Ireland excludes crypto from new tax-advantaged investment accounts

Ireland’s Department of Finance has unveiled plans for a new tax-advantaged investment account to encourage more retail investing, but crypto will be excluded from the preferential structure alongside derivatives, underscoring regulators’ ongoing cautious approach to digital assets. 

In a roadmap published Monday, the department said the accounts will allow investments in stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds and other investment funds. Crypto assets and derivatives will be excluded, with the government classifying them as “highly complex and risky” products.

Key features and exclusions of the new investment account. Source: Department of Finance

According to the roadmap, the accounts will be available to Irish residents next year, although no specific launch date has been set. The tax rate and tax-free threshold will be announced in Ireland’s Budget 2027.

The exclusion leaves digital assets outside a new framework intended to make investing easier and more tax-efficient for Irish residents. It also comes as Ireland takes a more active approach to crypto oversight, including proposed reforms to strengthen Anti-Money Laundering requirements for the sector.

Related: UK authorities continue probe into Nigel Farage’s crypto ‘gifts’ after by-election win