My Future Fund · auto-enrolment · 2026
My Future Fund: free money you might be ignoring
My Future Fund is Ireland's new auto-enrolment pension, live since January 2026. If you qualify, your employer and the State pay in alongside you — for every €1 you contribute in year one, another €1.33 lands in your pot. See what it means for your pay below.
Your My Future Fund, on your salary
Going into your fund (year 1)
€1,400 /yr
€116.67 a month into your pension pot
Year-1 rates (1.5% each from you and your employer, 0.5% from the State), on salary up to €80,000. Contributions rise to 6% each by 2035.
My Future Fund contributions are not tax-relieved, unlike a personal pension. Estimate only — check eligibility on the official scheme site.
The bit people get wrong
Auto-enrolment gives you no tax relief — the State top-up stands in for it
A normal pension comes off your pay before tax, so it's relieved at your marginal rate. Auto-enrolment doesn't: your share is paid from taxed income, and the State top-up replaces the relief. Whether that's the better deal turns entirely on your tax rate.
If you pay tax at 20%
The State top-up is worth more than the relief you'd get. Auto-enrolment usually wins.
If you pay tax at 40%
A personal pension's relief can be worth more — it's genuinely worth checking before you stay in.
Auto-enrolment also brings an employer match a personal pension may not, so the right answer depends on your full circumstances.
Are you enrolled?
You are enrolled automatically, with no form to fill in, if you tick all four boxes:
- You are an employee (not self-employed)
- Aged 23 to 60
- Earning over €20,000 a year across your jobs
- Not already paying into a workplace pension or PRSA
If you earn less or are outside the age band, you are not enrolled automatically — but you can choose to opt in.
How contributions grow
Contributions start low and rise over ten years, so the hit to your take-home builds gradually:
| Period | You | Employer | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years 1–3 (2026–2028) | 1.5% | 1.5% | 0.5% |
| Years 4–6 (2029–2031) | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1.0% |
| Years 7–9 (2032–2034) | 4.5% | 4.5% | 1.5% |
| Year 10+ (2035 on) | 6.0% | 6.0% | 2.0% |
My Future Fund vs a private pension
The big difference is tax. A personal or workplace pension is taken off your pay before income tax, so it gets relief at your marginal rate — a higher-rate taxpayer effectively gets 40% back. My Future Fund does not get that relief; instead you get the employer match and the State top-up. If you pay tax at 40%, it is worth comparing a personal pension before deciding to stay in — see how pension tax relief works.
Opting out
You can't opt out in the first six months. In months seven and eight you can leave and get your own contributions refunded. Stay out, and you are re-enrolled automatically after two years — a nudge to keep you saving.
My Future Fund — common questions
What is My Future Fund?
How much do I pay into My Future Fund?
What do "EE" and "ER" mean on my payslip?
Can I opt out of My Future Fund?
Is My Future Fund the same as a private pension?
Is My Future Fund good for the self-employed?
Before you stay in or opt out
Would a personal pension beat auto-enrolment for you?
At the 40% rate, a PRSA's marginal-rate relief can outweigh the State top-up — but it turns on your employer match, your age and your plans. An authorised adviser can run the comparison for your own situation.
Information, not financial advice — pension decisions should be checked with a qualified, authorised adviser. We may earn a commission from a partner; it never changes what you pay.
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