My Future Fund & Auto-Enrolment

Auto Enrolment is Happening

Get Your Business Ready for January 2026 Auto-Enrolment – Book Your Free No-Obligation Consultation Today

From 1 January 2026, Auto-Enrolment (AE), officially called My Future Fund, will be live. If you employ staff in Ireland, this will be a legal requirement and a big shift in how workplace pensions work.

It’s designed to make sure more workers are saving for retirement, but it will also mean new responsibilities for your business. Here’s what you need to know and how working with an expert broker like First Choice Financial Services can make it simple for business owners.

What Auto-Enrolment means for employers?

If you have staff aged 23–60, earning €20,000+ a year (across all jobs) and not already in a pension scheme through payroll, you must:

1
Enrol them automatically into the new national scheme
2
Match their contributions
3
Manage payroll deductions and ensure timely payment to the AE system

Contribution rates (phased in over 10 years)

Years	Employee	Employer	State top-up	Total into pot
2026–2028	1.5%	1.5%	0.5%	3.5%
2029–2031	3.0%	3.0%	1.0%	7.0%
2032–2034	4.5%	4.5%	1.5%	10.5%
2035 onwards	6.0%	6.0%	2.0%	14.0%

Key points for budgeting:

Contributions apply to earnings up to €80,000 per year
Rates rise every three years until 2035
Employer contributions are a mandatory cost — not an optional benefit

What if you already have a pension scheme?

If you already offer a payroll-deducted pension, those employees won’t need to be auto-enrolled, but only if your scheme meets the requisite standards.

In the early years, any contribution above 0% should qualify, but by the end of year six, the bar will be higher.

What First Choice Financial Services can help you:

We are also a small business and an employer, so we know the issues facility businesses and can empathise and relate to these. Here’s what we can do for you:

1
Check if your existing pension scheme is fit for purpose and will qualify for exemption
2
Decide with you the benefits of upgrading your existing pension scheme or run it alongside AE
3
Build a plan with you that supports Employee recruitment and retention

Why work with a broker?

AE is designed to be “plug and play”, but in reality, many employers will need clear advice and forward planning.

Working with First Choice Financial Services will provide your business with the following:

AE Readiness Check — review your payroll, HR processes, and staff list for compliance
Cost forecasting — project contributions for each year so there are no surprises
Retention strategy — combine AE with tailored benefits to attract and keep top talent
Staff communications — we prepare simple, compliant explainer packs to reduce confusion and questions

Key Dates

Now — Start preparing payroll systems and budgets
Late 2025 — National AE system goes live for registrations
1 January 2026 — First contributions deducted and paid

Next step for your business

If you are running a business and want expert advice, book your AE Readiness Check today. We will walk you through your obligations, calculate your likely costs, and help you decide on the best approach for your workforce & your company.

First Choice Financial Services — making Auto-Enrolment work for your business.