Digital Legacy Ireland — Planning Your Online Estate in 2026

Most Irish adults have a significant digital presence — email accounts, social media, cloud storage, online banking, streaming subscriptions, and possibly cryptocurrency or online businesses. What happens to all of these when you die? This guide covers digital legacy planning in Ireland.

What Is a Digital Estate?

Your digital estate includes:

• Financial digital assets: Online bank accounts, PayPal, Revolut, cryptocurrency (Bitcoin, Ethereum, etc.), investment platforms, pension dashboards
• Social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube (especially monetised channels)
• Personal storage: Email (Gmail, Outlook), cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud, Dropbox), digital photo libraries
• Business assets: Domain names, websites, online businesses, Etsy/eBay stores, digital intellectual property
• Entertainment: iTunes/Apple Music library, Steam games library, Kindle books, Audible credits
• Gaming: In-game currencies, character accounts, rare virtual items

The Core Problem — Access and Ownership

Digital assets create two distinct problems:

1. Access: Without passwords and credentials, your executor cannot access or manage digital accounts. Cryptocurrency in a private wallet is permanently lost without the seed phrase.
2. Ownership: Many digital "assets" are actually licences, not owned property. iTunes, Steam, Kindle — these are personal licences that often cannot legally be transferred. Your executor cannot "give" your digital book library to your children.

What Happens to Social Media When You Die?

• Facebook/Instagram (Meta): Can be memorialised or deleted on request from a verified family member. You can name a legacy contact for Facebook.
• Google (Gmail, Drive, Photos): Google's Inactive Account Manager lets you set instructions for what happens to your account.
• Twitter/X: Account can be deactivated on request; content can be preserved before deactivation.
• LinkedIn: Can be memorialised or closed on request with a death certificate.

Cryptocurrency and Digital Wallets in Irish Estates

Cryptocurrency is real property in Ireland — it forms part of your estate and is subject to CAT. The challenge is access. If held on an exchange (Coinbase, Kraken, Binance), your executor may be able to access with a Grant of Probate. If held in a private wallet, the seed phrase (12 or 24 words) is the only key — without it, the crypto is gone forever. Document your crypto holdings and access instructions securely during your lifetime. See: Digital Assets in Your Will Cork.

Creating a Digital Legacy Plan in Ireland

1. Make a digital assets inventory — list every account, platform, and digital asset you have
2. Store access information securely — use a password manager, encrypted document, or sealed envelope; never in the will itself (it becomes public)
3. Include digital assets in your will — give your executor authority to access and manage digital assets
4. Use platform legacy tools — set up Google's Inactive Account Manager; nominate a Facebook legacy contact
5. Document your wishes — which accounts to close, which to preserve, which to monetise or transfer
6. Review annually — digital accounts change frequently; keep your inventory current

Tax on Digital Assets in Ireland

Cryptocurrency and other valuable digital assets are subject to CAT. They must be declared on the Revenue CA24 at their market value on the date of death. Revenue requires crypto to be valued in euros using a reputable exchange rate on the date of death. See: Inheritance Tax Ireland.