Ireland Company Formation Cost and First-Year Budget in 2026

An Irish company gives you a 12.5% tax rate on trading profits, a base inside the EU and the euro, and company law in English. The state part of the Ireland company formation cost is small: the CRO charges €50 for Form A1. One director is enough and there is no minimum share capital.

The cost sits in everything around that filing. A sole director cannot be the secretary. At least one director must live in the EEA, or the company needs a €25,000 bond. Directors abroad need an identity number, and the cheapest packages leave most of this out. A late annual return costs €120 on day one.

We keep the numbers simple. Binderr forms the company itself, from €1,899 with the state fee inside: the KYC pack, the constitution, Form A1, the registered office, the company secretary, the beneficial ownership filing and tax registration. One team, one point of contact and no email chains. We confirm your price and first-year budget in writing.

Why the Ireland Company Formation Cost Pays Back

The Ireland company formation cost pays back because the yearly savings can outweigh the setup bill. Trading profits pay 12.5%, the state fee is €50, no capital is locked up, and new companies can claim start-up relief and a 35% R&D credit.

A 12.5% Rate on Trading Profits

Irish companies pay 12.5% corporation tax on trading income. Non-trading income, such as rent, investment returns and interest, pays 25%. Budget 2027, announced on 6 October 2026, keeps the 12.5% rate. It is the main reason so many companies incorporate in Ireland.

A €50 State Fee and No Minimum Capital

The CRO charges €50 to file Form A1, online only. An LTD has no minimum share capital, so most start with 100 shares of €1. One director and one shareholder are enough, with a separate secretary. With us, the €50 sits inside our price.

Start-Up Relief in the First Years

Section 486C gives full relief from corporation tax for the first 5 years where the tax due is €40,000 or less, with marginal relief up to €60,000. The relief is capped by the employer PRSI the company pays, so payroll is what unlocks it. Service companies are excluded. Budget 2027 proposes extending it to trades started by 31 December 2030.

R&D Credit and the Knowledge Development Box

The R&D tax credit stays at 35%, and Budget 2027 proposes raising its first-year payment threshold from €87,500 to €105,000. The Knowledge Development Box taxes qualifying IP profits at an effective 10%, with a proposed extension to 1 January 2032. Both need records from day one.

Read more: benefits of setting up a company in Ireland.

Cost of Setting Up a Limited Company in Ireland vs Other Types

The cost of setting up a limited company in Ireland is the lowest of the main company types. An LTD needs one director and no minimum capital, and it can use the CRO's fastest online scheme. The other types add directors, capital or risk.

Private Company Limited by Shares (LTD)

The LTD is what most founders need, and what our price from €1,899 covers. It has 1 to 149 members, one director and a separate company secretary. Its constitution has no objects clause, so the company can do anything lawful. See how to set up a limited company in Ireland.

DAC and CLG Company Costs

A designated activity company (DAC) keeps an objects clause, and a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is the other common type. Both need two directors, so you pay for two identity checks. One of them can act as secretary, since section 129(6) bars only a sole director. We quote both with your setup.

Public Limited Company (PLC)

A PLC needs at least €25,000 of share capital allotted, with at least 25% paid up before it trades. That is at least €6,250 in cash before day one, and a PLC cannot use the Fé Phráinn scheme. Choose one only with a clear reason.

Branch of a Foreign Company

A foreign company registers an Irish branch under Part 21 within 30 days, on Form F12 for an EEA parent or F13 for a non-EEA parent. A branch has no separate legal personality, so the parent is liable for its debts. See our EU branch vs subsidiary guide.

Sole Trader

A sole trader is not a company. A trading name needs Form RBN1, at €20 online or €40 on paper, with no protection against others using it. Profits are taxed as personal income. See setting up as a sole trader in Ireland.

Ireland Company Formation Cost for Non-Residents

The Ireland company formation cost for non-residents is the same price from €1,899, plus up to two extras. If no director lives in the EEA, the company needs a Section 137 bond at about €1,500 to €1,970 for two years. A director without a PPS number signs Form VIF in person.

Section 137 requires at least one director resident in an EEA member state, or a €25,000 bond in force for at least two years. The bond stands behind fines under the Companies Act 2014 and penalties under the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997. It is not a deposit and it is not refunded. We arrange it, and its cost sits on top of our price.

Budget the renewal at the end of year two. Later, a company with a real and continuous link to economic activity in Ireland can apply for a section 140 certificate on Form B67 instead. Our page on non-resident director rules for Irish companies explains each option.

Since 11 June 2023, every director on Form A1 must give a PPS number or file Form VIF for an Identified Person Number (IPN). Since 30 April 2026, the CRO no longer accepts VIF forms witnessed online, so you sign in the same room as your witness. That costs a local appointment, not a trip to Dublin.

