Most people assume that anything beyond a straightforward tax return means hiring an accountant. It’s an understandable assumption when the Form 11 looks complex, ROS is confusing, and tax feels like expert territory.

But the assumption isn’t accurate. FastTax.ie is a comprehensive tax preparation and calculation platform built to handle the full scope of Form 11 returns. We handle the same types of returns traditionally handled by accountants at a fraction of the cost.

This article gives a breakdown of what FastTax.ie let’s you manage for yourself, what a traditional accountant brings to the table, and how to decide which is right for you.

FastTax.ie is a full tax preparation platform backed by 80+ years of Irish tax expertise, designed to handle complex, multi- income source returns for individuals across every category of Form 11 filer. And it does all that with a simple-to-follow guided completion tool which walks you through each step of the way.

Our platform handles:

• PAYE workers with additional income (rental, freelance, investments, foreign income)

• Self-employed individuals and sole traders

• Company directors and proprietary directors

• Landlords with single or multiple rental properties

• Cases involving Capital Gains Tax (CGT): property sales, share disposals, asset transfers

• Foreign income: income earned abroad, foreign pensions, overseas investments

• Non-resident cases and split-year residency

• Share options and employee share schemes (ESPP, RSUs, SAYE)

• Online investment income: ETFs, dividends, Raisin/Trade Republic savings interest

• Prior year returns: catching up on missed filings across multiple years

• Complex multi-source returns combining several of the above

If it belongs on a Form 11, FastTax.ie can handle it. Our platform calculates your liability accurately across all income types, applies the correct reliefs and credits, and produces a completed return ready for filing.

Below is an assessment of the most common scenarios people bring to accountants and whether FastTax.ie covers them.

One reason people choose accountants isn’t always the complexity of their return, it’s the confidence of having a professional check their work. FastTax.ie offers exactly that, at a level you choose:

• Plan 1 Core (€145): Full guided completion of your Form 11 via our platform. You complete it, you file it via ROS. Best for filers confident in their numbers.

• Plan 2 Plus (€240): Everything in Plan 1, plus a review by our tax experts before you file. We check for errors, missed deductions, and anything that doesn’t look right. Most popular plan: the closest equivalent to having an accountant review your return, at a fraction of the price.

• Plan 3 Premium (€390): Full service. You complete your information and we check it, as per Plan 2. We file directly with Revenue on your behalf. You don’t touch ROS at all.

No accountant offers our unique 100% tax guarantee to give customers peace of mind. (Ts&Cs apply)

We believe in being straight with people. There are situations where a traditional accountant or tax adviser is genuinely the right choice:

• Revenue audit or compliance intervention: If Revenue has opened an audit or formal enquiry into your tax affairs, you need a qualified tax agent to represent you. FastTax.ie can arrange this with our tax experts for a separate fee.
• Complex business structuring or tax planning: If you’re considering restructuring a business, transferring assets between entities, or need strategic advice on how to minimise your tax position going forward, that’s a planning consultation and not a return. We offer one-off tax consultations with our tax experts as well as a more detailed tax planning review service for which separate fees apply.

Outside of those two scenarios, the vast majority of Form 11 filers, including those with complex returns, are well served by FastTax.ie at a significantly lower cost.

Habit, mainly. The Form 11 has a reputation for being impenetrable, and in the past the only alternative to ROS was a traditional accountant. FastTax.ie changes that. Our platform was built by tax professionals who know exactly where people get stuck and is engineered to remove every one of those friction points.

Nine out of ten FastTax.ie customers say they’d recommend us to a friend. Many of them tell us they were previously using an accountant and didn’t realise they had a better option. See more reviews on our TrustPilot page.

If you’ve been using an accountant for your Form 11 and wondering whether you could do it faster and cheaper without sacrificing quality, the answer is yes.

Browse our plans, try our tax calculators, or book a free callback if you’d like to chat first.