Tool

Emergency tax diagnostic

Three questions to find out why you’re being overtaxed — and how to fix it.

Question 1 of 3

Does your most recent payslip show "Week 1" or "Emergency" next to your tax basis?

How to check: Look at the "Tax basis" or "Basis" field on your payslip. It should say "Cumulative". If it says "Week 1" or "Emergency Basis", you are on emergency tax.

What is emergency tax? When your employer cannot verify your tax credits with Revenue, they are legally required to apply emergency tax. For the first four weeks, this means 20% on all income (no credits). From week 5 onwards, the 40% rate applies to all income. Emergency tax is always fully refundable once the correct RPN is received — no money is lost permanently, but the cash flow impact can be significant.

Read the lesson: Your payslip, line by line →