The CGT cut and your land: what it saves
Budget 2027 cuts capital gains tax by 2 points, from 33% to 31%, €2,000 less on every €100,000 of gain, for disposals on or after 7 Oct 2026. But development land stays at 33%: land sold for more than its current-use value, which is most zoned land. On a typical zoned Dublin acre (€1.12m, the median of published deals) the cut saves €0; had it applied, up to €22,435. Put in your own sale below.
Source: Budget 2027: Tax Policy Changes, §4.1, p. 7. It keeps the 33% rate on disposals of development land (TCA s.649A) unchanged.
| Gain (sale less base cost and costs) | €900,000 |
| − Annual exemption | €1,270 |
| = Taxable gain | €898,730 |
| CGT at 33% (before the Budget) | €296,581 |
| CGT at 33% (development land, unchanged) | €296,581 |
| Saving | €0 |
Every individual has a €1,270 annual exemption; if you own the land with your spouse, each of you has one. Reliefs and indexation are not applied (see below).
CGT on a typical zoned acre, by council and county
| Where | Deals | Median an acre | CGT at 33% | Saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Dublin | 5 | €1.12m | €370,171 | €0 |
| Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown | 1 | €1.54m | €507,781 | €0 |
| South Dublin | 2 | €1.14m | €375,121 | €0 |
| Fingal | 2 | €570k | €187,516 | €0 |
| Kildare | 1 | €1.53m | €504,481 | €0 |
The median price an acre in the development land deals agents published (our price-per-acre page), land sold without zoning left out. Few deals per area, so treat each as a rough guide. The whole price is treated as gain, less the €1,270 exemption, as for land owned for decades. Zoned land sold above its current-use value is development land, so the rate stays at 33%; the last column is what the cut would have saved had it applied. Dublin City has no published deal with an area yet.
What the calculator leaves out
- When the new rate starts. The 31% rate applies to disposals on or after 7 Oct 2026, and not to development land. For a sale under a written contract, the date of disposal is usually the date of the contract, not the closing. Revenue
- Indexation. Land owned before 2003 may qualify for indexation relief, which lowers the gain; for development land it is restricted. Revenue
- Retirement relief. An owner aged 55 or over passing on or selling farm or business assets may pay less or no CGT, within limits (to a child: up to €10m at 55–69, €3m at 70+). Conditions apply and we don’t check them. Revenue
- Paying it. CGT on a sale from 1 January to 30 November is due by 15 December; on a December sale, by 31 January. Revenue
Everything else in Budget 2027 for land (RZLT, VAT on apartments, levies, inheritance tax): Budget 2027 for development land →
Indicative, not tax advice: it doesn’t check whether any relief applies to you. Ask an accountant or tax adviser before you sell. Buildable isn’t an estate agent and this is not a valuation. Rule: gain = sale price less base cost and allowable costs, less the annual exemption, times the rate (Revenue: How to calculate CGT).