Case study: Taxation of Maternity Benefit

This case study shows how tax credits and bands are adjusted by Revenue to account for Maternity Benefit. Note that these examples do not refer to people who are jointly assessed with their spouse or civil partner.

Employees are entitled to a personal tax credit (€1,875 in 2024) and an Employee Tax Credit (€1,875 in 2024). Their standard rate cut-off point is the amount of their personal standard rate tax band. For each pay period, they pay tax at the standard rate of tax (20%) up to their standard rate cut-off point. Any income over the standard rate cut-off point is taxed at the higher rate of 40%. When the total amount of tax has been calculated, their tax credits are subtracted from this figure to give the total amount of tax owed.

When you go on maternity leave you may qualify for 26 weeks of Maternity Benefit. The standard rate of Maternity Benefit is €274 each week so if you qualify for the standard payment, you will be paid €7,124 of Maternity Benefit in total. Revenue will reduce your tax credits and weekly standard rate cut-off point to account for the tax payable on your Maternity Benefit.

The tax due on the weekly Maternity Benefit (€274 x 20% = €54.80) will be deducted from your weekly tax credits and the total amount of Maternity Benefit will be deducted from your weekly cut-off point. If you do not have your Maternity Benefit topped up by your employer, a refund of tax may arise which can be calculated when you return to work (see Example 2 below).

Ann is on maternity leave. She receives a gross salary of €550 per week and Maternity Benefit of €274 per week is paid directly by the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to Ann’s employer.

Revenue will receive the Maternity Benefit details directly from the DSP, reduce Ann’s annual tax credits and rate band by the Maternity Benefit amount (see above for how this is done), and send a revised tax credit certificate to her employer. Ann’s revised weekly rate band will be €533.69 and her weekly tax credits will be €17.32.

Ann’s weekly salary while she is on maternity leave is made up of:

Maternity Benefit: €274

Company Salary: €550

Total: €824

The company salary portion (€550) has tax, USC and PRSI deducted by the employer. The tax payable on the Maternity Benefit portion (€274) is collected by the reduction in Ann’s tax credits and rate band. Maternity Benefit is not chargeable to USC or PRSI.

*PRSI rate of 4% up to October 2024 shown in example. From 1 October 2024, PRSI increases to 4.1%

Sally is not paid by her employer while on maternity leave so the following applies. Sally earned €710 per week (€36,920 a year). She paid tax, PRSI and Universal Social Charge weekly. Her tax and Universal Social Charge were deducted on the assumption that she would continue to earn the same amount for the rest of the year.

When she goes on maternity leave and starts getting Maternity Benefit, she is no longer liable to pay the Universal Social Charge or PRSI (since these are not charged on Maternity Benefit). She may get a refund of Universal Social Charge. When she returns to work, she will probably also get a refund of tax because, while she is on maternity leave, her tax credits are more than the tax due on her Maternity Benefit and she may also have paid extra tax on her salary before going on maternity leave.