Ireland: Company Types, Tax and Compliance

Doing Business in Ireland

Ireland offers international entrepreneurs an attractive entry point: EU + 12.5% CIT, English-speaking. The Irish Ltd (private company limited by shares) is the dominant corporate form for SMEs, holdings, and trading entities, and we hold a stock of pre-formed, never-traded Ltds ready for immediate ownership transfer through the Companies Registration Office (CRO).

ShelfCompanies24 has been arranging company formation and the transfer of pre-registered Irish entities since 1995. We work with a network of Irish corporate-service providers, accountants, and banks to deliver a consolidated, start-to-finish service, whether you need your Ireland company ready in 48 hours or a brand-new one built from scratch in 5 days.

Why Ireland for Your Business

• EU single-market passport, your Irish Ltd can trade VAT-free across all 27 EU member states using its EU VAT number.
• EU + 12.5% CIT, English-speaking, the structural reason serious operators choose Ireland over neighbouring jurisdictions.
• Predictable corporate law, Companies Registration Office (CRO) provides public, searchable filings; ownership transfers are documented and binding.
• 2026 corporate tax: 12.5% trading / 15% Pillar Two, see the detailed tax breakdown below.
• Pre-formed Ltd stock, clean CRO-registered companies with no trading history, ready for a 48 hours ownership transfer.
• Remote-friendly, most Ireland corporate procedures can be completed without travel; we handle apostille, sworn translation, and digital signature.
• Corporate banking, introductions to local and international banks suitable for an Irish Ltd, without the multi-month onboarding most foreign owners face when they apply alone.
• Single point of contact, your dedicated consultant manages incorporation, banking, accounting, and ongoing compliance for the whole life of the company.

Our Core Services in Ireland

Ireland Company Types at a Glance

Most Ireland clients choose the Ltd (private company limited by shares) for the combination of limited liability, ownership flexibility, and predictable CRO treatment.

Ireland Corporate Taxation 2026

The 2026 headline corporate tax position in Ireland is 12.5% trading / 15% Pillar Two.

12.5% on trading income / 25% on passive; 15% Pillar Two QDTT for groups above €750m consolidated revenue (first filings June 2026); Section 137 bond required if no EEA director.

VAT, withholding-tax, and treaty-network specifics are jurisdiction-dependent and best discussed in a free first call, your consultant will map your operational profile to the correct Irish tax treatment before you commit to a structure.

Compliance and Reporting Obligations

• Annual financial statements, prepared under Irish GAAP and filed with the CRO on a calendar-year or financial-year basis.
• Beneficial ownership transparency, most modern jurisdictions, including Ireland, require beneficial-owner registration alongside the CRO entity record.
• Tax registration, CRO entry typically auto-registers the company with the Ireland tax authority; VAT/sales-tax registration is separate where turnover thresholds apply.
• Director and shareholder filings, changes to CRO must be filed within statutory deadlines; we manage these end-to-end on retainer.
• DAC6 / DAC7 / Pillar Two, multinational groups face EU-mandated reporting obligations on aggressive cross-border arrangements and digital platform income.
• Audit thresholds, small Ltds usually file abbreviated accounts; medium-sized and large entities meet local audit requirements (typically based on balance-sheet, turnover, and headcount thresholds).

Corporate Banking for Your Irish Company

A Irish corporate bank account is critical to operating the company, and one of the practical bottlenecks foreign owners hit when they apply directly. Our consultant introduces you to the right banking partner for your profile (high-volume international transfers, EUR/USD/GBP multi-currency, e-commerce processing, custodial, or simple operating-account-only).

A pre-formed Irish Ltd with clean CRO entry typically passes bank KYC more smoothly than a newly formed entity, which is why operators in a hurry to begin trading specifically request a shelf company.

Cross-Jurisdiction Comparisons

Operators looking at Ireland often also evaluate similar jurisdictions:

• Shelf companies and formation in United Kingdom, Same-day formation, English law, global reach.
• Compare Malta corporate options, EU + 5% effective via refund, gaming hub.

Why Choose ShelfCompanies24 for Ireland

• 30 years of experience, operating since 1995 across Ireland and 55 other jurisdictions.
• Licensed corporate-service provider with a dedicated Irish desk.
• Pre-formed Ltd stock, clean CRO-registered entities ready for immediate transfer.
• Bundled service: formation, CRO fees, virtual office and bank introduction in one engagement.
• Remote-only, most clients never travel to Ireland; we handle apostille, courier, and sworn translation.
• Post-formation support, accounting, VAT/tax filings, payroll, beneficial ownership filings where the jurisdiction requires them.

Buying a Ready Made Company in Ireland

A ready made company, also called a shelf company or an off-the-shelf Ltd, is an Irish private company limited by shares that was registered at the CRO in advance and kept dormant ever since. It has never traded, never invoiced and never employed anyone, so what you take over is the entity and its record: the CRO number, the incorporation date, the certificate, the constitution and the statutory registers. The share transfer is documented and filed within 48 hours and the register amendment completes in 24 to 72 hours, which is why buyers who need to sign a contract this week take this route instead of a new registration.