Tax residence advice is worth paying for. A company incorporated in Ireland is Irish resident by default, but your home country can claim it if decisions are made there, and its CFC rules can tax the profits.

Read more: Ireland company formation for non-residents and Irish company formation requirements.

What Drives the Cost for Different Businesses

What your business does drives the cost of an Irish company more than the formation does. Accounting, VAT, payroll and banking make up most of year one. Two companies with the same formation price can end the year thousands of euros apart.

Software and SaaS Companies

A software company can report EU sales through the VAT One Stop Shop. The bigger cost is records, because the R&D credit and the Knowledge Development Box need proof from day one. See tech and startup company formation in Ireland.

Ecommerce and Trading Companies

An online shop registers for VAT once its sales of goods pass €85,000 in a rolling 12 months. Staff add employer PAYE from the first pay date and a €14.94 minimum wage from 1 January 2027. A trading company with real banking and VAT runs at about €5,000 to €9,000 in year one.

Consultancies and Service Companies

A close service company pays a surcharge of 15% on half of its undistributed trading income, and it gets no start-up relief. Plan dividends with the accounts each year.

Holding Companies

A holding company with no trade runs at about €3,500 to €6,500 in year one. From 1 January 2025, it can receive dividends exempt from a subsidiary held at 5% or more for at least 12 months in the EU, the EEA or a treaty country. Ireland has 78 signed tax treaties, 75 in effect. See Ireland holding company formation.

Regulated and High-Risk Businesses

Regulated and high-risk companies are quoted separately, because the licence application, capital, substance and specialist banking drive the price. See EMI licence and payment company setup in Ireland for one example.

Company Registration Cost in Ireland Step by Step

The company registration cost in Ireland at the CRO is €50, and that fee is inside our price from €1,899. Most other steps carry no state fee at all. Here is what each step costs and what we do for you.

Before You Start

Decide four things first, because each one changes the cost to register a company in Ireland: the company type, whether a director lives in the EEA, who holds more than 25% of the shares, and what the company will do.

We Check and Reserve the Name

The name check costs nothing. A reservation costs €25 for 28 days on CORE, the CRO's online system. The incorporation fee drops by €25 if we file within that time, so the reservation adds no net cost. See Irish company name registration and availability check.

We File the Constitution and Form A1

We draft the constitution and file Form A1 on CORE, with the €50 fee paid from our price. With a standard constitution approved in advance, the Fé Phráinn scheme applies and the CRO aims to issue the certificate within 5 working days. Our Ireland company registration process guide shows each stage.

We Arrange Form VIF Where Needed

A director without a PPS number signs Form VIF with a witness in the same room. We prepare it. Your cost is a local appointment and your time.

We File the RBO Return and Register for Tax

The first beneficial ownership filing is inside our price and is due within 5 months of incorporation. Tax registration needs the CRO number, so we do it straight after the certificate, through ROS eRegistration or Form TR2. One registration covers corporation tax, VAT and employer PAYE.

We Prepare the Bank File

We build the bank file from the same KYC pack, so nothing is paid for twice. See Ireland company formation with bank account.

Documents Needed and What They Cost to Prepare

Most documents cost nothing but your time. The cost of registering a company in Ireland rises only when documents need certifying, translating or ordering from a foreign registry. We send one list at the start, so nothing is prepared or paid for twice.

• A passport for each director, shareholder and beneficial owner
• Recent proof of home address for each of them
• A PPS number for each director, or a signed Form VIF
• The shareholders and the number of shares each one holds
• For a company shareholder, its incorporation papers and ownership chain

Certified copies and translations are the main costs, and both depend on your country. Company shareholders cost the most, because we trace ownership up to the people above 25%. A mismatch in names or addresses sends the file back. Our list of documents needed to open a business bank account shows how the same pack serves the bank.

Ireland Company Formation Cost Breakdown for 2026

Ireland company formation costs from €1,899 with us, and a simple company spends about €3,500 to €7,500 in its first year. The bond, an audit or a licence come on top only where they apply. Below is every line, when it is paid and what it costs.

Our price starts from €1,899 for a standard LTD, paid once. It includes structure advice, the KYC pack, the constitution, Form A1, the €50 CRO filing fee, the registered office and company secretary at formation, and the first beneficial ownership filing. Tax registration is handled as part of the setup. Funds, regulated firms, trusts and high-risk activities are quoted separately and cost more.

Published Irish packages run from under €100 plus VAT for a bare registration to about €800 to €2,000 for full service, or roughly €2,000 to €4,000 with a non-EEA bond. Bare packages cover the CRO filing only and leave out the secretary, the office, the RBO filing, tax registration and the bond. See cheap company formation in Ireland and company formation agents in Ireland.

The company set up cost in Ireland is the one fixed line in this table. The rest moves with your accounting work, the bond and your banking. The first annual return costs €20, but €120 on the first day late.

