Yes. If you’re self-employed, you may qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit – worth up to €2,000 in 2025. FastTax.ie makes it easy to apply your tax credits.
This credit is for:
- Sole traders and freelancers
- Proprietary directors
- Anyone earning income from a trade or profession (not passive income like rent or dividends)
You can’t claim both the Earned Income Credit and the PAYE Credit in full – the maximum between them is €2,000.
Other useful tax reliefs include:
- Claiming business expenses (rent, phone bills, software, etc.)
- Pension contributions, which reduce your taxable income
- Start-Up Refunds for Entrepreneurs (SURE) if you’re leaving PAYE work to start a business. If you were an employee, an unemployed person or a person recently made redundant, provided that your main income in recent years was PAYE, you may qualify for a refund in income tax to help start a new company.
The Earned Income Credit is usually applied automatically when you file your tax return.

