MyFutureFund Auto-Enrolment Calculator Ireland

What this calculator is for

MyFutureFund is Ireland’s automatic-enrolment retirement savings system. This calculator has two jobs: give a simple indication of likely 2026 participation status and show how employee, employer and State contributions could build a fund under the published phase-in schedule.

The status result is deliberately described as an indication rather than a legal eligibility decision. NAERSA uses payroll information and operational rules that are more detailed than a single annual-salary input.

The 2026 participation check

The official MyFutureFund material says automatic enrolment is aimed at employees who are in the relevant age band, meet the earnings threshold and are not already paying into a pension through payroll for the employment.

The calculator checks:

• whether you selected employee or self-employed-only status;
• age;
• annual gross pay entered;
• whether a pension is already being paid through payroll.

Self-employed people cannot currently opt in to MyFutureFund. Employees who are not auto-enrolled because of age or earnings can in certain circumstances opt in where they are not paying into a pension through payroll.

Advanced mode includes an assume I opt in switch. This is important: merely being eligible to opt in should not cause the calculator to pretend contributions are already being made.

Earnings assessment is more detailed in real payroll

MyFutureFund’s official guidance explains that earnings are assessed across employments and uses a 13-week look-back mechanism for the earnings threshold. For example, the participant handbook describes €5,000 across 13 consecutive weeks as satisfying the pro-rated €20,000 test.

This calculator uses the annual gross-pay figure you enter as a clean planning approximation. It does not reproduce the full payroll assessment.

2026 contributions

For a participating employee in 2026, the published contribution structure is:

• employee: 1.5% of gross pay;
• employer: 1.5%;
• State: 0.5%.

The result therefore separates what leaves the employee’s pay from the additional employer and State amounts.

Worked example

If €50,000 of annual pay is modelled, that is €750 from the employee, €750 from the employer and €250 from the State in 2026, before any investment return.

The Employer + State added result is useful because it shows the amount entering the account from outside the employee contribution.

Contribution rates rise over time

The published schedule is calendar-based:

• 2026–2028: 1.5% employee, 1.5% employer, 0.5% State;
• 2029–2031: 3%, 3%, 1%;
• 2032–2034: 4.5%, 4.5%, 1.5%;
• 2035 onward: 6%, 6%, 2%.

The phase depends on the calendar year of the scheme rather than how long a particular person has participated.

That means someone entering later does not start again at 1.5%; the rate in force for that calendar period applies.

The €80,000 contribution threshold

Official MyFutureFund guidance says contributions stop after the annual earnings threshold of €80,000 is reached, although payroll timing can mean pay in the period that crosses the threshold is still included.

The calculator uses a clean annual cap of €80,000 for projection purposes. It cannot reproduce pay-period timing.

The official threshold may also be reviewed over time, so a long projection should not be interpreted as a promise that today’s threshold remains unchanged for decades.

How the long-term projection works

Basic mode gives the statutory contribution path using a simple 5% annual investment-return assumption and no salary growth. Advanced mode lets you:

• include an existing MyFutureFund balance;
• choose an opt-in scenario where relevant;
• change salary growth;
• change investment return;
• change inflation.

The engine grows the existing fund, then adds the employee, employer and State contributions applicable for each modelled calendar year.

The chart compares the projected fund with the starting fund plus all contributions. The difference between those lines is the modelled investment growth.

Why the employee total is not the whole story

A retirement-savings comparison can be misleading if it focuses only on what the employee contributes.

MyFutureFund has three contribution sources. The calculator therefore shows cumulative employee, employer and State amounts separately in Advanced mode.

This does not mean MyFutureFund will necessarily be the best retirement arrangement for every employee. Occupational schemes, PRSAs and other pensions can have different contribution levels, employer support, investment options, fees, tax treatment and benefits.

The correct comparison is broader than one headline percentage.

Today’s-money projection

A projected fund of €300,000 decades from now will not buy what €300,000 buys today.

Advanced mode converts the projected fund into today’s money using the inflation rate entered. It does this by dividing the future nominal value by the compounded inflation factor.

This is a purchasing-power illustration, not a forecast of future inflation.

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not assume a current private pension always prevents MyFutureFund participation. The official rules focus on pension contributions recorded through payroll for the relevant employment.

Do not assume a person who can opt in is already participating. The Advanced opt-in switch exists specifically to separate those situations.

Do not compare the employee deduction with a private pension while ignoring employer and State contributions.

Do not treat the projection as a guaranteed fund value. Investment returns will vary and scheme fees, investment strategy and future rule changes can alter the outcome.

Related Compound tools

Use the Pension Projection Calculator for a general employer/employee pension projection, the Pension Tax Relief Calculator for Revenue’s employee/personal contribution relief limits and the Retirement Income Calculator to translate a future pot into a retirement-income scenario.

Frequently asked questions

Can self-employed people opt in?

Not currently, according to the official MyFutureFund guidance.

What happens if I earn more than €80,000?

The scheme applies an annual earnings threshold for contributions. The calculator uses €80,000 as a clean annual cap; real payroll timing can differ.

Does the State contribution equal ordinary pension tax relief?

No. It is a scheme contribution and should not be treated as the same mechanism as Revenue Income Tax relief on qualifying personal pension contributions.

What happens if I already pay into a pension through payroll?

That employment can be exempt from MyFutureFund under the scheme rules. The calculator marks that scenario as normally exempt.

Method and limitations

The engine first determines whether the scenario is an employee, whether payroll pension coverage is entered and whether the age/pay conditions fit automatic enrolment or opt-in eligibility.

Contributions are projected only when the scenario is auto-enrolled or when Advanced mode explicitly selects the opt-in assumption.

For each future year, the engine:

1. grows the existing fund using the selected constant annual investment return;
2. applies the contribution rate in force for that calendar year;
3. caps modelled annual contributory earnings at €80,000;
4. adds employee, employer and State contributions;
5. applies the selected salary-growth assumption for the following year.

The result does not model opt-outs, suspensions, re-enrolment cycles, unpaid periods, multiple-employment payroll allocation, scheme fees, investment-strategy changes or future legislative amendments.

Useful sources

• MyFutureFund — Who is eligible?
• MyFutureFund — Managing my fund / opt-in rules
• MyFutureFund — Contributions and the €80,000 threshold
• MyFutureFund — Participant handbook