IE · EuropeGB · Europe

Ireland vs United Kingdom: tax rates compared

Between the two, Ireland's income tax rate (48%) tops United Kingdom's (45%) by 3pp. The 200-country average is 28%: both sit above it.

Verified data covers six of the six tracked tax types for both countries; every rate below is cited to its source and dated.

At a glance

0102030405060Income45%48%Corporate12.5%25%VAT20%23%Capital Gains24%33%Crypto24%33%Wealth Tax0%
six shared taxes, side by side
Tax IE GBDifference
Income Tax48%45%IE +3 pp
Corporate Tax12.5%25%GB +12.5 pplargest gap
VAT23%20%IE +3 pp
Capital Gains Tax33%24%IE +9 pp
Crypto Tax33%24%IE +9 pp
Wealth Tax0%0%match

Income Tax

Income Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
Ireland48%Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01
United Kingdom45%Source: OECD Tax Database — Top statutory personal income tax rates · as of 2025-01-01
Difference+3 ppIreland higher

Corporate Tax

Corporate Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
Ireland12.5%Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01
United Kingdom25%Source: Tax Foundation — Worldwide Corporate Tax Rates · as of 2025-01-01
Difference−12.5 ppUnited Kingdom higher

Between the two, United Kingdom's corporate tax rate (25%) tops Ireland's (12.5%) by 12.5pp. The 201-country average is 22.6%: Ireland sits below it, United Kingdom sits above it.

VAT

VAT, side by side
CountryRateSource
Ireland23%Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Ireland (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2026-03-06
United Kingdom20%Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Kingdom (Corporate, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-24
Difference+3 ppIreland higher

Between the two, Ireland's VAT rate (23%) tops United Kingdom's (20%) by 3pp. The 181-country average is 15%: both sit above it. Ireland's figure is dated 2026-03-06 and United Kingdom's 2025-12-24, so the two rates come from different data vintages.

Capital Gains Tax

Capital Gains Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
Ireland33%Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Ireland (Individual, Income determination) · as of 2026-03-06
United Kingdom24%Source: GOV.UK (HMRC) — Capital Gains Tax: rates · as of 2024-10-30
Difference+9 ppIreland higher

Between the two, Ireland's capital gains tax rate (33%) tops United Kingdom's (24%) by 9pp. The 175-country average is 10.3%: both sit above it. Ireland's figure is dated 2026-03-06 and United Kingdom's 2024-10-30, so the two rates come from different data vintages.

Crypto Tax

Crypto Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
Ireland33%Source: Irish Revenue — Tax and Duty Manual Part 02-01-03: Taxation of Crypto-Asset Transactions · as of 2026-01-01
United Kingdom24%Source: GOV.UK (HMRC) — Check if you need to pay tax when you sell cryptoassets · as of 2025-05-29
Difference+9 ppIreland higher

Between the two, Ireland's crypto tax rate (33%) tops United Kingdom's (24%) by 9pp. The 88-country average is 13%: both sit above it. Ireland's figure is dated 2026-01-01 and United Kingdom's 2025-05-29, so the two rates come from different data vintages.

Wealth Tax

Wealth Tax, side by side
CountryRateSource
Ireland0%Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — Ireland (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2026-03-06
United Kingdom0%Source: PWC Worldwide Tax Summaries — United Kingdom (Individual, Other taxes) · as of 2025-12-24
Difference0 ppdisplayed rates match

There's no gap here — Ireland and United Kingdom both post a wealth tax rate of 0%. The 193-country average is 0.1%: both sit below it. Ireland's figure is dated 2026-03-06 and United Kingdom's 2025-12-24, so the two rates come from different data vintages.