for a person who is foreign domiciled, and for an Irish-resident beneficiary receiving US foreign-situated property from a US-domiciled disponer (inheritance tax only). Citizens Information summarises the same idea: CAT applies to property in Ireland, and to property abroad where the giver or receiver is resident or ordinarily resident in Ireland. Non-resident beneficiaries may also need to file. Revenue says they can file themselves or appoint an Irish-resident agent, such as a solicitor, and that a PPSN may be needed for a deceased person or a person resident abroad.

Group thresholds and aggregation

Revenue's thresholds page (24 June 2025) explains the concept without listing amounts on that page. Each gift or inheritance falls under a relevant group threshold. Your current benefit is added to the taxable value of earlier gifts or inheritances that fall within the same group threshold, received on or after 5 December 1991. The combined total is what is compared with the threshold. Citizens Information confirms that thresholds depend on the relationship between giver and receiver, and that each limit covers the total received in that group since 5 December 1991.

Citizens Information shows that threshold amounts were updated very recently, and the previous amounts were different. That is exactly why we have not repeated figures here. Read the current amounts on the Revenue or Citizens Information page when you do the calculation.

Taxable value and the valuation date

Revenue's valuation date page (2 September 2026) defines the valuation date as the date on which the taxable value of a gift or inheritance is established for CAT purposes. You calculate the taxable value to see whether CAT is due and whether you need to file Form IT38. Taxable value, the page says, is the amount on which you pay CAT after any available group thresholds, reliefs or exemptions are applied. Citizens Information adds that the taxable value is the market value minus allowable deductions, with stamp duty, legal costs and funeral expenses given as examples.

Revenue's "Important dates for CAT" page (24 June 2025) says the date of a gift is normally the date it is received, and the date of an inheritance is usually the date of death. It also says the valuation date determines when the tax is payable and when returns are due.

Deadlines and how to file

Revenue's pay-and-file page (25 August 2026) gives one combined deadline based on the valuation date:

• valuation date between 1 January and 31 August: pay and file by 31 October of that year;
• valuation date between 1 September and 31 December: pay and file by 31 October of the following year.

Citizens Information repeats this and adds that online filers usually get a slightly later deadline. Check the Revenue page for any extension in the year you file.

On who must file, Revenue's IT38 filing obligations page (21 November 2025) says a beneficiary must file where the total taxable value of gifts and inheritances within one group is above 80% of that group's threshold, even if no CAT is payable. It says the 80% test is based on aggregating all benefits in the same group since 5 December 1991. Anyone claiming agricultural relief or business relief must file regardless of the taxable value, and certain interest-free loans may also require a return. Revenue may also ask a disponer to file in some cases.

Revenue's "How do you file?" page (21 November 2025) says you must be registered for CAT to file online, and that you can use myAccount or ROS, which calculate the tax from the information you enter. A simplified form, IT38S, is available online or on paper, but only where you claim no reliefs, exemptions or credits other than the Small Gift Exemption, the benefit has no conditions or restrictions, and the property comes from one person and is not part of a larger benefit. You will need names, addresses and PPSNs for both parties, the relationship between them, details of the benefit, details of earlier gifts or inheritances since 5 December 1991, and all relevant dates. Revenue's pay-and-file page says you can pay online by debit card, credit card or electronic funds transfer, and the IT38 filing page says paper returns are posted with payment to the Collector General.

Late filing

Revenue's page on late filing charges (25 August 2026) says a surcharge applies for late filing: 5% of the tax for late filing of less than two months, and 10% for more than two months, each with a stated maximum. It also describes daily interest on late payments, which varies by valuation period. We have not reproduced the euro caps or daily rates, and you should read them on the day.

Practical steps

A practical approach for anyone preparing a CAT return:

• Establish the date of the gift or the date of death, then work out the valuation date and the 31 October deadline that follows from it.
• Identify the group that applies, and gather the details of every earlier benefit received since 5 December 1991 within that group.
• Decide early whether any relief is being claimed, because agricultural or business relief means a return is required whatever the value.
• Register for CAT in myAccount before the deadline period so that registration does not hold you up.
• Keep valuations, supporting documents and a copy of the filed return together.

Revenue also publishes a Guide to Capital Acquisitions Tax Interventions, linked from its CAT page. Our guide to preparing for a Revenue audit or compliance intervention covers the general principles of being ready if Revenue queries a return. We have not summarised the CAT interventions guide itself.

What this guide does not cover

We have not covered the detail of CAT exemptions and reliefs, credits for tax paid abroad, discretionary trusts, or the valuation rules for limited interests, annuities and free use of property. Revenue has separate pages for each. We have also left out threshold amounts and daily interest rates. Where a family situation spans several jurisdictions, take advice before filing. Teams that handle personal tax queries regularly may find it worth building structured learning into their year. See our overview of finance training courses in Dublin.

Learnsignal's offices are off Baggot Street in Dublin, and we offer in-person training from there. For current details, see our CPD pages.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays capital acquisitions tax, the giver or the receiver?

Citizens Information says the person who receives the gift or inheritance is responsible for paying any CAT due. Revenue calls the giver the disponer and the receiver the beneficiary.

Do I need to file an IT38 if no tax is due?

Possibly. Revenue says you must file if the total taxable value within a group is above 80% of that group's threshold, even with no CAT payable, and you must file if you claim agricultural or business relief.

What is the CAT filing deadline?

Revenue's page ties the deadline to the valuation date. For valuation dates from 1 January to 31 August it is 31 October that year, and for 1 September to 31 December it is 31 October the following year. Check the page for any later online deadline.

Can a gift turn into an inheritance?

Revenue's page says a gift becomes an inheritance if the giver dies within two years of giving it.

Does CAT apply to gifts from abroad?

It can. Revenue says CAT applies where the disponer or beneficiary is resident or ordinarily resident in Ireland, or the property is in Ireland, subject to exceptions. Take advice on cross-border cases.

CAT turns on dates, groups and earlier benefits, so gather those facts first and read the current Revenue pages before you file.