Company Formation & Entity Setup in Ireland
LTD, DAC and PLC incorporation, Companies Registration Office (CRO) filing, and post-formation compliance setup.
IrelandCurrency
EUR
Legal forms
LTD (Private Company Limited by Shares) · DAC · PLC
Minimum share capital
LTD: none required (typically 100 shares of €1) · PLC: €25,000
Registration body
Companies Registration Office (CRO)
Formation timeline
3–10 working days for an LTD with a standard constitution
Corporate tax rate
12.5% trading income · 25% passive income · 15% minimum effective rate (QDTT) for groups with consolidated revenue ≥ €750M
How company formation works in Ireland
Ireland applies a 12.5% corporate tax rate on trading income (25% on passive, non-trading income), among the lowest headline rates in the OECD, and has built three decades of foreign direct investment policy around that number. Budget 2026 leaves the rate unchanged, but its meaning has narrowed for large groups: under the OECD's Pillar Two framework, companies within groups with consolidated revenue of €750 million or more in at least two of the preceding four years now face a Qualified Domestic Top-Up Tax (QDTT) that brings the effective rate on their Irish profits to 15%, computed and filed as a distinct obligation alongside the standard CT1 return.
Discuss your Ireland market-entry structureMatched to your business objective
LTD (Private Company Limited by Shares)
The standard vehicle for an operating subsidiary of a foreign company — the default choice for most market-entry engagements in Ireland.
DAC
Used for larger operations, more formal governance needs, or entities seeking to raise capital publicly.
PLC
Used for larger operations, more formal governance needs, or entities seeking to raise capital publicly.
Branch
Useful for testing the Ireland market before committing to a subsidiary, or for keeping a single legal entity across borders. Creates a taxable presence — profits are generally taxed in Ireland.
Representative office
For market research and liaison activity only — cannot sign contracts, invoice, or trade locally in most jurisdictions.
What it takes to register, and how long
Formation runs through the Companies Registration Office (CRO), typically taking 3–10 working days for an LTD with a standard constitution.
- Pillar Two scope test — — €750M consolidated group revenue checked annually against the preceding four years, determining whether the separate QDTT return must be filed alongside CT1
- Trading vs passive income split — — the 12.5% rate applies only to trading income; rental and most investment income is taxed at 25%, requiring income to be correctly classified at source
- PRSI rate change mid-year — — employer Class A PRSI rises from 11.25% to 11.40% on 1 October 2026, with a lower 9.15% band for weekly earnings at or below €441, so payroll applies two different rates within the same tax year
- Audit exemption thresholds — raised July 2024 — small company: turnover ≤ €15M, balance sheet ≤ €7.5M, ≤ 50 employees (2 of 3 criteria, both current and prior year); losing the exemption now requires two late CRO filings within five years, not one
Frequently asked questions
Talk to a Ireland formation expert
The 12.5% rate that draws companies to Ireland is not the number that governs a large group's actual liability once Pillar Two applies, and treating it as such is the most common planning error. Groups approaching the €750M consolidated revenue threshold should model the QDTT impact — and the separate filing obligation it creates — well before it applies, not discover it at year-end.