Most guides on setting up a company walk you through the incorporation form and stop. The form is the easy bit. The real work is what you line up before filing, and what Revenue and the CRO expect afterwards.
This is the checklist: what to have ready before you incorporate a company, then the post-incorporation obligations that catch new limited companies out.
Is a limited company the right structure?
A quick word on business structure before the checklist. A private company limited by shares (LTD) is the standard company type for new businesses here. It gives you limited liability, the main reason founders choose limited companies in the first place.
If you are still weighing a private limited company against staying a sole trader, Citizens Information’s step-by-step guide to setting up a business in Ireland compares the options well.
What must you have ready before you incorporate?
Before you can register a company in Ireland, the CRO needs all of the following nailed down:
- At least one director. Every Irish company must have at least one director, aged 18 or over. An LTD can operate with one director only, but it then needs a separate company secretary.
- An EEA-resident director, or a bond. The one that surprises non-resident founders. More below.
- A company secretary. You must appoint a company secretary to look after statutory registers and filings.
- A registered office in Ireland. A physical address where official post from the CRO and Revenue will reliably reach you.
- Shareholders and a share structure. Who owns the company, and in what proportions.
- A constitution. The governing legal document, which for LTD companies replaced the old memorandum and articles of association.
- An available name. Names identical or too similar to an existing company get refused. When choosing a company name, run a free company name check first and keep a backup ready.
One related point. If the company will trade under something other than its registered name, you must register a business name with the CRO too.
Who can act as director, and what is the Section 137 bond?
A company director carries personal legal responsibility for compliance. At least one director must be resident in an EEA state. No EEA-resident director? Then you need a Section 137 bond, an insurance-style instrument worth €25,000 that covers certain penalties, as set out in the Companies Act 2014.
The secretary can be one of the directors, but single-director limited companies cannot double up; the secretary must be someone else. A family member, your accountant, or a nominee company secretary all qualify. Our company secretarial service covers the role if you would rather not rope in a relative.
How should you structure the shares?
Shares are how ownership is divided. One shareholder is enough, and an LTD can have up to 149. Most small limited companies keep it simple: an authorised share capital of 100,000 ordinary shares at €1 each, with 100 actually issued. The issued shares define each owner’s slice of the votes and dividends.
Get the split right at the start; moving shares later means extra filings and sometimes tax. Far cheaper to sort before company incorporation than after.
How do you actually register the company?
Incorporation itself is one filing: Form A1 plus your constitution, submitted online through CORE with a €50 fee. The Companies Registration Office reviews it and issues your certificate of incorporation, typically within a week or two. Once the company is incorporated, order a company seal; every company is required to hold one.
What do you need to do after incorporation?
This is where new directors slip. Incorporation creates the company; these registrations keep it on the right side of Revenue and the CRO:
|
Obligation |
Deadline |
Where |
|
Corporation Tax registration |
Within 4 weeks of starting to trade |
Revenue |
|
Beneficial ownership filing |
Within 5 months of incorporation |
RBO |
|
VAT registration |
When turnover is set to pass €42,500 (services) or €85,000 (goods) |
Revenue (VAT) |
|
Employer (PAYE) registration |
Before you pay staff, including a director’s salary |
Revenue |
|
Annual return (Form B1) |
First one 6 months after incorporation, then every 12 months |
CRO annual return |
Corporation Tax comes first: register within four weeks of starting to trade, normally on Form TR2 or through ROS. See our walkthrough on how to fill out the TR2 form if you are doing it yourself.
The VAT thresholds of €42,500 for services and €85,000 for goods have applied since 1 January 2025. You only need to register once turnover heads for those figures, though going early sometimes pays; our guide on whether you need to register for VAT now covers the judgement call. The moment you put anyone on salary, including yourself, register as an employer and run payroll properly.
The register of beneficial ownership trips people up because it sits apart from your CRO filings. Every shareholder or controller holding more than 25% must be filed within five months of incorporation.
Then the annual cycle. Limited companies in Ireland must file a B1 annual return every year, with financial statements attached from the second return onwards. Miss the deadline and the late penalty is €100 plus €3 per day, and the company loses its audit exemption for two years. Our year end accounts service exists partly so clients never find that out first-hand.
FAQs about setting up a limited company in Ireland
How much does it cost to set up a company?
The CRO charges €50 for an online A1 filing. Realistic extras include a company formation agent or accountant, a registered office service, and the Section 137 bond where no EEA-resident director exists. The bond is the expensive one.
Can a non-resident set up a company here?
Yes. You can run a business in Ireland without ever visiting. You still need an EEA-resident director or the bond, plus an Irish registered office.
How long does company setup take?
Once the documents are in order, online applications usually clear within one to two weeks. Name refusals and incomplete A1 forms are the usual causes of delay.
Do you need an accountant to set up a company?
No. Plenty of founders file the A1 themselves. Help matters more for the decisions around it: share structure, tax registrations, and the deadlines in the table above.
Ready to get your Irish limited company off the ground?
The checklist in one breath: director, secretary, address, shares, constitution and name before you file; Corporation Tax, beneficial ownership, VAT, employer registration and the annual return after. None of it is difficult. All of it is unforgiving on deadlines.
If you would rather hand the registrations and filings to people who do them every week, get in touch today and book a consultation.
Disclaimer: This guide is for general information purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Speak to a qualified accountant about your specific circumstances before acting on anything covered here.