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Stage 01 of 06 · The Irish company lifecycle

Start: Setting up an Irish company

Getting the structure right at the beginning is far cheaper than fixing it later. We form the company, register it for tax, and get you trading.

All services 9 categories Ordered online, tracked in your portal
Choose your package

Formation on its own, or ready to trade.

An LTD is the most popular company structure in Ireland — limited liability, a separate legal identity and flexibility in management and ownership. The only question is how much of the first year you want handled for you.

What's included Build Your Own €99.99+ VAT · one off Start Up Bundle €499.99+ VAT · one off Most complete Ultimate Bundle €749.99+ VAT · one off
Company name availability check✓✓✓
Incorporation documents (Constitution & CRO forms)✓✓✓
Electronic filing with the CRO✓✓✓
Appointment of directors and shareholders✓✓✓
Share capital structure setup✓✓✓
Certificate of Incorporation✓✓✓
Post-incorporation guidance✓✓✓
Register of Beneficial Owners (RBO) registration—✓✓
Tax registration (excluding VAT)—✓✓
Registered office address — 1 year—✓✓
Company secretary services — 1 year—✓✓
Bank account assistance——✓

Build Your Own Company lets you add registered office, company secretary, tax registration and other services individually as you need them.

Before you start

10 things to consider when forming an Irish LTD

Setting up a company involves decisions that are awkward to undo later. These are the ones worth getting right first time.

Company nameMust be unique and compliant with CRO requirements
DirectorsAt least one EEA-resident director required
ShareholdersWho owns the company and the ownership structure
Share capitalStructure and ownership split among shareholders
Registered officeOfficial Irish address required by law
Company secretaryMandatory role for compliance and governance
Business activityClearly define what your company does
Tax registrationCorporation tax, VAT and PAYE registration
Bank accountOpen a business account for your company
Ongoing complianceAnnual returns and statutory filings required
How it works

Incorporated in about five working days.

Day 1
Check the nameWe confirm your company name is available and acceptable to the CRO.
Day 2
Prepare documentsConstitution, CRO forms, directors, shareholders and share capital.
Day 3
File with the CROSubmitted electronically and tracked through to registration.
Day 5
IncorporatedCertificate issued, documents in your portal, next steps explained.

What you'll need

Everything below is collected through a single online form — we'll tell you if anything is missing before we file.

A proposed company name
At least one director
A company secretary
At least one shareholder
An Irish registered office address
Share capital structure
Director ID (PPSN or IPN)
Description of your business activity

Other company types

Not every business needs an LTD. We form every company type recognised by the CRO.

Common questions

How long does incorporation take?

Most Irish LTDs are registered within about five working days of filing, provided the name is available and the documents are in order.

Do I need an Irish resident director?

An Irish company needs at least one director resident in the EEA. If none of your directors qualify, you either need a Section 137 non-resident bond or a nominee resident director — both of which we provide.

What is the difference between the bundles?

Build Your Own Company incorporates the company and nothing else. The Start Up Bundle adds RBO and tax registration plus a registered office and company secretary for a year. The Ultimate Bundle adds bank account assistance on top.

Can I add services later?

Yes. Everything in the bundles can be bought separately at any time from your portal.

How it works

Incorporated in about five working days.

Day 1
Check the nameWe confirm your company name is available and acceptable to the CRO.
Day 2
Prepare documentsConstitution, CRO forms, directors, shareholders and share capital.
Day 3
File with the CROSubmitted electronically and tracked through to registration.
Day 5
IncorporatedCertificate issued, documents in your portal, next steps explained.

What you'll need

Everything below is collected through a single online form — we'll tell you if anything is missing before we file.

A proposed company name
At least one director
A company secretary
At least one shareholder
An Irish registered office address
Share capital structure
Director ID (PPSN or IPN)
Description of your business activity

Other company types

Not every business needs an LTD. We form every company type recognised by the CRO.

Common questions

How long does incorporation take?

Most Irish LTDs are registered within about five working days of filing, provided the name is available and the documents are in order.

Do I need an Irish resident director?

An Irish company needs at least one director resident in the EEA. If none of your directors qualify, you either need a Section 137 non-resident bond or a nominee resident director — both of which we provide.

What is the difference between the bundles?

Build Your Own Company incorporates the company and nothing else. The Start Up Bundle adds RBO and tax registration plus a registered office and company secretary for a year. The Ultimate Bundle adds bank account assistance on top.

Can I add services later?

Yes. Everything in the bundles can be bought separately at any time from your portal.

What matters at this stage

The rules that catch people out.

The requirements most often missed at the Start stage — and the ones that cost the most to put right later.

01
Choose the right company typeAn Irish private company limited by shares (LTD) suits most businesses, but a DAC, CLG, PLC or unlimited company may fit better depending on what you’re doing and who you answer to.
02
At least one EEA-resident directorEvery Irish company needs a director resident in the EEA. If none of yours qualify, you need a Section 137 non-resident bond or a nominee resident director — we provide both.
03
A company secretary is mandatorySeparate from the directors, and responsible for statutory compliance. A single-director company must appoint someone else as secretary.
04
A registered office in the StateA physical Irish address where official correspondence is served. It appears on the public register, so many clients use ours instead of a home address.
05
Director identificationEvery director needs a PPS Number or, if they don’t have one, a verified Identified Person Number (IPN) before filings can be made.
06
RBO within five monthsYour beneficial ownership register must be filed within five months of incorporation, and updated within 14 days of any change.
Common questions

Start — your questions

The questions clients ask us most often about this stage. If yours isn’t here, just ask.

How long does it take to form a company?

Most Irish LTDs are registered in about five working days once the name is approved and the documents are signed.

What is a shelf company?

A company that has already been incorporated and never traded, available immediately when you can’t wait for a new formation. We hold a range with different incorporation dates.

Do I need to register for VAT straight away?

Not necessarily. VAT registration becomes mandatory once you pass the turnover threshold, but registering voluntarily can make sense if your customers are VAT-registered businesses.

Can non-residents own an Irish company?

Yes. There is no residency requirement for shareholders. The requirement applies to directors, and can be satisfied with a Section 137 bond or a nominee resident director.

Wherever your company is, we can take it from here.

One firm across all six stages — so nothing gets lost when your company moves from one to the next.

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