Corporation tax up 4.7% in first half of year to €13.7bn

Ireland's Exchequer figures for the first half of 2026 reveal a notable increase in overall tax revenue, reaching €50 billion. This marks a marginal 1.2% rise compared to the same period last year, bolstered by strong performance in income and corporation tax.

Corporation tax receipts were particularly strong, climbing by 4.7% to €13.7 billion for the January-June period. This contributed significantly to an Exchequer surplus of €700 million for the first half of the year. June alone saw €7.5 billion collected in corporation tax.

Income tax also demonstrated robust growth, with receipts totaling €18.6 billion between January and June, a 6.7% increase over the first six months of 2025. Excluding a one-off "Apple tax windfall," total tax receipts were up by 4.8%, amounting to €2.3 billion higher than the previous year.

Conversely, capital tax income experienced a year-on-year decline. Stamp Duty receipts fell by €31 million to €819 million, while Capital Gains Tax receipts decreased by €60 million to €409 million. Capital Acquisitions Tax also saw a reduction, down by €107 million to €161 million.

Total government expenditure for the first half of the year amounted to €61.4 billion. Gross voted expenditure reached €54.4 billion, representing a 6.9% increase compared to the same period in 2025, though it remained 1% below forecast.