Naming
The Savings and Investment Account (SIA)
SIA, PIA, Irish Investment Account and individual investment account are names for one planned Irish account. The Finance Bill uses the last.
Updated 20 October 2026
One account, several names
If you have read about a Savings and Investment Account, a Personal Investment Account, an Irish Investment Account, an individual investment account or an “Irish ISA”, you have been reading about the same thing: a proposed account that would let Irish residents hold eligible investments with an authorised provider under one simpler tax treatment, planned for 1 July 2027.
The legal name in the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026 is “individual investment account”. Providers may still market it under their own brand names, so expect to see all of these in use.
| Name you may see | Where it comes from |
|---|---|
| Individual investment account | Legal name in section 26 of the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, published 19 October 2026 |
| Irish Investment Account | Minister for Finance Simon Harris, Budget 2027 speech, 6 October 2026 |
| Personal Investment Account (PIA) | Department of Finance material and most media coverage since August 2026 |
| Savings and Investment Account (SIA) | Banking and Payments Federation Ireland proposals, May 2026, and subsequent industry and press coverage |
| Investment Account | Shorthand used in some official summaries and by Zurich |
| Irish ISA | Informal comparison with the UK account. Not an accurate description of the proposal |
Why it is not an ISA
Where the rules stand
The Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, published on 19 October 2026, sets a 1% annual tax on average account value above €50,000 and a €12,000 annual contribution limit with no minimum. The planned launch is 1 July 2027. The Bill is not yet law.
Every individual rule, with its status, source and the date it last changed, is recorded in the rules ledger — currently version 2026.10.8, reviewed 2026-10-20. The full ledger is also published as open JSON at /api/public/pia-rules under CC BY 4.0, so anyone quoting it can check the version they quoted.
Common questions
Is the Savings and Investment Account the same as the Personal Investment Account?
Yes. The SIA, the PIA and the Irish Investment Account are names for the same proposed Irish account. Government material, banking industry submissions and media coverage use them interchangeably. There is one scheme, not several.
What is the Irish Investment Account?
It is the name the Minister for Finance, Simon Harris, used in his Budget 2027 speech on 6 October 2026 for the same account otherwise called the PIA or SIA: €50,000 tax-free threshold, 1% annual tax above it, €12,000 annual contribution limit, planned launch 1 July 2027.
Which name is official?
The Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026 calls it the individual investment account, so that is the legal name once the Bill is passed. The Budget 2027 speech used Irish Investment Account; the Department of Finance roadmap of 31 August 2026 and much media coverage used Personal Investment Account; the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland submission of May 2026 used Savings and Investment Account.
Why do some people call it an Irish ISA?
Because the UK Individual Savings Account is the nearest familiar comparison. The Irish proposal is not an ISA: the UK account is free of tax on gains inside it, while the Irish proposal is an annual charge on account value above a tax-free threshold. Simpler than today's rules, but not tax-free.
When will the SIA be available?
The planned launch is 1 July 2027. The Finance Bill leaves the exact start date to a ministerial order, and providers must register with Revenue first.
What do Budget 2027 and the Finance Bill set out?
A 1% annual tax on account value above €50,000, a €12,000 annual contribution limit with no minimum, and a planned launch on 1 July 2027. These rules are in the Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026, which is not yet law.
Keep reading
Run your own numbers
Compare a Personal Investment Account against a deposit account and a standard fund over 10, 20 or 30 years — with real Irish rates.
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.