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Here's what Budget 2019 means for someone earning €40,000

This is what your savings will be.

THIS YEAR’S BUDGET contained a number of tax changes that will mean an increase in the take home pay of workers at different levels.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe announced a reduction in one of the USC rates, an increase in the ceiling on the standard rate of income tax and the increase in a number of tax credits.

So, using our Budget Calculator, let’s take a look at what this means for someone earning €30,000.

Private and public sector workers

If you’re single and earning €40,000 you are going to benefit from reductions in your tax obligations on both Income Tax and the Universal Social Charge.

The entry point for the higher rate of Income Tax is being increased from €34,550 to €35,300, so people earning €40,000 are going to pay less tax at the higher rate.

So here’s how your Income Tax payments will play out compared to 2018:

  • Tax paid on the standard rate = €7,060 (+€150)
  • Tax paid on the higher rate = €1,880 (-€300)

This means that workers earning €40,000 will pay Income Tax of €8,940, a saving of €150 on last year.

On Income Tax your annual saving is €150

But PAYE workers also pay taxes in the form of the Universal Social Charge (USC).

The ceiling on the second rate of USC is being increased by €502 to €19,874 and the third rate of the USC is to be reduced from 4.75% to 4.5%.

So here’s how your USC tax payments will play out compared to 2018:

  • 0.5% on the first €12,012 = €60 (-)
  • 2% on up to €19,874 = €157 (+€10)
  • 4.5% on up to €40,000 = €906 (-€74)

This is a total annual USC payment of €1,123, a reduction of €64 on 2018.

On USC your annual saving is: €64

Overall tax saving: €214

Self-employed workers

If you are self-employed and currently earning €40,000, you will benefit from the same savings as above.

However, Donohoe also announced an increase in the Earned Income Credit from €1,150 to €1,350.

This will result in an additional saving for self-employed workers of €200 per year.

Overall saving: €414

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16 Comments
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    Mute Paul
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    Oct 9th 2018, 4:55 PM

    €4 a week. What will I spend it on.

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    Mute Pixie McMullen
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    Oct 9th 2018, 5:18 PM

    @Paul: Diesel

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    Mute Paul Linehan
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    Oct 9th 2018, 5:22 PM

    @Paul: I don’t begrudge those on the short term unemployment benefits, or the state pension recipients. But it’s crazy to think that those that get out of bed and earn a crust, are €1 less off compared to those on long term unemployment benefits!!!..

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    Mute Eileen O'Sullivan
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    Oct 9th 2018, 4:49 PM

    Again Fine Gael playing to their 28%. Get interesting when a chunk of that 28% s kids really can’t start families of their own despite equity release from their parents property. Not too far off now.

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    Mute Annette
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    Oct 9th 2018, 4:42 PM

    It’s something I suppose!!

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Oct 9th 2018, 4:46 PM

    @Annette: Better than a poke in the eye Annette

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    Mute Annette
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    Oct 9th 2018, 4:55 PM

    @Johnny Mason: Depends who and what is doing the poking

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    Mute Sorcha Ní Shúilleabháin
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    Oct 9th 2018, 4:58 PM

    @Annette: What are you gonna spend the €4 per week extra on? Don’t go wild now..show some decorum!

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    Mute Seriously stunned
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    Oct 9th 2018, 4:59 PM

    @Annette: there’s a poking joke in there somewhere but meto and all that ill let it ly.

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    Mute Johnny Mason
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    Oct 9th 2018, 5:31 PM

    @Annette: Behave Annette or things may get x rated

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    Mute Sean Conway
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    Oct 9th 2018, 5:35 PM

    The money would have been far better spent on a social housing projects country wide. instead of this pittance across the board.

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    Mute Susiebee
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    Oct 9th 2018, 5:25 PM

    Surely the self employed bit is not a saving of €200 per say, it’s raising the amount you don’t have to pay tax on. It’s like saying everyone on the higher rate is €750 better off because they raised the band, which is obviously not the case.

    Stand to be corrected if I’m misreading it?

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    Mute Sarah-J. Mc Hugh
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    Oct 10th 2018, 12:14 AM

    @Susiebee: There is a difference between a credit increase and a band increase.

    A band increase raises the amount you pay lower rates of tax on, so yes, in this case a saving of up to 150 less tax (750*(40%-20%)).

    Credits, however, are deducted from tax after it is calculated, so every euro extra credit is a euro less tax to pay.

    They haven’t changed the standard personal/paye tax credits since the early years of the recession, so I suppose we don’t really think or talk much about their effect on pay.

    I think you might looking at them like they are a tax free allowance. Those don’t exist in Ireland these days; it’s now about calculating tax on every cent, and then deducting the credits from the total tax.

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    Mute Patrick Wheeler
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    Oct 9th 2018, 5:49 PM

    in the overall scheme of thing it does not matter a jot

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    Mute Marie McG
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    Oct 9th 2018, 5:57 PM

    The pint in your photo. It’ll cost that in some small country town, certainly not in Temple Bar.

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    Mute Jonathan Yeo
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    Oct 9th 2018, 8:51 PM

    You Hippocrates only 2% of this country are on the brew
    Billions fiddled by white collar crime of the capitalists
    Nothing said about them
    Disgusting right wing government

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