Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT) thresholds, rates and aggregation rules

Historical CAT groups, group thresholds and rates

Note

Inheritances taken on or after 30 January 1985 by a spouse are exempt from Capital Acquisitions Tax (CAT).

Gifts received on or after 31 January 1990 by a spouse are exempt from CAT.

Civil partners were introduced to these exemptions in 2011, following the Civil Partnership Act.

Historical CAT groups, group thresholds and rates after 26 March 1984

Group A

Group A threshold applies to the:

• child of the disponer
• minor child of a deceased child of the disponer (a gift or inheritance from a grandparent to a grandchild, where the parent - being the grandparent’s child - has died)
• parent of the disponer, where the interest taken is an absolute interest (not a limited interest) and the inheritance is taken on the death of the disponer (the beneficiary’s child)
• spouse for:
  • inheritances taken before 30 January 1985
  • gifts given before 31 January 1990.

Group B

Group B threshold applies to the:

• parent of the disponer in respect of a gift or a limited Interest
• brother or sister of the disponer
• child of a brother or sister of the disponer
• grandparent (lineal ancestor) of the disponer
• grandchild (lineal descendant) of the disponer (other than a minor child of a deceased child).

Group C

Group C threshold applies to a person with a relationship to the disponer which is not already covered in Groups A or B.

Note

Gift Tax is charged at 75% of the below rates.

For example, if you calculated the tax using the below rates as €20,000, the Gift Tax on a benefit is €15,000 (€20,000 x 75%).

Historical CAT tables and rates on or before 26 March 1984

Table 1

Table 1 threshold applies to the:

• spouse of the disponer
• child of the disponer
• minor child of a deceased child of the disponer (a gift or inheritance from grandparent to grandchild, where the parent - being the grandparent’s child - has died}
• parent of the disponer, on an inheritance taken on or after 2 June 1982 and where:
  • the interest taken is an absolute interest (not a limited interest)
  • and
  • the inheritance is taken on the death of the disponer (the beneficiary’s child).

Table 2

Table 2 applies to the:

• parent of the disponer, on an inheritance taken prior to 2 June 1982 and where:
  • the interest taken is an absolute interest (not a limited interest)
  • and
  • the inheritance is taken on the death of the disponer (the beneficiary’s child)
• parent of the disponer in respect of a gift or a limited Interest
• grandparent or great-grandparent of the disponer (relationship in Table 1 is not included)
• grandchild or great-grandchild of the disponer
• lineal ancestor or lineal descendant of the disponer.

Table 3

Table 3 applies to the:

• brother, or sister of the disponer
• child of a brother or sister of the disponer.

Table 4

Table 4 threshold applies to a person with a relationship to the disponer not already covered in Tables 1, 2 or 3.