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EuropeRemote-friendly Unverified · 31 Jul 2026

How to found a company in Ireland

You’d incorporate a Private company limited by shares (LTD).

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The numbers

Government filing fee
€50Form A1 filed online through the CRO's CORE portal. Registering on CORE is free. A name can be reserved for 28 days for €25, which is then deducted from the incorporation fee if you file within that window.
Typical turnaround
5 days
Corporation tax
12.5%12.5% on trading income, 25% on non-trading income. Requires genuine trading activity in or from Ireland.
VAT threshold
€42,500€42,500 for services. €85,000 where at least 90% of turnover is from goods.
Minimum directors
1At least one EEA-resident director, or a Section 137 bond of €25,000 in place of one.
Minimum shareholders
1

What you’ll need

  • At least one EEA-resident director, or a Section 137 bond
  • A separate company secretary where there is only one director
  • An Irish registered office address and a business address
  • Form A1 and the constitution filed with the CRO

Watch out

  • ⚠️A single-director company must appoint a separate company secretary — one person cannot hold both roles.
  • ⚠️The Section 137 bond is renewable every two years and costs roughly €2,000 per period, so it is a recurring cost for as long as there is no EEA-resident director.
  • ⚠️Beneficial ownership must be filed with the RBO within five months of incorporation.

The steps

  1. 1

    Check the name with the CRO

    You1 day

    Name distinctiveness is assessed strictly; purely descriptive names are commonly refused.

  2. 2

    Satisfy the director residency requirement

    You2 days

    Either appoint an EEA-resident director or put a Section 137 bond in place.

  3. 3

    Appoint a company secretary

    YouSame day

    Required where the company has only one director.

  4. 4

    File Form A1 and the constitution

    FoundingSame day

    Submitted electronically through CORE.

  5. 5

    Certificate of incorporation issued

    The registry5 days

    Standard online registration takes about five working days.

  6. 6

    Register with Revenue and the RBO

    You3 days

    Corporation tax registration through ROS, and beneficial ownership with the RBO within five months.

What you’ll need around it

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These figures are corroborated from current sources but have not been confirmed against the registry in Ireland. Founding is not a law firm and this is not legal or tax advice.