Minister for Finance Simon Harris is examining foreign financial models as he considers the options for a new savings and investment scheme. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA WireMinister for Finance Simon Harris is weighing options for a new savings and investment scheme, with two foreign models standing out: Canada’s Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and Sweden’s Investeringssparkonto (ISK). For most investors, Canada’s system is clearly more generous, letting you hold stocks for decades without the state touching your gains. One, it offers a steady annual tax take and may be more politically defensible, avoiding large untaxed pools of savings. Two, Sweden’s annual tax reduces the temptation to divert pension savings into a tax-free wrapper.

Source: The Irish Times February 28, 2026 08:57 UTC