Who We Help · Self-Employed & Sole Traders
Financial Advice for the Self-Employed & Sole Traders in Ireland
No employer pension, irregular income and no payroll doing it for you — the financial planning you skip is the planning that costs you most. We help self-employed people in Ireland build tax-efficient pensions, invest surplus profit for growth, protect their income, and plan the financial side of their business with clarity.
Last reviewed by Debbie Cheevers, QFA, RPA · 30 June 2026
Who this is for
If you earn your income outside the PAYE safety net, you carry decisions an employer would normally make for you. We work with:
Designers, consultants, tradespeople and creatives with no occupational scheme and income that rises and falls month to month.
Solicitors, doctors, dentists, architects and other practitioners who want their profits working as hard as they do.
People who’ve just gone out on their own and want to put the right pension, investment and protection foundations in place early.
Pensions for the self-employed: your most powerful tax break
As a self-employed person you don’t have an employer paying into a scheme for you, but you do have one of the most generous tax reliefs in the Irish system. Personal pension and PRSA contributions attract income tax relief at your marginal rate — so for a higher-rate taxpayer, a €1,000 contribution can cost as little as €600 after relief.
The amount you can contribute and claim relief on rises with age, as an age-related percentage of your net relevant earnings (capped at an earnings limit of €115,000):
| Your age | Max % of earnings for relief |
|---|---|
| Under 30 | 15% |
| 30 – 39 | 20% |
| 40 – 49 | 25% |
| 50 – 54 | 30% |
| 55 – 59 | 35% |
| 60 and over | 40% |
That means an irregular income isn’t a barrier — you can make a single lump-sum contribution in a strong year (including before the tax-return deadline to offset the prior year) rather than committing to a fixed monthly amount. Inside the pension your money grows free of income tax, DIRT and capital gains tax, and at retirement you can normally take a tax-free lump sum.
Personal pension or PRSA — which suits you?
Most self-employed people fund retirement through either a personal pension or a Personal Retirement Savings Account (PRSA). Both give the same headline tax relief, but they differ in flexibility, charges and how contributions are treated.
A long-standing, straightforward contract for individuals with relevant earnings. Often competitive on charges with a wide fund range.
Highly portable and flexible — easy to stop, start and vary contributions, which suits income that moves up and down.
As a whole-of-market firm we compare providers and contract types and recommend the structure that fits your earnings, goals and timeline.
Investing as a self-employed person: growing money beyond your pension
A pension is the most tax-efficient home for long-term money, but there are limits to how much you can put in each year — and you can’t access it until retirement. That’s where investing comes in. Once your pension is on track, surplus profit sitting in a low-interest bank account is quietly losing value to inflation.
Investing that surplus gives your money the opportunity to grow. It doesn’t carry the up-front income tax relief of a pension, and returns are subject to tax, but it offers something a pension can’t: access. You can build a pot you can actually reach before retirement — for reinvesting in the business, smoothing the lean months, funding a goal, or simply keeping your wealth ahead of inflation.
Put a strong year’s surplus to work in a diversified portfolio matched to your risk appetite and time horizon.
Drip-feed a set amount each month to build wealth steadily and smooth out market ups and downs over time.
Unlike a pension, investments can be accessed when you need them — useful when your income is uneven.
For most self-employed clients the right answer is a blend: maximise pension relief first for the tax efficiency, then invest the rest for flexibility and growth. We help you strike that balance.
Protecting your income when you are the business
When you’re self-employed there’s no employer sick pay and no colleague to cover you. If illness or injury stops you working, the income stops too. Protection turns that risk into a manageable monthly cost.
Replaces a portion of your earnings if you can’t work due to illness or injury — the cornerstone cover for anyone self-employed. Premiums generally qualify for tax relief.
Clears debts and provides for your family or business partners if the worst happens, so your dependants aren’t left exposed.
Pays a tax-free lump sum on diagnosis of a specified serious illness, giving you breathing room to recover without financial pressure.
Business financial planning support
Running your own business throws up money questions that go beyond pensions and investments — how to structure things tax-efficiently, when to extract profit, how to plan cash flow across uneven months, and how the financial side of your business connects to your personal goals.
While general business financial planning isn’t a regulated financial product or service, it’s an area we have real experience in and are insured to carry out. We can sit down with you, look at the financial picture of your business alongside your personal plan, and help you make joined-up decisions — then bring in your accountant or solicitor where specialist input is needed. It’s practical, plain-English support from people who advise self-employed clients every day.
Deciding how and when to take money out of the business in the most tax-efficient way.
Smoothing income across uneven months so tax bills and quiet periods never catch you out.
Your business finances and personal goals in one plan — with your accountant or solicitor brought in where needed.
Understanding how your taxes work
When you’re self-employed, tax is on you — nobody deducts it at source. That’s daunting at first, but it also means more control and more room to plan. Here are the four that matter most, for the 2026 tax year.
Income tax at 20% or 40%, plus USC and PRSI — all worked out yourself through a Form 11 self-assessment.
File and pay by 31 October — or 18 November on ROS — including preliminary tax for the year ahead.
You must register once turnover passes €42,500 (services) or €85,000 (goods) in any 12 months.
Pension contributions cut your bill — relief at your marginal rate, up to 40% of earnings by age.
These rates and thresholds apply to the 2026 tax year and are general information, not personal tax advice — your own position may differ. We’ll help you plan around them and work alongside your accountant.
How we work with you
A relaxed, no-obligation conversation about your business, your income pattern and what you want your money to do.
We review your earnings, existing pensions, tax position and goals to find the gaps and the opportunities.
A clear, whole-of-market plan covering pension, investment, protection and business-planning priorities.
We revisit your plan as your income, business and goals change — so it keeps working through every stage.
Frequently asked questions
How much can I put into a pension if I’m self-employed?
You can claim tax relief on an age-related percentage of your net relevant earnings — from 15% under age 30 rising to 40% at age 60 and over — subject to an earnings cap of €115,000. You can contribute more than that, but only the age-related amount attracts relief.
My income is irregular — do I have to commit to monthly payments?
No. A PRSA or personal pension lets you make single lump-sum contributions, so you can pay more in a strong year and skip a lean one. You can even contribute before your tax-return deadline to offset the previous year’s income.
Should I invest as well as pay into a pension?
For most self-employed people the ideal approach is to maximise pension tax relief first, then invest surplus profit. Investing doesn’t carry the up-front relief, but it gives you growth potential and access to your money before retirement — valuable when income is uneven.
Do you offer income protection for the self-employed?
Yes. Income protection is one of the most important covers for self-employed people, as there’s no employer sick pay. Premiums generally qualify for income tax relief, and we compare the whole market to find suitable cover.
Can you help with the financial side of my business?
Yes. While general business financial planning isn’t a regulated product, we have experience in it and are insured to carry it out. We help you join up your business finances with your personal plan and bring in your accountant or solicitor where needed.
Let’s build your plan
Book a free, no-obligation consultation and we’ll show you how to make your income, your pension and your business work harder — tax-efficiently.