In the Finance Bill, not yet law
PIAs for couples: one account each
There's no joint PIA, whether you're married, in a civil partnership or living together. Each partner opens their own, with their own €50,000 threshold and €12,000 yearly limit.
Updated 21 October 2026
The short answer
- No joint accounts. One PIA per person, in their sole name (s.747L(2)(a), s.747O).
- Two partners means two €50,000 thresholds and up to €24,000 a year in total.
- Keeping both accounts below €50,000, or roughly even, keeps the 1% charge down.
- Being married or not doesn't change the PIA rules. It changes how freely you can give each other money.
How it affects you
Married or civil partners
- Accounts
- One each, sole name
- Threshold
- €50,000 per account
- Yearly limit
- €12,000 each
- Gifts
- Gifts between you are exempt from gift tax, so one partner can fund the other's contributions
- On death
- Inheritance between spouses is exempt
Living together, not married
- Accounts
- One each, sole name
- Threshold
- €50,000 per account
- Yearly limit
- €12,000 each
- Gifts
- €3,000 a year tax-free under the small gift exemption; more counts against the receiver's lifetime threshold
- On death
- No spouse exemption; inheritance tax may apply. Consider a will
Gift and inheritance tax rules come from the Capital Acquisitions Tax rules, not the PIA Bill. Check Revenue for your situation.
Why balance between the two matters
Each row below shows the yearly PIA tax on a couple's total: all of it in one account vs split across two accounts*. 1% of average value above €50,000 per account. Provider fees not included.
Couple's total
€80,000
All in one account
€300tax/yr
Split across two*
€0tax/yr
Couple's total
€120,000
All in one account
€700tax/yr
Split across two*
€200tax/yr
Couple's total
€200,000
All in one account
€1,500tax/yr
Split across two*
€1,000tax/yr
Illustrative. Each person pays into their own account up to €12,000 a year, so how the two balances grow depends on what each contributes. *Split evenly across the two accounts in these examples.
Did you know? Gifting to even things up
Married or civil partners: gifts between you are exempt from gift tax, so a higher earner can fund the other's €12,000. Not married: Revenue's small gift exemption lets anyone receive up to €3,000 a year from each person tax-free; above that, it counts toward the receiver's lifetime threshold.
What if…
Is it different if we're not married?
Not for the PIA itself: married, in a civil partnership or living together, each person gets one account, €50,000 threshold and €12,000 limit. The difference is gift tax. Gifts between spouses and civil partners are exempt; unmarried partners rely on the €3,000-a-year small gift exemption and their own lifetime threshold.
One of us doesn't work. Can they still have a PIA?
The Bill's eligibility rules are residency, age 18+ and a PPS number, not employment. A non-earning partner can open their own account. How money reaches them can raise gift-tax questions, which depend on whether you're married.
Can I move my PIA into my partner's name?
No route for that appears in the Bill. Transfers are PIA to PIA for the same person when changing provider. There's no joint holding or transfer between two people's accounts.
What happens to a PIA if one partner dies?
The Bill lets the account stay in place for a limited period while the estate is settled, under its own rules, before it is closed or paid out. Who inherits, and any inheritance tax, follows the general rules: spouses and civil partners are exempt; unmarried partners are not.
What if one of us moves abroad?
Under s.747M the account stays open but you can't pay in or switch provider until you're Irish resident again. The other partner's account is unaffected.
Frequently asked
Can a married couple open a joint PIA?
No. Under the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, each account is held in one person's sole name (s.747L(2)(a)), and the opening declaration confirms it cannot be held jointly (s.747O). Each partner can open their own.
Does a couple get a €100,000 threshold?
Not as one figure. Each account has its own €50,000 threshold, so two accounts can hold up to €50,000 each before any PIA tax. Money above €50,000 in one account is taxed even if the other is below.
Can a couple pay in €24,000 a year?
Yes, up to €12,000 each into their own account, per calendar year. One partner can't use the other's unused limit.
General information, not advice
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Open the PIA calculatorInformation only, not financial or tax advice. PIA rules are as written in the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, published 19 October 2026, and are not law until the Bill is signed. Figures cited are from the Department of Finance roadmap, Revenue, Skatteverket, GOV.UK and the IRS.