Take-Home Sandbox (Ireland)
Up to 3 side-by-side scenarios. PAYE, USC, PRSI Class A1, pension AVC, cycle to work salary sacrifice, marital status options.
Region: Ireland (en-IE). Currency: EUR. Rules: Revenue 2026.
Your gross pay before any deductions.
Percentage of gross salary contributed to your pension.
Affects pension contribution age-related limits.
A what-if machine for your net pay
Laura has an offer: €58,000 in Galway against her current €63,000 in Dublin, with a better pension match thrown in. The question that matters — what lands in the bank each month under each option — is exactly what the Take-Home Sandbox computes. Set a gross salary, marital status, pension percentage, age and pay period, run it, then change one variable and run it again. Comparing scenarios side by side turns arguments about offers, raises and pension rates into a simple table of monthly nets.
The full 2026 deduction stack, applied properly
Each scenario decomposes your gross into the four lines that appear on a real Irish payslip:
- PAYE at 20% up to your cut-off point and 40% beyond it, less the €2,000 personal and €2,000 Employee credits that most single employees hold in 2026.
- USC stepped through 0.5% to €12,012, 2% to €28,700, 3% to €70,044 and 8% above — and zero if your total income is €13,000 or less.
- PRSI at the employee Class A rate, blending 4.2% and the 4.35% rate that takes effect on 1 October 2026.
- Pension at your chosen percentage, with income tax relief at your marginal rate reflected in the net figure.
Results show annual, monthly and weekly nets plus your effective tax rate, so a “€5,000 raise” can be seen for what it is after deductions.
Three comparisons worth running
Offer versus current role, with pension match differences included. Zero versus five versus ten percent pension, to price your future in current-month euro. And single versus married one-income assessment if you have recently married — couples can ask Revenue to reallocate bands and credits, and the sandbox shows what the reallocation is worth before you request it in myAccount.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the sandbox net differ slightly from my actual payslip?
The sandbox assumes standard credits and a standard cut-off point for the status you pick. Your real Revenue Payroll Notification may allocate credits differently — split across jobs, reduced for benefits-in-kind or prior underpayments, or increased by reliefs such as flat-rate expenses. A persistent gap between sandbox and payslip is itself useful information: it means your RPN is doing something worth understanding.
What difference does marital status make in euro terms?
It moves your standard rate cut-off point. In 2026 a single person pays 40% above €44,000, a married couple with one income above €53,000, and a two-income couple can shelter up to €88,000 at 20% between them. For a one-income couple on €60,000, the €9,000 of extra 20% band versus a single earner is worth up to €1,800 a year.
How does the pension percentage change my net pay?
Pension contributions get income tax relief at your marginal rate but no relief from USC or PRSI. If you earn above the cut-off point, a contribution of €100 only costs you about €60 in take-home; at the 20% rate it costs about €80. Slide the pension percentage between scenarios to watch the trade between this month’s net and your retirement fund.
Does the sandbox handle the 2026 PRSI change?
Yes. Employee Class A PRSI is 4.2% until 30 September 2026 and rises to 4.35% on 1 October 2026, so annual figures use a blend of nine months at the lower rate and three at the higher. That is also why your own payslips will show a small PRSI step-up from October.
Compare the model with reality
Once you know what your net pay should be, hold your actual payslip up against it. The Irish payslip checker reads the real document and flags any line that disagrees with the rules.
Check my actual payslip