Cork tops the corporation tax table in Ireland on Apple's windfall payment

Revenue releases data on taxes paid by county

The €13.1bn Apple windfall tax is the key factor pushing Cork’s corporation tax take up 177%. Picture: Dan Linehan

Cork now officially pays more corporation tax than any other county, paying more than 50% more than Dublin in corporation tax in 2024, newly released figures from Revenue reveal.

The statistics from the tax authority show Cork paid €21.371bn in corporation tax in 2024, compared to €7.56bn paid in 2023, while Dublin paid €14.164bn in corporation tax in 2024, compared to €13.15bn in 2023.

It is believed the €13.1bn Apple windfall tax is the key factor pushing Cork’s corporation tax take up 177%. Last September, the European Court of Justice ruled Apple had underpaid taxes to the value of €13.1bn which was due to Irish tax authorities between 2003 and 2014.

Revenue is precluded by law from discussing the tax affairs of any particular entities, however, a Revenue spokesperson said corporation tax receipts for 2024 “include receipts arising from the Court of Justice of the European Union ruling on State aid in September 2024”.

Cork’s corporation tax take in 2022 was €8.467bn, falling to €3.695bn in 2021, and €2.76bn in 2020.

Galway had the next biggest corporation tax take in 2024 (€405m) followed by Meath (€355m), Limerick (€313m), Clare (€263m), Kildare (€262m), and Mayo (€250m). Kerry paid €99.93m in corporation taxes, with Waterford paying €164m and Tipperary €83m.

The entire PAYE and USC tax take from Dublin was €16.22bn, with €2.59bn paid from Cork. In 2024, Dublin paid out €15.033bn, while Cork paid €2.41bn.

Westmeath was the third highest payer by county of PAYE and USC in 2024, with €1.447bn paid in PAYE and USC by the Lake County. This is despite the county’s relatively small population by comparison. 

However, the Department of Education and Skills is based in Cornamaddy in Athlone, Co Westmeath, and individual pay packets for Ireland’s primary and post-primary teachers would be processed through the county — this adds considerably to the county’s PAYE and USC payers. There are almost 80,000 qualified teachers employed through the Department of Education.

Galway residents paid €1,227bn in PAYE and USC, Kerry paid out €880m, with Waterford paying €311m, Clare €454.4m, Tipperary €264.8m, and Limerick €897.4m.

The lowest by county PAYE and USC return came from Roscommon, which paid €80.26m. The 2022 census measured the entire population of Roscommon at 70,259.

Some €768.7m in capital gains tax (CGT) was paid out in Dublin in 2024, with €175.8m paid out in Cork, €100m in Kildare, and €58m in Wicklow. In Kerry, €34.5m was paid out in CGT, with €66m in Galway, €31m in Clare, €41m in Limerick, €57m in Meath and €32m in Tipperary.

Just €3.23m in capital gains tax was paid out in Leitrim.