Setting up a limited company in Ireland: the steps

By McManus McCabe Chartered Accountants

To set up a limited company in Ireland you choose the company type (most commonly a private company limited by shares, an LTD), pick and check an available company name, appoint at least one director and a company secretary, provide a registered office in the State and confirm the company will have an EEA-resident director (or the alternative bond), decide the shareholders and share structure, and register with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), usually by filing a Form A1 and constitution. Once incorporated, you register for the relevant taxes with Revenue, set up business banking and accounting, and note your ongoing filing obligations. A chartered accountant can handle the formation and get the tax and compliance set up correctly from day one.

Setting up a limited company in Ireland is more straightforward than many first-time founders expect, but it involves a defined set of steps and some decisions that are easier to get right at the start than to fix later. Here is the process in order, and where a chartered accountant helps.

Choose the company type and name

Most Irish businesses incorporate as a private company limited by shares (an LTD), which is the standard, flexible form for a trading company. You then choose a company name and check it is available and acceptable - it must be sufficiently distinct from existing names. Getting the type and name settled is the foundation; the rest of the process builds on it.

Appoint the people and the office

• 1

  At least one director (an LTD can have a single director, but then needs a separate company secretary).

• 2

  A company secretary, responsible for compliance duties.

• 3

  A registered office address in the State, where official documents are served.

• 4

  An EEA-resident director, or otherwise the required non-resident directors' bond.

• 5

  The shareholders and the share structure (who owns what).

Register with the CRO

The company is formed by registering it with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), which generally means filing the incorporation form (Form A1) together with the company's constitution, giving the details of the directors, secretary, registered office, shareholders and share capital. When the CRO registers the company, it issues a certificate of incorporation and a company number - at which point the company legally exists.

Straight after incorporation

Incorporation is the start, not the finish. Next you register the company for the relevant taxes with Revenue (corporation tax, and as an employer or for VAT where applicable - see when do you have to register for VAT), open a business bank account, set up bookkeeping and accounting, and note the ongoing obligations that come with being a company, including your first annual return. See your first year as a new Irish company for the deadlines. Deciding whether a company is even the right structure comes first - see sole trader or limited company. McManus McCabe handle company formation and the tax setup for businesses across Ireland.

General guidance, not advice

This is general information about setting up and registering a business in Ireland, not tax or legal advice for your situation, and thresholds and rules change. Confirm the current position with Revenue and the Companies Registration Office, and speak to a chartered accountant about your own circumstances.

Frequently asked questions

• How do you set up a limited company in Ireland?

  Choose the company type (usually a private company limited by shares), pick an available name, appoint at least one director and a company secretary, provide a registered office in the State, confirm an EEA-resident director or a bond, decide the shareholders and shares, and register with the CRO. Then register for tax with Revenue and set up banking and accounting.
• Do I need a company secretary for an Irish company?

  Yes. Every Irish company must have a company secretary responsible for compliance duties. A single-director LTD must have a separate person as secretary; where there are two or more directors, one of them can also act as secretary.
• What happens after a company is incorporated?

  You register the company for the relevant taxes with Revenue, open a business bank account, set up accounting, and note your ongoing filing obligations including the first annual return. A chartered accountant can get the tax registrations and compliance set up correctly from the start.