For people out of work

If you're out of work

Losing work is hard enough without the forms. There's often money you can claim, and some of it is tax you've already paid.

If you stop work partway through the year, you may have paid too much tax. You may also keep some of your Jobseeker's while you work a few days.

A worked example

A single person aged 25 or over, who works 3 days in a week and earns €300 for them.

Jobseeker's Allowance this week

€110.00

You'd get €110.00 in Jobseeker's Allowance this week, on top of your pay. Each extra €1 of pay over €20 a day cuts it by 60c.

Worked out by our Jobseeker's and part-time work calculator, from these answers. Your own answers give your own figure.

Self-assessment tool. The figures come from your own answers. It isn't advice, and you're responsible for what you file or claim.

1
Tax back when work stops
Tax on wages is worked out over the whole year. If you stop partway through, some of the tax you paid may come back.
- Tax refund check
- Tax back this year
2
Work a few days and keep some Jobseeker's
You can work up to three days a week and still get Jobseeker's for the other days. Some of what you earn isn't counted.
- Jobseeker's and part-time work
3
Redundancy is partly tax-free
Statutory redundancy (the legal minimum) is tax-free. Any extra lump sum gets a tax-free amount too, which grows with your years of work.
- Redundancy
- Redundancy explained
4
Going back to work, with children
The Back to Work Family Dividend pays a weekly amount for up to two years when you leave a payment for a job.
- Back to Work Family Dividend
- Community Employment, Tús or a job
5
Emergency tax on the new job
Your first pay may be taxed too much until Revenue sends your employer your tax details. It comes back once they have them.
- Emergency tax
- Emergency tax explained

A worked example

A single person aged 25 or over, who works 3 days in a week and earns €300 for them.

Jobseeker's Allowance this week

€110.00

You'd get €110.00 in Jobseeker's Allowance this week, on top of your pay. Each extra €1 of pay over €20 a day cuts it by 60c.

Worked out by our Jobseeker's and part-time work calculator, from these answers. Your own answers give your own figure.

Try it with your own figures

Self-assessment tool. The figures come from your own answers. It isn't advice, and you're responsible for what you file or claim.

5 things people often miss

Tax on wages is worked out over the whole year. If you stop partway through, some of the tax you paid may come back.

You can work up to three days a week and still get Jobseeker's for the other days. Some of what you earn isn't counted.

Statutory redundancy (the legal minimum) is tax-free. Any extra lump sum gets a tax-free amount too, which grows with your years of work.

The Back to Work Family Dividend pays a weekly amount for up to two years when you leave a payment for a job.

Your first pay may be taxed too much until Revenue sends your employer your tax details. It comes back once they have them.