Accountant & Professional Fees — Ireland Tax Rules

Claim accountancy, legal, and other professional advisory fees for your business.

Claimable: Fully claimable · Tax authority: Revenue

Revenue Rules

• Accountancy fees for preparing your Form 11 and business accounts are fully deductible.
• Tax advice relating to your business is claimable.
• Legal fees for business contracts and commercial disputes are deductible.
• Fees for debt recovery on trade debts are claimable.
• Legal fees for acquiring capital assets are generally added to the asset cost, not deducted as expenses.

Limits

No cap — must be incurred wholly and exclusively for business purposes.

Worked Example

Roisín pays €800/year to her accountant for annual returns and €200 for a solicitor to draft a client contract. Total claim: €1,000.

Record Keeping

• Keep invoices from all professional advisors
• Ensure invoices detail the services provided
• Separate business advice from personal financial planning
• Record payments and match to invoices

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim the cost of accounting software?

Yes. Accounting and bookkeeping software subscriptions (e.g. Sage, Xero) are fully deductible as business expenses.

Are pre-trading legal fees deductible?

Costs incurred before you start trading can be deducted if they would have been allowable had the trade already started, and are incurred within 3 years of starting.

Can I claim fees for personal tax advice?

Only the portion relating to your business. If your accountant handles both personal and business matters, ask for a split invoice.

Is the cost of preparing my Form 11 itself deductible?

Yes. Accountancy fees for preparing your annual Form 11, computing your tax liability, and corresponding with Revenue are fully deductible as professional fees on the same return. This is one of the few cases where a cost directly produces its own deduction.