EIIS Investments Opportunities
A list of opportunities to invest directly in companies offering EIIS tax relief is available here.
What are EIIS Investments?
EIIS (Employment Investment Incentive Scheme) is a mechanism for start-ups and young businesses in Ireland to receive investment that is tax efficient for the investor. Essentially, the investor can receive between 20% and 50% tax relief* on the investment, so €1000 invested typically costs the investor between €800 and €500, while they retain the full benefit if their investment is successful.
One attractive aspect is that unlike pension contributions, EIIS tax relief is also available on non-earned income such as dividends and Case-V rental income earned by landlords.
Important - there are some key rules and requirements for qualification:
- As of Budget 2026 the maximum investment in a year is €1,000,000 for all periods.
- Not subject to the High Earners Restrictions.
-
Additional considerations:
- Companies offering EIIS are typically early in their lifecycle, and often pre-revenue. By investing in young companies, you get in early to any potential winners in the market, but there is also a significant risk of losing all the investment.
Spreading the risk across multiple EIIS investments is worth considering. - You may not get an exit at four years. Under the rules, investments must be risk equity to qualify for tax relief.
- Capital Gains Tax (CGT) will need to be paid on any gains.
- Investments may be a preference share in favour of the company, with a fixed rate of return and exit timeline akin to a loan or they may be straight equity, giving full participation in the upside and potentially higher returns but less predictable exit times
- Ask questions: if the investment advertises a fixed return, or company buyback after 4 years, ask how that is possible, given the requirements of the scheme. You may find that any preferential buy-back rights are applicable in the company's favour only.
How to invest? You can invest in EIIS scheme a number of ways:
-
Directly invest with the company. This typically requires a minimum investment of €5,000-€10,000, and there are normally no fees associated with the investment, making the share purchase more efficient.
- Invest in an EIIS fund. This typically requires a minimum investment of €10,000-€20,000 and a ~3% initial fee. The advantage is you are automatically getting diversification into multiple companies. Some funds do cap the upside gains. In addition, you will need to wait for the fund to invest your money for you, adding perhaps 6-9 months to the process.
- Invest via a Crowdfunding Platform. Some of the Crowdfunding Platforms offer EIIS investment opportunities. The minimum investment is often around €250, allowing you to diversify.
This site aims to be a single point of reference to aggregate current EIIS investment opportunities in the Irish market. It is a free reference site for general informational purposes only. Please check your own tax circumstances with your tax advisor and review any company information thoroughly before making any investments.
Worked Examples:
An individual on the higher tax rate would normally pay 40% marginal rate of income tax on their earnings over their relevant threshold. Therefore €1000 gross earned would result in €600 earnings, net of income tax.
If the individual invested €1000 in EIIS investment(s):
Hypothetical Example 1:
€1000 invested in a revenue-generating company under the EIIS qualifies for up to 35% tax relief*.
Success: At the end of 4 years the company has been successful, and an exit returns a total of €1300, giving a Capital Gain of €300. Assuming Capital Gains Tax of 31% brings this down to €207. This leaves a net value of €1207, plus your tax relief of €350. Total return: €1557, leaving a net benefit of 55.7%.
Example 2:
€1000 invested in a company which is yet to start trading under the EIIS qualifies for up to 50% tax relief*
Unsuccessful: The company fails and returns a total of €0. This leaves an actual net loss of 50%.
As to how many of your investments would be successful?
Obviously, this is hard to predict. One source puts the 3-year failure rate of Irish start-ups at 50% (Global Startup Failure Statistics by Region in 2026: Who Fails The Most and Why It Matters). In Ireland, that is lower than the European average, but still a high risk. The tax relief rates for EIIS are structured accordingly.
See the Official Revenue Information on EIIS
Changes to the Budget affecting EIIS were announced in 2023, which impacted the tax rules for EIIS tax relief for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 tax years.
The changes made replaced the single 40% tax relief rate with a range of rates between 20% and 50%. The basic rules are as follows:
- 50% tax relief for businesses that have "not operated in any market", so likely very early-stage businesses which carry the highest risk.
- 35% tax relief for businesses that are already trading, but less than 7 years old and fundraising via EIIS for the first time.
- 20% tax relief for businesses EIIS fundraising its second or subsequent times.
*Update following the new budget for 2026, dated 7th October 2025:
The EIIS scheme was not updated in the 2026 budget. Unless otherwise revised, the EIIS scheme will end in Ireland on the 31st of December 2026. It is expected to renew in 2027, based on the most recent budget.