Company Establishment Consultancy
Form an Irish limited company — CRO, Revenue, and banking handled by K&L Global from Ennis, Clare
Company Establishment Consultancy — Ireland
K&L Global is based in Ennis, County Clare. Ireland is our home market. We form Irish limited companies through the Companies Registration Office (CRO), register clients for corporation tax, VAT, and PAYE with Revenue, and co-ordinate business banking from day one.
Which company type do you need?
The Companies Act 2014 provides several company types. The following two are relevant to the vast majority of our clients.
Private Company Limited by Shares — LTD1 director (EEA-resident or bond) 1 shareholder No minimum capital (€1 sufficient) Formation: 3–10 days Best for trading & subsidiaries Flexible and widely used *Source: https://www.cro.ie; https://revisedacts.lawreform.ie/eli/2014/act/38/front/revised/en/html (Companies Act 2014) | Designated Activity Company — DAC2 directors + company secretary 1 shareholder No minimum capital Formation: 3–10 days Best for structured / restricted activities Preferred for JVs & investor control |
Section 137 Bond — what it is and when you need itEvery Irish LTD must have at least one EEA-resident director (an EEA national who lives in an EEA country, including Ireland). If none of the directors is EEA-resident, the company must take out a Section 137 bond — a two-year insurance bond of €25,000 purchased from an approved insurer. The bond does not restrict the company's activities; it is a regulatory requirement only. K&L Global advises on EEA director requirements at the start of every formation engagement and can assist with sourcing a Section 137 bond where needed. |
What K&L Global does — step by step
Step 1: Company name check and reservation We check name availability on CORE (https://core.cro.ie). A name cannot be identical or too similar to an existing registered name. Certain words (such as "Bank", "Insurance", "National") require ministerial consent. We advise on name selection before you commit.
Step 2: Prepare incorporation documents We prepare the Form A1 (Application for Registration of a Company) and the company's constitution. For most LTDs, we use the standard Schedule 1 constitution. Where a client requires specific provisions — such as restrictions on share transfers, reserved matters, or drag-along rights — we prepare a bespoke constitution.
Step 3: Submit to the CRO through CORE We submit the complete incorporation package electronically through CORE. The CRO typically processes standard applications within 3–5 business days; complex or bespoke constitutions may take up to 10 business days.
Step 4: Certificate of Incorporation received The CRO issues a Certificate of Incorporation confirming the company number and the date of incorporation. This is the founding document of the company and is required for every subsequent regulatory registration and bank account opening.
Step 5: Revenue registrations Within 30 days of commencing to trade, the company must register for corporation tax with Revenue. If turnover will exceed the relevant threshold, VAT registration is required before the first VAT-bearing invoice is issued. Where the company will employ staff, PAYE/PRSI registration is required before the first payroll run. We handle all three registrations through Revenue's Online Service (ROS).
Step 6: Company seal and statutory books Irish companies are required to maintain statutory registers (members' register, directors' register, etc.) from incorporation. We set up the statutory books and advise on whether a company seal is required.
Step 7: Bank account introduction See the separate Bank Accounts page for full detail. We prepare the document pack and make the bank introduction immediately after the Certificate of Incorporation is received.
Key facts (2026) — Irish company and tax overview
Category | Details | Notes |
Corporation Tax (Trading Income) | 12.5% | Applies to active trading income (*) |
Corporation Tax (Passive / Non-Trading) | 25% | Applies to rental, investment, and interest income (*) |
Capital Gains Tax (CGT) | 33% | Standard corporate CGT rate (*) |
Knowledge Development Box (KDB) | 6.25% effective rate | Applies to qualifying IP income (*) |
R&D Tax Credit | 30% of qualifying expenditure | Payable credit if no tax liability (*) |
Pillar Two Minimum Tax | 15% | Applies to MNE groups ≥ €750M revenue; SMEs excluded; first return due June 2026 (*) |
VAT — Standard Rate | 23% | Reduced rates: 13.5%, 9%, 4.8%, 0% (*) |
VAT Threshold — Goods | €85,000 annual turnover | Registration threshold (*) |
VAT Threshold — Services | €42,500 annual turnover | Registration threshold (*) |
Stamp Duty — Commercial Property | 7.5% | Applies to commercial property transactions (*) |
Stamp Duty — Residential Property | 1% up to €1M; 2% above | Tiered structure (*) |
Double Taxation Treaties | 73+ countries | Ireland treaty network (*) |
CRO Filing Deadline (Annual Return B1) | 28 days after ARD | Statutory filing deadline (*) |
Practical timeline
Stage | Typical time from document receipt |
Name check and confirmation | 1 business day |
Form A1 and constitution prepared | 1–2 business days |
CRO submission | Same day as documents approved |
Certificate of Incorporation received | 3–5 business days (standard) |
Revenue CT/VAT/PAYE registration | 2–3 business days after incorporation |
Bank account application submitted | Immediately after incorporation |
Bank account open | 1–4 weeks (depends on bank and KYC process) |
Total from start to trading | ~3–5 weeks (from receipt of complete documents) |
Delays most commonly occur when: a non-EEA director is involved and the Section 137 bond is needed; the company name requires ministerial consent; or documents arrive with errors or missing items.
Post-formation compliance calendar (Year 1 — December year-end)
Obligation | Deadline | Authority |
Register for Corporation Tax | Within 30 days of commencing to trade | Revenue |
VAT registration (if threshold exceeded) | Before first VAT invoice | Revenue |
PAYE registration (if employing) | Before first payroll run | Revenue |
First VAT return (bi-monthly, default) | 23rd of the month after each period end | Revenue |
Annual Return (B1) — first return | 6 months after incorporation (no accounts required) | CRO |
Corporation tax preliminary tax payment | 31 October of the tax year | Revenue |
Corporation tax final return + payment | 23rd of 9th month after year-end | Revenue |
Annual Return (B1) with financial statements | Within 28 days of ARD | CRO |
*Source: https://www.revenue.ie; https://www.cro.ie