Case study: Calculating your income tax

Case studies on how to calculate your tax in 2012.

These examples show the different factors involved in calculating your tax in 2012.

Tax credits

Joan is single and earns €28,000 a year. She receives her notice of determination of tax credits and standard rate cut-off point from Revenue.

Joan’s tax credits are listed on the notice as:
Single Person Tax Credit = €1,650
Employee (PAYE) Tax Credit = €1,650
Rent Tax Credit = €320
Tax credit total = €3,620.

The standard rate cut-off point for a single person is €32,800. Because Joan’s income is below the cut-off point, all of her income is taxed at the standard rate, (20%), to give her gross tax.
28,000 x 20% = €5,600 gross tax.

All her tax credits are deducted from the gross tax to give the tax that is payable:
€5,600 - €3,620 = €1,980

Joan is also liable to pay the Universal Social Charge (USC): The USC is 2% of gross income up to €193 per week, 4% from €194 to €308, and 7% on any weekly income above €308. Find out more about the Universal Social Charge.

USC = €1,278.80

The total amount deducted from her income is:

€1,980 (income tax) + €1,278.80 (USC) = €3,258.80

You can get the monthly or weekly amount of the tax that should be deducted from wages by dividing this annual figure by 12 or by 52 respectively.

Tax rates and the standard rate cut-off point

A single taxpayer who earns €40,000 a year will have their tax calculated as follows:

The standard rate band for a single taxpayer is €32,800.
This means that the first €32,800 is taxed at the standard rate of tax, 20%, and the remainder (€7,200) is taxed at the higher rate of tax, 41%.
€32,800 x 20% = €6560
€7,200 x 41% = €2,952
Total = €9,512

Tax credits are deducted from this amount to give the tax due. A single PAYE (Pay As You Earn) taxpayer is entitled to
Single Person Tax Credit = €1,650
Employee (PAYE) Tax Credit = €1,650
Total = €3,300

In this example, the taxpayer is not entitled to any other tax credits so the total tax due is:
Gross tax of €9,512
Minus tax credits of €3,300
Tax due = €6,212

The USC on gross income is also payable. The total amount deducted from income in the year is:

€6,212 (income tax) + €2,118.80 (USC) = €8,334.80

Tax allowances

See the section on tax allowances in How your income tax is calculated for a simple explanation of how to calculate the value of a tax allowance.