From 1 July 2026, the VAT rate for hospitality food services in Ireland reduces from 13.5% to 9%. Use this guide to configure Guestline EPoS correctly before the change takes effect.
For full details on the Irish Government policy, we recommend you read the Revenue Ireland guidance to ensure this policy is applied correctly for your specific property and offerings.
⚠️ Important: This change applies only to qualifying food items, please see the Revenue Ireland guidance for full details. For example, some items such as Alcohol, soft drinks and bottled water, and hotel accommodation are not affected.
Apply the 9% VAT rate - from 1 July 2026
If you offer qualifying food items within your restaurant, complete the steps below to apply the VAT change.
Here is a quick overview of the actions to be completed:
When: | Steps to complete: |
In advance / Immediately before trading on 01.07.2026 | Step 1: Create a tax rule (if required) |
Immediately before trading begins on 01.07.2026 | Step 2: Assign the tax rule to the PLU items affected |
Immediately before trading begins on 01.07.2026 | Step 3: Assign the tax rule to the charge codes |
Immediately before trading begins on 01.07.2026 | Step 4: Check mapping to PMS analysis codes (if applicable) |
Step 1: Create a 9% tax rule (if required)
Before creating a new tax rule, check whether a 9% tax rule already exists in your system. You can check this by navigating to: System, Configuration, then select Tax Rules. Reusing an existing rule helps maintain consistency and prevents duplication.
If you do not have a 9% tax rate, use our support guide to create a Tax Rule.
Step 2: Assign the tax rule to the PLU items affected
Each PLU item has a tax rule assigned to it. To update qualifying food PLU items with the 9% VAT rate, use our support article on Bulk PLU Updating. Do not update PLU items for alcohol, soft drinks, or bottled water.
Step 3: Assign the tax rule to the charge codes
The tax rule on a charge code applies when that charge code is used for a miscellaneous item in EPoS.
Follow the steps below to update the relevant charge codes:
Log in to Guestline EPoS Back Office.
Click Setup, enter the daily password, and press Enter.
Click Charge Code Setup.
In the Tax Rule column, update the relevant charge codes to the 9% tax rule using the drop-down box on the grid.
Click Save, then click Close.
⚠️ Important:
If your EPoS system is linked to a Guestline PMS for Room Transfer or Batch Post (Z-Read), do not mix PLU item tax rules under a single charge code. For example, a charge code that includes both food and drink items will adversely affect VAT reporting in Guestline PMS.
Changing settings in the mapping area of Guestline EPoS can adversely affect PMS shift allowances. If you are unsure, consult the system administrators for your Guestline PMS before making changes.
Step 4: Check mapping to PMS analysis codes (if applicable)
If your EPoS system is linked to Guestline PMS, check that the charge codes updated in Step 3 are correctly mapped to the appropriate 9% analysis codes in the PMS. Carry out a random rate check to confirm qualifying food items are showing at the correct rates.
Guestline PMS
If you also have Guestline PMS, visit our support article for Guestline PMS: Apply the 9% VAT rate for hospitality food services for configuration steps within the PMS.
Inform your team
Keep your team informed ahead of the VAT change to reduce errors at the point of sale.
Inform your finance and sales teams about the rule changes made within each system.
Provide quick reference guides for the new multi-rate VAT structure, so staff know which products attract 9%, 13.5%, and 23%.
Remind staff that alcohol, soft drinks, bottled water, and accommodation are not subject to the reduced rate.