Ireland at a glance
Ireland is one of the EU jurisdictions founders most often use today, especially while the EU-wide 28th Regime (EU Inc) is still a proposal. Below are the verified essentials: company types, tax, capital, timing and whether you can set up remotely.
Company types in Ireland
- LTD (private company limited by shares) The standard vehicle for startups under the Companies Act 2014: limited liability, can be a single person as sole director and shareholder, no objects clause. A sole director needs a separate company secretary.
- DAC (designated activity company) A limited company with a defined objects clause, used for regulated firms, joint ventures or SPVs. Requires at least two directors.
| Corporate tax | 12.5% on trading (active) income, one of the lowest headline rates in the EU. 25% applies to passive income such as rents and investments. Since 2024 a 15% effective minimum (OECD Pillar Two) applies to large groups with global turnover of EUR 750m or more, but the 12.5% rate still applies to typical startups and SMEs. |
|---|---|
| VAT rate | Standard VAT is 23%, with reduced rates of 13.5% and 9%. Mandatory registration thresholds are EUR 42,500 for services and EUR 85,000 for goods; non-established traders generally register from the first taxable supply. |
| Dividends & payroll taxes | Dividend withholding is 25%, though EU and treaty shareholders are widely exempt. Personal income tax tops out at 40% before USC and PRSI, and employer PRSI adds roughly 11% on salaries. Capital gains tax of 33% matters at exit. |
| Minimum share capital | No statutory minimum share capital for an LTD. Founders typically issue a small nominal amount (often EUR 1 to EUR 100). A public limited company (PLC), by contrast, needs at least EUR 25,000. |
| Setup time | Typically 3 to 5 working days for the Companies Registration Office (CRO) to process an online incorporation. Separate VAT registration with Revenue often takes 20 to 30 working days. |
| Remote setup | Yes, fully remote. Incorporation is filed online via the CRO CORE portal with an electronically signed constitution and Form A1; founders do not need to travel to Ireland. |
| Director / residency | At least one director must be resident in the EEA. A company with no EEA-resident director needs a Section 137 non-resident director bond (EUR 25,000 of cover, valid two years, roughly EUR 2,000), or a Revenue certificate of a real and continuous link with Irish activity. |
| Banking options | AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB offer business accounts but onboarding can be slow and often expects local activity. Many non-resident founders use EEA fintechs such as Wise Business, Revolut Business and N26. |
| Our formation service | from around €100 to €200 (estimated). You get a fixed quote in your free plan before you commit. |
An English-speaking, common-law EU and eurozone jurisdiction with a 12.5% trading rate, which is why many US and international groups domicile here. Every company files an annual return (Form B1) plus financial statements with the CRO.
How to register a company in Ireland
Step by step, this is how a Ireland formation actually runs:
- Choose the LTD and check the name. The private company limited by shares (LTD) suits almost all founders; the CRO rejects names too close to existing ones.
- Line up the required roles. You need at least one director, a separate company secretary and a registered office in Ireland. Non-EEA-resident directors add a Section 137 bond (about EUR 2,000 for two years) unless an EEA-resident director joins the board.
- File Form A1 and the constitution online. Incorporation goes through the CRO CORE portal with electronic signatures; the filing fee is EUR 50.
- Receive the certificate and register for tax. The CRO typically issues the certificate in 3 to 5 working days; then register with Revenue for corporation tax, and for VAT and PAYE if relevant.
- Open a business account. Irish banks can be slow with non-resident owners, so many founders pair the company with Wise or Revolut Business at the start.
We handle each step with licensed local counsel, so the paperwork, registered address and filings are done correctly the first time.
What company formation in Ireland costs
Incorporation itself is cheap: EUR 50 CRO fee plus drafting. The recurring items are the registered office and secretary service (roughly EUR 300 to 800 a year combined) and, for boards with no EEA-resident director, the Section 137 bond at about EUR 2,000 per two years. Accounting and annual compliance for a small LTD commonly total EUR 1,200 to 2,500 a year.
Form your Irish company in days
Tell us where you live and what you are building. Our formation service starts from around €100 to €200 (estimated); we confirm the right structure for Ireland, give you a fixed quote, and form the company with licensed counsel.
Get your free planWho can form a company in Ireland
Founders from outside the EU can own and run an Irish company, with the cross-border requirements handled for you. We flag any residency or local-agent rule for Ireland up front, so there are no surprises.
Ireland suits startups selling to the US and companies that want an English-speaking, common-law EU base with the 12.5% trading rate. Factor in the secretary requirement and the bond if all directors live outside the EEA; purely local trading elsewhere in the EU may be simpler through that country instead.
After registration: what Ireland expects each year
Every company files an annual return (Form B1) with the CRO, the first six months after incorporation and then yearly, with financial statements attached from the second return. Small companies claim audit exemption, but lose it if the return is late, an expensive mistake. The corporation tax return (CT1) is due within nine months of year end.
Ireland and the 28th Regime (EU Inc)
EU Inc, the proposed 28th Regime, would let you register one company valid across all 27 EU member states. It is not law yet (expected around 2027-2028), so an Irish company is one of the ready options you can use today. Forming an EU company now also positions you to adopt EU Inc later, as we cover in how to prepare an EU Inc company. To weigh Ireland against other countries, see company formation in Europe.