Who qualifies
A self-employed or employed sea fisher who has spent at least 80 days at sea in a registered fishing vessel during the tax year.
How to claim
Claim on Form 11 if self-employed or via myAccount Form 12 if employed by a fishing company. You must keep a sea log signed by the skipper or vessel owner showing dates and ports.
Detailed explanation
The Fishers Tax Credit was introduced to support the Irish sea-fishing industry, which has historically faced low margins and high physical risk. From 2026 it is worth 1,270 euro per year. To qualify, the claimant must be a sea fisher engaged in the catching and processing of fish at sea, must spend at least 80 days at sea on a registered Irish fishing vessel during the tax year, and must not be claiming the Seafarer Allowance for the same period. Days in port for unloading or repair do not count, but days spent steaming to and from fishing grounds do. The credit applies whether the fisher is self-employed or PAYE. Where two crew members are spouses, each can claim the credit individually. The 80-day test is strict; falling short by even one day disallows the entire credit. Revenue accepts log books, AIS data extracts from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and signed letters from owners or skippers as evidence. The credit can be claimed alongside the Earned Income Credit or PAYE credit. It does not extend to inland or recreational fishing. The credit is reviewed periodically; in Budget 2026 it was retained in line with the Programme for Government commitment to coastal communities.
Worked example
Brendan is a self-employed inshore fisher in Donegal with 35,000 euro of net catch profit and 110 days at sea. Tax: 20 percent on 35,000 = 7,000. Less Personal Credit 2,000, Earned Income Credit 2,000, Fishers Credit 1,270 leaves 1,730 euro income tax, saving him 1,270 euro compared with a non-qualifying year.