Form Your Irish Company, From Anywhere

Ireland offers one of the lowest corporate tax rates in the EU – 12.5% on trading income – combined with full EU single market access, a common law legal system, an English-speaking workforce, and a well-established infrastructure for foreign direct investment. It's home to the European headquarters of many of the world's largest technology and pharmaceutical companies, and has a strong track record supporting cross-border businesses. Ireland also offers additional incentives including a 30% R&D tax credit and a Knowledge Development Box rate of 6.25% on qualifying intellectual property income.

Commenda manages the entire incorporation process – from choosing between an LTD and DAC, to preparing IPN forms, arranging the Section 137 Bond, CRO filing, registered office setup, beneficial ownership registration, VAT registration support, and banking guidance. We work with Irish legal and accounting professionals so your entity is correctly established from day one, without the complexity of navigating Irish compliance requirements alone.

Irish incorporations typically take 6–8 weeks end to end. The pacing items are the IPN (Identified Person Number) forms – which must be wet-signed and notarized by each director and shareholder – and, where no EEA-resident director exists, arranging the Section 137 Bond before the CRO application can be filed. Commenda coordinates every step and tracks the timeline in your dashboard.

Irish companies must have at least one EEA-resident director. If none of your directors are EEA-resident, a Section 137 Bond satisfies the requirement – we arrange the bond as part of the incorporation package, and it remains effective for two years. Without either an EEA director or the bond, the company cannot be incorporated. Note that for bank account setup, a local director is highly recommended: in our experience both traditional and fintech banks tend to reject applications without one.

No physical presence is required to incorporate – Commenda supports fully remote formations, from entity registration through tax setup, registered office services, and banking guidance. One caveat: regulated businesses and companies requiring product or industry-specific licences are often expected to maintain genuine local operations in Ireland (a local employee, management presence, or physical office); a virtual office or PO Box is generally not sufficient for licensing purposes.

Yes – every Irish company must have a registered office address in Ireland. This address is listed on the public CRO register and used for official correspondence from the CRO and Revenue. Commenda provides a registered office address in Dublin as part of the incorporation package.

After incorporating, your entity must file an annual return with the CRO (Form B1, within 56 days of the Annual Return Date), prepare and submit audited or unaudited financial statements, and file a Corporation Tax return (Form CT1) with Revenue each year. Beneficial ownership must be registered with the RBO within 30 days of incorporation. VAT filings apply if your turnover exceeds the relevant threshold (€80,000 for goods, €40,000 for services). Commenda's managed compliance service keeps you on top of every deadline – so your entity stays in good standing and you avoid late filing penalties.

Yes – there are no nationality or residency requirements to own shares in an Irish LTD or DAC. Foreign nationals and foreign-incorporated entities can be 100% shareholders. The only structural requirement is the EEA-resident director rule, which the Section 137 Bond in our package addresses. Commenda's team helps you structure ownership correctly for your cross-border situation.