Ireland Stamp 0 (Financially Independent)

Local tax picture for Stamp 0 holders

Ireland taxes on a worldwide basis once you are Irish tax resident. There is no territorial or remittance‑only regime for ordinary residents. If you spend 183 days or more in Ireland in a calendar year, or meet the standard presence tests across two years, you will normally be Irish tax resident regardless of being on Stamp 0. That means pension income, US/Canadian/Australian Social Security‑type benefits, foreign rental income, and dividends from ETFs in a foreign brokerage are all brought into the Irish tax net while you are resident, and taxed at Ireland’s normal graduated income tax rates plus USC and PRSI where applicable. Local work is not permitted on Stamp 0 under VISA FACTS, so the remote salary category is more about legacy arrangements you should phase out.

For capital gains, Ireland taxes gains on worldwide investments when you are tax resident. Selling index funds, ETFs, or individual stocks in your US or other foreign brokerage will generally trigger Irish capital gains tax once you are resident. The standard Irish CGT rate is not disclosed in VISA FACTS, so the precise percentage can’t be stated here, but FIRE‑style portfolio rebalancing does carry Irish tax costs. Only if you manage your days to remain non‑resident (or under a different specific rule) do those foreign gains fall outside Irish scope.

Tax residency is fundamentally day‑count driven: 183+ days in a year, or a combined 280 days across two years with at least 30 days in each, generally triggers residency, even though these thresholds are not spelled out in VISA FACTS. Stamp 0 permission by itself does not create tax residency on paper, but in practice staying a full 12‑month period without careful day management will do so. Once resident, you are expected to register with Revenue, obtain a PPS number if you do not already have one, and file annual Irish tax returns reporting worldwide income.

Ireland’s tax treaty status with the US is listed as unknown in VISA FACTS, so you cannot assume treaty protection on US Social Security or dividends without checking the current US–Ireland convention text. “Unknown” in this context means you should not rely on reduced withholding rates or tie‑breaker residency rules in your planning until you have confirmed the treaty position in up‑to‑date sources.

For US Citizens and Green Card Holders

US persons on Stamp 0 remain fully subject to US worldwide taxation, regardless of Irish rules. Nothing in Stamp 0 changes your US filing obligations. The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion on Form 2555 (2024 limit $126,500) only applies to earned income from work—salary, remote employment, self‑employment. It does not cover dividends, capital gains, pension withdrawals, or Social Security, which are the core income streams for most people using this $4,350/month passive‑income visa. Because local work is prohibited under VISA FACTS, many Stamp 0 holders have little or no earned income, so FEIE is often irrelevant or modest. If you did previously have remote work, you could qualify under the Physical Presence Test (330 full days abroad in any rolling 12‑month period) once you are actually outside the US that long; the Bona Fide Residence Test requires a more open‑ended commitment to living in Ireland and is harder to meet if you keep US ties strong.

Foreign Tax Credits on Form 1116 become the main US relief mechanism once you are Irish tax resident. You claim credits for Irish income and capital gains tax paid on the same income streams that the US taxes—pensions, dividends, rental income, and ETF gains. Credits only help if your effective Irish rate on a given income type is at or above your US rate; if Irish tax is lower, you will owe the difference to the IRS. If you manage your days to stay non‑resident in Ireland (and thus pay zero Irish tax on foreign‑source income), you cannot claim FTCs and will pay full US tax on your portfolio and pension flows.

FBAR (FinCEN 114) and FATCA Form 8938 are non‑negotiable if you hold money in Ireland. Any year your aggregate foreign financial accounts—Irish bank accounts, brokerage accounts, sometimes even certain pension wrappers—exceed $10,000 at any point, a FinCEN 114 is required; non‑willful penalties now start around $10,000 per violation. Form 8938 has higher thresholds but overlaps conceptually. VISA FACTS do not specify a local bank account requirement, but in practice many Stamp 0 holders open Irish accounts for rent and daily living, so these US reporting rules are triggered early.

The sensible structure is to engage two professionals early: a US CPA who specialises in expat taxation and understands FEIE, Form 1116, FBAR, and FATCA in the context of Irish residency, and an Irish tax adviser who can handle Revenue registration and annual filing. The $1,500–$3,000 you spend in year one on that combination generally pays for itself via optimised elections, correct treaty application where available, and—most crucially—avoided penalties for missing or mis‑filed international forms.