Building the full picture first
Earlier gifts and inheritances in the same group count against your threshold, and the smaller ones get forgotten. We map what you have already received before anyone decides what is owed.
You have a tax figure on money you did not ask for. Now work out what to do about it.
A gift or an inheritance arrives with a threshold, a rate, and often a bill that has to be paid in cash. What a calculator cannot see is everything you have received before, whether a relief applies, and where the payment is going to come from. Those are the parts worth a conversation.
A no-obligation, free discovery call with a Pathway planner. Nothing is sold on it.
Regulated in IrelandAPFM Limited, trading as Pathway Financial Management, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Qualified plannersCFP®, QFA, RPA and SIA qualifications across our directors.
Dublin 2 based20 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, D02 H364.
Advice firstA no-obligation, free discovery call before anything else happens.
What your Capital Acquisitions Tax figure is telling you
Capital Acquisitions Tax runs off a lifetime threshold rather than a single event. Which of the three group thresholds applies depends on your relationship to the person the benefit came from, and earlier benefits within that same group count towards it. That is why two people can receive the same amount and end up with very different bills.
| Group | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Group A | €400,000 |
| Group B | €40,000 |
| Group C | €20,000 |
Source: Revenue, CAT thresholds, published 24 September 2025. These thresholds apply to benefits taken on or after 2 October 2024.
Above the threshold the rate is 33%, which applies to gifts and inheritances taken on or after 6 December 2012. The calculator has applied that to what it was told. What it does not know is the full history of what you have already received in the same group, whether a relief or exemption applies to this particular benefit, or how the whole thing sits against the rest of your finances.
The practical problem is usually cash rather than arithmetic. A tax bill on a house is still payable in money, and the house does not pay it. Working out what is available, what would have to be sold, and in what order things should happen, is normally the first thing worth settling. That is ordinary financial planning work, done under time pressure if it is left too late.
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Not sure whether the figure is the whole story? That is what the first call is for.
How we would help
Four things we look at first when somebody arrives with a benefit and a bill.
Reliefs and exemptions worth checking
Reliefs and exemptions can change a position materially, and every one of them carries conditions. We look at whether any could apply to your benefit and what would have to be true for it to hold, working alongside your solicitor or accountant where the detail needs them.
Funding the payment
A bill on an inherited asset has to be met in cash. We look at what exists, what could be borrowed against, and whether a sale is genuinely necessary or simply the fastest answer.
Deciding what the money does next
Once the tax is dealt with, an inheritance is a lump sum with no plan attached. Clearing a mortgage, funding a pension, investing it or holding it are all defensible, and they are not equally right for everyone.
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A short call will tell you which of these applies in your case.
Who you would be talking to
Pathway was built by two planners who believe advice should be clear, honest and genuinely on your side.
Paul McGrane
Director & Financial Planner
QualificationsCFP®, BBM, QFA, RPA, SIA
Paul is driven by making a tangible difference in clients’ lives, and takes real satisfaction in knowing his work supports individuals and their families through decisions that are rarely straightforward.
Anthony Richardson
Director & Financial Planner
QualificationsQFA, RPA, SIA, BBS
A natural problem solver, Anthony thrives on finding the real challenge, working out how to resolve it, and putting the solution in place alongside the client.
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Both calls are free and without obligation.
What happens next
Three plain stages, at your pace. You can stop after any one of them.
A short call, at no cost
Twenty minutes or so, by phone or video. You tell us what has been received, from whom, and what you are trying to work out. Nothing is sold on that call.
A proper look at the detail
If it makes sense to go further, we go through what the benefit consists of, what you have received before, and what cash is available, and we talk to your solicitor or accountant where that helps.
A plan in plain language
You get our findings written down, with the options set out clearly and what each one would mean for you. What you do with it is entirely your decision.
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It starts with the short call. Nothing is sold on it.
Questions people ask us
The ones that come up most often after somebody has run the numbers.
Is the figure the calculator gave me the actual bill?
It is an estimate produced from what you entered. The real position depends on the correct group threshold, everything you have already received within that group, and whether any relief or exemption applies to this benefit. It is a good thing to bring to a conversation, not a number to act on alone.
Do I have to file something even if there is no tax?
There are circumstances where a return is required even where no tax ends up payable, and both the thresholds and the timing matter. We will tell you plainly whether you look like you have a filing obligation and make sure the right professional handles the return itself.
The inheritance is a house. How do I pay the tax on it?
This is the most common problem we see. The tax is payable in money whatever the benefit was, so the questions are what cash exists, what could be borrowed against, and whether selling is genuinely necessary. It is far better worked out early than under a deadline.
Can I plan so that my own children pay less?
Yes, and it is much easier while everyone is well and nothing has happened. Deciding what passes, to whom, and when is normal planning work rather than anything exotic, and the earlier it starts the more room there is.
What does the first conversation cost?
Nothing. It is a no-obligation, free discovery call. If we go further than that, we set out clearly what the work involves and what it costs before you commit to anything.
Book a free consultation
A different question? Ask us directly and we will give you a straight answer.
Talk it through with a planner
Bring the figure you calculated and what the benefit consists of. We will tell you plainly what we think, and what we would look at first.
Or email info@pathwayfinman.ie
APFM Limited, trading as Pathway Financial Management, is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland. Registered in Ireland No. 759815. Directors: Paul McGrane, Anthony Richardson.
Warning: The value of your investment may go down as well as up.
Warning: These figures are estimates only. They are not a reliable guide to future performance of this investment.
This page is general information about financial planning. It is not personal financial advice and does not take account of your own circumstances. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change.