Company registration in Ireland
                     
Company 
registration in 
Ireland
- By Himani Srivastava
Limited Company
A Limited Company (LTD) is sometimes called ‘A Private 
Company Limited by Shares’. It is the most common type of 
structure in Ireland.
A Limited Company has limited liability and shares capital. It can 
have a single Director and single shareholder. Most small 
Limited Companies are audit exempt, which means your 
financial statements don’t need to be audited.

What do you need to set up a new company in Ireland?
Director, Company Secretary and Shareholders
Share/ownership structure
Registered office and business address
Company name & documentation
Company seal
Bank application and tax registration
 Have at least one Director
Appoint a Director – you need at least one. The Director is responsible for managing 
the Limited Company on behalf of its shareholders. In small companies, the 
Directors and shareholders are often the same people.
All Irish companies are required to have at least one Director who is a resident of an 
EEA country. If all the Directors of your company are based outside of the EEA, then 
you must purchase a non-EEA residents bond before setting up your company.
 Choose a Company Secretary
If you only have one Director, you need to find a separate 
Company Secretary. If you have two or more, one of them can 
also act as the Company Secretary. 
You can outsource your Company Secretary to a corporate body, 
such as our professional team here in Accountant Online.
 Have at least one Shareholder
The shareholders are the owners of your company. It is very 
common in Startups for the Director and/or Company Secretary 
to be the shareholders of the company.
 Decide how many shares you want to release
Think of shares as pieces of the company you can give away. 
Therefore, this division of shares determines the legal 
ownership of the company. You issue shares when you’re 
setting up a Limited Company. There are two types to consider 
and both types are required when setting up a company in 
Ireland.

 Have a Registered Office Address and Business Address
Both of these addresses are required when registering a 
company with the CRO. The Registered Office Address is the 
official, legal address of your company. It must be a physical 
address located in Ireland and monitored regularly. 
 Decide on a company name
When you want to set up a Limited Company, the company 
name is probably the first thing you think of. Your company 
name must be unique and distinguishable against other 
names already registered with the CRO. The Registrar will 
carry out name checks and if your proposed name isn’t 
strong, your company submission will be returned. We do 
this all the time and have lots of experience to help you make 
the right choice.
 Prepare and sign the incorporation documents
Once you have met the requirements above, you are now ready to incorporate your company. There are 2 options:
1. You can incorporate your company online via the Companies Online Registration Environment (CORE).
2. Or have a company formation specialist such as Accountant Online to do this for you.
 Order your company seal
So your company is now incorporated and your company name has been approved. You will now need to purchase a company seal. 
It must have the company’s name engraved on it. It should be used to seal certain documents. Examples of such documents include 
the transfers of shares and certain documents provided in the articles, company law, contract law, and property law.
Set up a business bank account in Ireland
Once your company is set up, it’s best practice to keep business income separate from personal income. To open a 
business bank account in Ireland you usually need to have at least one meeting face-to-face.
What taxes should you register for?
Corporation tax
All companies in Ireland need to pay Corporation Tax, no matter how large or small. To qualify for 12.5% Corporation 
Tax, you need to prove that you’re actively trading and centrally managed in Ireland.
Value-added tax (VAT)
Over a period of 12 months, if your business generates a turnover above €75,000 from the sale of goods or above 
€37,500 from the sale of services, you will need to register for VAT. This is a rolling 12 months, not annual. That means 
that you can register for VAT at any time you estimate your business sales may exceed the threshold.

Relevant contracts tax (RCT)
You need to pay RCT if you are a principal contractor. This is someone who pays a subcontractor to carry out activities 
on behalf of your business. This applies to subcontractors in these ‘relevant’ industries: construction, forestry, and meat 
processing.
Employers PAYE
If you plan to employ people, you will have to register as an employer and operate a payroll. You are responsible for 
deducting the appropriate PAYE tax, USC, and PRSI from your employee’s wages on or before they are paid. This can 
be a time-consuming task and you may consider outsourcing payroll to a corporate body, such as Accountant Online.
 File Annual Returns with the CRO and know your statutory Annual Return Date 
(ARD)
When you incorporate your company, you need to file Annual Returns with the CRO, even if you are not trading.  Each company 
has an Annual Return Date allocated to it. It can be checked using the CRO Company Search facility.
Your first Annual Return (a B1 form) is due 6 months after incorporation. It is important to note that you have 28 days from your 
ARD to file your annual return. Your accountant and Company Secretary will advise you on this. The first Annual Return 
includes details about your company.
 Be aware of the late filing deadlines
If you are late filing your first B1 form, your company will be fined €100 and then €3 per day after that. This penalty is up to a 
max €1200 per year. If you are late filing any subsequent B1 forms, you will have to pay the fine and your accounts will be 
audited for 2 years.
 File a Director’s income tax return (Form 11) 
before 31st October
A company director is obliged to file a self-assessed income tax 
return every year. In the same way that a sole trader is self-
assessed. A non-proprietary director (someone who owns 
less than 15% of the shares in the company) must submit a 
form 12 tax return. As a client of Accountant Online, we can 
also file your Director’s Return.
Thank 
you