Fantasy Budget Competition
More than just a competition
The Irish Tax Institute is running its high-profile Fantasy Budget competition for undergraduate students throughout Ireland. Further details on the entry requirements for our 2026 Fantasy Budget competition are available now.
Closing date for entries is 7 November 2025.
Fantasy Budget 2025 Winners
We had a lot of really great submissions for our 2025 competition, but the final three winners were University of Galway, UCD and DCU. Find out more about the winning submissions here.
First Place, University of Galway - under the guidance of their lecturer, Dr. Maria O’Brien
Second Place, UCD - under the guidance of their lecturer, Dr. Karl Matikonis
Third Place, DCU - under the guidance of their lecturer, Dr. Patrick Mulcahy
If you enjoyed taking part, then maybe you have a future as a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA)!
Richie O'Carroll, KPMG
“The Fantasy Budget Competition was a great way for me to really understand the practical effects of the measures the Budget brings in and the changes in taxation policy that come with it. The research you do really stands to you and helps when starting a new career in a tax department – I would definitely recommend the competition to every student studying tax, there are excellent prizes and it all helps for your exams”
Niall Hanton, Grant Thornton
“The Fantasy Budget competition is a great way to get students thinking about tax on real life practical level and away from a purely exam focused mind-set. The competition sparked an interest to begin my career in tax as it brought to my attention the important role tax plays in Ireland’s economy. Tax issues are at the heart of all commercial activities and working in tax will provide me with a diverse set of skills & experience”