Head-to-head · tax residents 2026
United Kingdom or Ireland: which should you move to?
Two of Europe's top relocation targets, both with newcomer regimes. Here is how they compare on the taxes that move the needle.
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| Factor |  United Kingdom ↗ |  Ireland ↗ |
|---|---|---|
| Top personal income tax | 45% | 40% |
| Corporate tax | 25%* | 12.5%* |
| Capital gains tax | Taxed | Taxed |
| Dividend tax | 39.4% | 40% |
| VAT / sales tax | 20% | 23% |
| Wealth tax | No | No |
| Inheritance tax | Yes | Yes |
| Foreign income | Temporary exemption | Worldwide |
| Headline expat regime | FIG 4-year foreign income exemption | SARP |
| Cost of living (vs your country) | 89 | 85 |
| Population | 69,487,000 | 5,484,367 |
| Area | 244,820 km² | 70,280 km² |
| Population density | 284/km² | 78/km² |
| Airports (large + medium) | 88 | 10 |
| Annual tourists | 38,229,570 | 10,951,000 |
| Flight time from your country | · | · |
| Direct flight likely? | · | · |
| Life expectancy | 81.5 yrs | 82.6 yrs |
| Safety (homicides/100k) | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Happiness (0-10) | 7.16 | 7.09 |
| Corruption index (higher = cleaner) | 77/100 | 72/100 |
| Double-tax treaties (approx) | ~130 | ~74 |
| Internet speed (median fixed) | 172 Mbps | 221 Mbps |
| Healthcare spend / person | $5,860 | $7,395 |
| Air quality (PM2.5, lower=better) | 9.46 | 7.51 |
| Time zone (approx) | UTC | UTC |
| Digital nomad visa | · | · |
| Official languages | 1 (English) | 2 (English, Irish) |
Green = more favourable. Cost of living shown as a percentage of your home country (under 100% = cheaper than home). Tax data: compiled by us, being re-verified; cost of living: World Bank PPP; area & population: GeoNames; life expectancy & homicide rate: World Bank.
* United Kingdom: Main rate 25% (profits >£250k); 19% small-profits rate up to £50k with marginal relief between. Scotland/Wales do not vary corp tax. · Ireland: 12.5% on trading income, 25% on passive/non-trading income. 15% top-up (Pillar Two) for groups with turnover >=€750m.
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