What comes with the company, and what does not

Every Ltd in our stock carries paid-up share capital, an active CRO number and a Revenue tax reference number, and its beneficial owners are recorded in the Register of Beneficial Ownership. Two things never come attached. A live bank account does not transfer with a company, because an Irish bank opens an account only after it has identified the new owners. VAT registration is separate too: Revenue grants it against evidence of real trading activity, so where an entity is not already registered we file the application once your activity profile supports it.

Buying an Irish Company From Abroad

Most of the owners we put on the CRO register do not live in Ireland, and the paperwork is built for that. Documents are couriered, apostilled and sworn-translated where a bank or a registry asks for it, signatures are electronic or notarised where you are, and no stage requires you to fly to Dublin. Two Irish specifics matter more than travel does. The company needs at least one EEA-resident director or a Section 137 bond, and we arrange either. And a non-resident owner should expect closer bank due diligence, which is why the banking application is prepared and pre-screened before it is submitted.

Frequently Asked Questions about Irish Companies

How quickly can I start trading with an Irish company?

With a pre-formed Irish Ltd the share transfer is documented and the CRO update filed within 48 hours; the register amendment completes in 24 to 72 hours; you can sign contracts in the company’s name from day one. A newly formed Ltd is registered at the CRO in about 5 days, and Revenue registration follows once the CRO entry is issued.

What is the difference between an LTD and a DAC in Ireland?

Both are private companies registered at the CRO under the Companies Act 2014. The LTD, the private company limited by shares, is the default form: a single document constitution, no objects clause, and between one and 149 members. The DAC, the designated activity company, keeps a memorandum with an objects clause, which is why it is used for regulated activities, joint ventures with a defined purpose and certain charity or special purpose vehicles. Most foreign owners take the LTD.

How do I buy a ready made company in Ireland?

Tell us the profile you want, an incorporation date, a share capital level and a registered office city, and we send what is in stock. You complete KYC for every incoming director and beneficial owner, we execute the stock transfer form, file the director change at the CRO, update the Register of Beneficial Ownership and hand over the corporate file. Nothing is notarised and nothing needs you to be in Ireland. The transfer is filed within 48 hours.

What taxes will my Irish company pay in 2026?

The 2026 headline rate in Ireland is 12.5% trading / 15% Pillar Two. 12.5% on trading income / 25% on passive; 15% Pillar Two QDTT for groups above €750m consolidated revenue (first filings June 2026); Section 137 bond required if no EEA director. VAT/sales-tax, withholding-tax on dividends, and treaty-network impact depend on your operating profile, a free first call with our consultant maps your business model to the correct Irish tax treatment.

Do the directors or shareholders have to be resident in Ireland?

Shareholders may live anywhere. Directors may not. Section 137 of the Companies Act 2014 requires at least one director resident in an EEA state, and since Brexit a United Kingdom resident no longer satisfies that test. A company without an EEA resident director must instead hold a Section 137 bond for a two year term, or obtain a Section 140 certificate from the CRO once Revenue confirms a real and continuous link with economic activity in Ireland.

Is an Irish shelf company really ‘clean’?

All ShelfCompanies24 shelf entities in Ireland were incorporated solely to be held in reserve. They have never traded, never opened a customer-facing bank account, never invoiced a third party, and never accumulated tax losses, so the CRO record shows pure dormancy. This avoids the loss-utilisation and beneficial-owner-disclosure complications that a real ex-trading company would carry.

Should I buy a shelf Ltd or form a new one in Ireland?

Choose a shelf Ltd when you need to be trading immediately, when banking onboarding speed matters, or when a counterparty insists on dealing with an established legal entity. Choose new formation when you want to design the constitution, share classes, or registered name from scratch and you can wait 5 days for the CRO entry. Both options come with the same service, banking introduction, and post-formation support.

Can I buy an Irish company with a VAT number?

Sometimes, and it is worth understanding why the answer is not always yes. Every Ltd in our stock has a Revenue tax reference number from the start, but VAT registration is a separate application that Revenue grants against evidence of real trading activity, usually with an Irish connection. Where the entity you pick is already VAT registered it transfers as it stands. Where it is not, we file the application once your activity profile supports it.

Does Ireland have a beneficial ownership register, and can the public see it?

Ireland keeps one, the Register of Beneficial Ownership, but it stopped being public. Every Irish Ltd files the natural persons who own or control more than 25 percent of the shares or voting rights. Following the Court of Justice judgment of 22 November 2022, SI 308 of 2023 closed general public access. The register is now open to An Garda Síochána, Revenue and other competent authorities, to designated persons carrying out customer due diligence, and to applicants who prove a legitimate interest.