Is Your Side Hustle Taxable in Ireland? What Revenue Expects

A side hustle is any non-PAYE income you earn outside your main job, such as:

• freelance or contract work
• tutoring, coaching, design, consulting
• creator income (ads, sponsorships, digital products)
• selling goods online (especially if you’re buying/making items to sell for profit)
• short-term services (odd jobs, gig work)

Revenue groups this under “additional/extra income” and says it must be declared on your Income Tax Return where taxable.

“But it’s only a small amount…” - do I still pay tax?

In many cases, yes. Whether you owe tax depends on your overall position (PAYE already paid, credits, etc.), but the income still needs to be declared in the correct way. Revenue is clear that extra income may be taxable and must be declared on your return.

The key rule: myAccount vs Self-Assessment (Form 12 vs Form 11)

Revenue gives practical thresholds for when you must register for Self-Assessment:

You should register for Income Tax Self-Assessment if:

• your taxable non-PAYE income (profit) exceeds €5,000, or
• your gross non-PAYE income exceeds €30,000.

If your non-PAYE income is below those limits, Revenue says you can generally declare it via a Form 12 online using myAccount (and Revenue can “code” it by adjusting your tax credits and rate band).

Plain English:

• Small side hustle? You may be able to declare it in myAccount (Form 12).
• Bigger side hustle? You likely need Self-Assessment (Form 11).

Profit vs turnover: what Revenue looks at

This trips people up:

• Gross income (turnover): total sales/fees you receive before expenses
• Taxable income (profit): what’s left after allowable business expenses

Revenue’s Self-Assessment trigger uses both: profit over €5,000 or gross over €30,000.

“It’s just a hobby” - does that matter?

Sometimes. The tax treatment can depend on whether an activity is genuinely a hobby or a trade (regularity, commercial intent, organisation, effort to make profit, etc.). Revenue publishes guidance on how activities are classified as trading in its manuals, which is the framework professionals use when assessing borderline cases.

Rule of thumb for readers:
If you’re regularly selling/services with a profit motive, treat it like taxable trading income and declare it properly.

Platforms are reporting more than people realise

If you earn through platforms (selling, renting, gig services), it’s worth knowing that EU rules (DAC7) require platform operators to collect and report seller information in many cases. Revenue has a dedicated DAC7 reporting page for platform operators.

Takeaway: even if no one “tells” Revenue, the data trail is improving - so clean reporting matters.

What records should you keep?

To avoid stress later, keep:

• invoices/receipts issued
• bank statements showing income received
• expense receipts (software, materials, travel, fees—where genuinely business-related)
• a simple spreadsheet of dates, amounts, and what the income was for

This makes it easier to declare correctly (and respond fast if asked).

Quick checklist: what should I do next?

1. Add up your side income for the year (gross + profit).
2. If profit > €5,000 or gross > €30,000 → consider Self-Assessment (Form 11).
3. If under those thresholds → declare via myAccount (Form 12).
4. Keep evidence and track expenses.

Need help?

Need help? Irish Tax Hub can help you get your side hustle declared correctly—including choosing the right route (Form 12 vs Form 11), calculating profit after allowable expenses, and keeping your reporting consistent with Revenue expectations.

Contact our team today.