Entity Formation in Ireland

Ready for a permanent Irish presence? We help you form the right company with the CRO, register with Revenue, and stay compliant after the certificate arrives, with honest advice on whether now is the right time.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners
  • Honest timing

What forming an Irish Limited Company (LTD) means

An Irish private company limited by shares (LTD) is the standard vehicle for a permanent business presence: limited liability, a 12.5% corporation tax rate on trading income, and full access to the EU single market. It also brings real obligations: a company secretary, an EEA-resident director or a Section 137 bond, annual returns to the CRO, and accounts that must be filed on time, every time.

01

Your own company

Your own company makes you the legal employer and operator in Ireland, with full control of employment terms and a local brand presence.

02

Lower cost at scale

No per-employee EOR fees. For permanent, proven headcount, owning the entity is more cost-effective than ongoing EOR arrangements.

03

Setup takes time

Incorporation typically takes one to three weeks, and you cannot employ anyone until it completes. Timing the move matters, which is why many companies bridge with an EOR first.

From CRO filing to trading company, step by step

From structuring the company to operating it compliantly.

01 — Structure & prepare

We confirm incorporation is right for you, check your company name against the CRO register, prepare the constitution, and arrange your registered Irish office address.

02 — Capital & notarisation

The constitution is filed with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), with your company name, registered office, director and secretary details. Online incorporation typically completes within about a week.

03 — Register the company

Corporation tax, employer PAYE, and VAT registrations are set up with Revenue, and beneficial ownership is filed with the RBO within the statutory window.

04 — Operate & stay compliant

Business bank account, then ongoing accounting, payroll, filings, and annual reporting, all of which we can run for you.

What it costs to form an LTD in Ireland

Two kinds of cost: the one-off formation, and the ongoing operating obligations. Ireland’s formation cost is low; the real commitment is the ongoing compliance. We give you a clear figure before you commit.

Share capital & formation

Ireland sets no minimum share capital for an LTD, so there is nothing to deposit beyond a nominal amount; the CRO filing fee is modest, and the real costs are professional fees and the ongoing compliance calendar.

Corporate tax

12.5% corporation tax on trading income, among Europe’s lowest; a 15% rate applies to large multinational groups under Pillar Two, and passive income is taxed at 25%.

VAT

VAT at a 23% standard rate, with reduced rates for some sectors; registration with Revenue is required once turnover passes the thresholds (currently EUR 42,500 for services, EUR 85,000 for goods).

Ongoing obligations

Accounting, monthly payroll with PAYE, PRSI, and USC, VAT and corporation tax filings to Revenue, and the CRO annual return, handled on one calendar.

Why incorporate in Ireland through Bradford Jacobs

Why companies incorporate in Ireland through us rather than a one-off formation agent.

We advise you on the best time to incorporate

We are independent: we assess what you actually need, place you with the right vetted partner, secure pricing you will not get going direct, and stay on your side to escalate or renegotiate. You get advice, not a product pitch.

  • Independent advice
  • Vetted partners only
  • On your side at renewal

End-to-end, not just the paperwork

The CRO certificate is the start. The RBO filing lands within five months, the first annual return at six, and Revenue expects registrations before you trade. We stay on for all of it, so your company runs, not just exists.

  • 15-25% below direct
  • Network benchmarking
  • Renegotiated for you

The right specialists, in place

Company secretarial, tax, and accounting partners we have vetted and worked with, coordinated for you, so the CRO filing, the registrations, and the first filings move as one process.

  • Direct escalation
  • No support queues
  • Named account contact

Two decades of formations

Two decades of formations, enough to know where Irish incorporations stall in practice: the bank account, the EEA-director question, the registered office. We clear those before they cost you weeks.

  • Incorporations
  • Legal & tax partners
  • Traps avoided

We run it after you form it

Formation is one filing; running an Irish company is a calendar. Bookkeeping, payroll, VAT and corporation tax returns, the B1 annual return with accounts. We run the calendar so you never build a local finance function.

  • Full back office
  • Accounting & payroll
  • Annual accounts

The Irish entity trap nobody prices in

A growing business hits a good quarter and someone says, let us just set up a proper Irish company. It sounds responsible. It usually is not, yet. Here is what people expect against what actually happens.

Employment & payroll obligations

Expectation: it takes a few weeks and is just admin. Reality: incorporation is the fast part; bank accounts, tax registrations, the RBO filing, and the first annual return arrive on their own deadlines, and missing the annual return can cost you audit exemption.

Tax, filing & reporting obligations

Expectation: we can always reverse it. Reality: winding up an Irish company properly takes months of filings, final accounts, and tax clearance from Revenue. Incorporate when the business case is proven, not before.

What we handle for your LTD

Beyond incorporation, we can run the full back office for your company.

Compliant payroll

Compliant Irish payroll and employment administration, issued and maintained for you.

Payroll & filings

Monthly payroll run, with PAYE, PRSI, and USC calculated, withheld, and reported to Revenue in real time.

Statutory benefits

All statutory benefits administered: annual leave, sick pay, parental leave, notice and severance.

Compliance & support

Ongoing HR compliance and a single point of contact, for the life of the engagement.

Incorporating in Ireland: your questions answered

Straight answers on incorporating and running a company in Ireland.

How long does it take to incorporate in Ireland?

Usually one to three weeks once documents, share capital, and the registered address are in place, longer with any complication. You cannot legally employ anyone until registration completes, which is why timing matters and why many companies bridge with an EOR first.

Ireland sets no minimum share capital for an LTD, so there is nothing to deposit beyond a nominal amount. The CRO filing fee is EUR 50 online. The real cost is the ongoing accounting and compliance, which we can run for you.

Yes. An Irish LTD can be fully owned by non-residents. It needs at least one EEA-resident director, or a Section 137 non-resident director bond in place of one, plus a company secretary and a registered office in Ireland, all of which we arrange.

Incorporate when you have permanent, proven headcount and want full control, and the per-head savings justify the ongoing costs. Use EOR while you are still validating the market or need people working quickly. Most companies start with EOR and incorporate later. We advise on the crossover.

Accounting, monthly payroll (PAYE, PRSI, and USC), corporation tax and VAT filings to Revenue, and the annual return with accounts to the CRO. We can run all of it so the entity stays compliant without you building a local finance function.

Yes, and it is how most companies use us. Beyond incorporation we provide ongoing accounting, payroll, and compliance, so your Irish company operates smoothly from day one without hiring locally for back office.

Ready to form your Irish LTD?

Tell us your plans for Ireland and we will tell you honestly whether now is the time to incorporate, then handle it end to end if it is, usually scoped within a day. No formation-mill upsell, just the right call.

Tax, company, and labour data verified July 2026 (Revenue, CRO, Budget 2026 coverage). Figures change; we confirm current rates before you commit.