Shares from work
Shares from work: Form 11, Form 12 or Form CG1?
Last updated 16 October 2026
Payroll covers the tax on RSUs and options at vesting, but selling the shares or getting dividends means a return. Which form you file, and when.
If your employer taxes your RSUs, options or share purchase plan shares through payroll, the tax on the shares is collected for you. Whether you need a tax return, and which one, depends on what else happens: a sale, dividends, or options exercised before 2024.
The short answer
| What happened | Return needed |
|---|---|
| Shares vested or options exercised, taxed through payroll, nothing sold | None for the shares |
| You sold shares, and you don't otherwise file a return | Form CG1 |
| You sold shares and are a PAYE worker filing a return anyway | Form 12, with the Capital Gains Tax details |
| Dividends, or other income outside PAYE, of €5,000 or less after expenses | Form 12 in myAccount |
| Income outside PAYE over €5,000, or over €30,000 before costs | Register for self-assessment and file Form 11 |
| Options exercised before 1 January 2024 | Form 11 for that year |
Revenue's RSU guidance sets out the CG1, Form 12 and Form 11 split for sales, and its self-assessment rules set the €5,000 and €30,000 limits.
Sales: a return even when no tax is due
Every sale of shares must be returned, even if the gain is under the €1,270 yearly exemption, or a loss. Sell-to-cover sales at vesting count too. The Capital Gains Tax itself is paid separately and earlier than the return:
- sales from 1 January to 30 November: pay by 15 December;
- sales in December: pay by 31 January;
- the return: by 31 October of the following year.
You must be registered for Capital Gains Tax (CGT) to pay it, which you can do in myAccount or ROS. Sales on or after 7 October 2026 are taxed at 31% once Finance (No. 2) Bill 2026 is enacted. See CGT payment deadlines.
Dividends
Dividends on shares you keep are income. They aren't taxed through payroll, so you declare them. Use Form 12 if your income outside PAYE is under the limits, or Form 11 if not. See dividend tax.
Options before 2024
Gains on options exercised before 1 January 2024 weren't taxed through payroll. You had to pay Relevant Tax on a Share Option within 30 days. You also became a chargeable person (someone who files their own tax return) for that year. That means Form 11 by the usual deadline. Revenue's self-assessment page lists profits from share options as a reason to register.
The shares from work calculator lists the CG1 and Form 11 lines for each sale and the dates to pay and file.
Work it out
Sources
- Revenue: Who should register for Income Tax self-assessment? (€5,000 net or €30,000 gross non-PAYE income) (checked 24/10/2026)
- Revenue: Share awards and RSUs (taxed through PAYE; no employer PRSI on share-settled awards) (checked 20/10/2026)
- Revenue: Unapproved share options (PAYE on exercises from 1 January 2024; RTSO before) (checked 16/10/2026)
- Revenue: Dividend income (25% DWT, taxed at your marginal rate with USC and PRSI) (checked 25/10/2026)
- Revenue: When and how do you pay and file CGT? (checked 25/10/2026)
General information, not tax advice. HeyPenny is not a tax agent.