A tax clearance certificate shows your tax affairs are in order. Apply online through Revenue myAccount or ROS and, if all is in order, you get the result on screen in seconds.
The numbers
Secondsonline applications are checked in real time
4 yearsa certificate lasts while your tax stays in order (grants: 1 year)
Onlineapply in myAccount or ROS
30 daysto appeal a refusal or withdrawal
To get a tax clearance certificate, apply through Revenue's electronic Tax Clearance (eTC) system in myAccount or ROS (Revenue Online Service). If your tax is up to date, you get a Tax Clearance Access Number (TCAN) on screen straight away.
Do you need one?
You may need tax clearance if you get more than €10,000 in a year from public sector grants, subsidies or contracts (including VAT). Many licences also need one.
- Taxi and hackney licences (small public service vehicles)
- Liquor, bookmaker's, gaming and money lender's licences
- Auctioneer's and road transport licences, and waste collection permits
- Private security services and the Criminal Legal Aid Panel
- The Charities VAT Compensation Scheme and the Wage Subsidy Scheme
- Members of the Oireachtas and some senior public posts, under Standards in Public Office (SIPO) rules, which use a separate process
What you need
- A myAccount login (for PAYE employees) or ROS access (for businesses). You must be registered for one of them to apply online.
- Your PPS (Personal Public Service) number or Tax Reference Number
- All your tax returns filed and tax paid, or an instalment arrangement agreed with Revenue for any arrears
- Up-to-date tax affairs for connected parties, such as properties you own or a partnership you belong to
Step by step: apply in myAccount
- Sign in to myAccount.
- Select Tax Clearance on the Manage My Record card.
- Click Apply.
- Review your details and click Next.
- Fill in the application and click Next.
- Read the declaration and click Submit.
- Note your TCAN from the result screen, or print the screen. Revenue does not post certificates.
Step by step: apply in ROS
- Sign in to ROS.
- Click Manage Tax Clearance under My Services, or click your tax clearance status at the top right of the home screen.
- Complete the application and submit it.
- Save your TCAN. You can view, print or save the certificate later through Manage Tax Clearance.
Not resident here and not registered for Irish tax? Use Form TC1 from revenue.ie, or email nonrestaxclearance@revenue.ie.
How much it costs and how long it takes
Tax clearance at a glance
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How long does it take? | Seconds online, if your tax is in order |
| How long is it valid? | Up to 4 years, while your tax stays in order |
| Applying for a grant? | Apply again each year |
| How do others check it? | Give them your TCAN and your PPS or Tax Reference Number |
| Where do they check it? | In ROS under Verify tax clearance, or on Government Networks |
Source: Revenue
€10,000
in public grants, subsidies or contracts in a year, above which you may need tax clearanceSource: citizensinformation.ie
4 years
how long a certificate can last, as long as you keep filing and paying on timeSource: revenue.ie
Common mistakes
- Applying with a late return or unpaid tax. Revenue will refuse and list the reasons.
- Forgetting connected parties. A partnership's or property's tax problems can block your clearance.
- Assuming it lasts four years no matter what. Revenue checks you regularly and can withdraw it if you fall behind.
- Using last year's application for a new grant. Grant applications expire after one year.
- Waiting for a paper certificate. There is none. Use your TCAN.
If something goes wrong
- If Revenue tells you your application is "under review", reply quickly to any request for information.
- If you are refused, fix the issues listed, including those of connected parties, then make a new application.
- You can appeal a refusal or withdrawal within 30 days of Revenue's letter. You must first pay any tax you are not disputing.
- Citizens Information Phone Service: 0818 07 4000, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm.
Related guides
- How to register as self-employed
- How to register for VAT
- How to set up a limited company
- How to file a Form 11 tax return
- How to pay your Local Property Tax
Recent changes and what to check
To check
If you rely on clearance for a grant, put a reminder to reapply each year
Sources
- Revenue: The electronic Tax Clearance (eTC) system
- Revenue: Licences and schemes that need tax clearance
- Revenue: Verification of tax clearance status
- Revenue: Tax clearance appeals
- Revenue: Tax and Duty Manual, Electronic Tax Clearance (reviewed September 2026)
- Citizens Information: Tax Clearance Certificates