First-Year Cost by Company Profile

Your company profile decides where in that range you land.

The trading company and the non-EEA director profiles cost the most. One pays for VAT, payroll and a busy account all year, and the other carries the bond. A resident founder sits at the low end.

Costs in Year Two and Beyond

The cost of an Irish company drops in year two, because the formation price is paid once. The office and secretary renewal, the €20 annual return, and the bookkeeping and CT1 stay, and later returns carry financial statements. The bond renews after two years where no director lives in the EEA. Director and office changes are free online. An audit applies only once the company passes the small company limits.

What Mistakes Cost

A late annual return costs €120 on the first day, then €3 a day up to €1,200 per return, and the fee is not tax deductible. File late more than once in 5 years, and the company loses audit exemption for two years under section 22 of the Companies (Corporate Governance, Enforcement and Regulatory Provisions) Act 2024. Undistributed profits in a close company can also carry a 20% or 15% surcharge.

Read more: company formation costs and the European company formation cost comparison.

How Long Ireland Company Formation Takes

Ireland company formation takes about 1 week with us once your file is complete. The CRO aims to issue the certificate within 5 working days on the Fé Phráinn scheme and within 10 working days on the ordinary online scheme. These are CRO targets, not guarantees, so we plan around them.

Most of the time goes into preparing the file. A Form VIF signature, certified copies, translations and company shareholder papers can each add days, and tax registration waits for the CRO number. If you run the setup from abroad, see how to register a company in Ireland online.

Tax Costs After Company Registration in Ireland

Tax is the largest running cost of a profitable Irish company. Trading profits pay 12.5% corporation tax and non-trading income pays 25%. VAT applies once sales pass €42,500 for services or €85,000 for goods, and payroll taxes apply as soon as the company pays anyone, directors included.

The CT1 date and the VAT thresholds set the calendar for most small companies. A business not established in Ireland that makes taxable supplies here must register for VAT regardless of turnover. Pillar Two's 15% minimum applies only to groups with revenue of €750 million or more, and the Department of Finance has said over 99% of companies in Ireland are outside it. If your group is based abroad, see tax advisors for foreign companies setting up in Ireland.

Business Banking Costs for Irish Companies

Business banking for an Irish company costs from a few euros a quarter at a high street bank to about €30 to €100 a month with our banking partners. Irish banks review new companies with owners abroad over weeks. Our partners open accounts in days.

AIB's business fee schedule effective 1 July 2026 charges €4.50 per quarter for account maintenance and 1.75% of the euro value on non-euro debit card purchases. A euro-only company with a director in Ireland may find that the cheapest option. Irish banks usually want an Irish-resident director and local activity, and rarely explain a refusal. See business bank accounts in Ireland for new companies.

Lower Banking Costs Through Our Banking Partners

Our regulated banking partners open multi-currency accounts in days, remotely, with no minimum balance. International payments cost about €5 to €25 to send and €5 or less to receive, and FX runs about 0.25% to 1.0% over the interbank rate. We prepare the file and make the introduction. See business bank account vs EMI account for how these accounts differ.

For a company that sells in several currencies, FX and the time to open usually cost more than the monthly fee.

Ireland vs the UK, Malta and the Isle of Man on Cost

Ireland is not the cheapest place to form a company, but it pairs EU membership with a 12.5% rate on trading profits. With us, a UK company starts from €350 and an Isle of Man LLC from €1,499, both outside the EU. Malta starts from €1,299 inside the EU, but its low rate arrives as a refund.

The cost of company formation in Ireland is higher than in the UK, but the yearly tax and EU access decide the total. Ireland suits an EU trading company that wants a simple rate and English.

Ireland vs the UK

The UK is the cheapest start, from €350 with us including the £100 Companies House fee. It needs no company secretary and has no director residency rule, so there is no bond, but it is outside the EU. See the cost of setting up a limited company in the UK.

Ireland vs Malta

Malta starts from €1,299 with us and is in the EU, like Ireland. Its 35% headline rate falls to about 5% effective only after the 6/7ths refund to shareholders on a dividend. Ireland's 12.5% applies directly to trading profits. See how much a Malta company costs.

Ireland vs the Isle of Man

An Isle of Man LLC starts from €1,499 with us and pays 0% on most activities. It is outside the EU, so it suits holding and non-EU trading, while Ireland suits selling into the EU. See how much an Isle of Man company costs.

Who an Irish Company Is Too Expensive For

An Irish company is too expensive for anyone who will not use its tax rate or its EU access. The secretary, the office, the annual return and the accounts cost money every year, whether the company trades or not.

A dormant company kept only to hold a name pays those costs for nothing, while a business name on Form RBN1 costs €20. A company that only holds investments pays 25%, plus a 20% surcharge on undistributed income in a close company. A founder outside the EEA who wants neither an EEA-resident director nor the bond cannot meet section 137, while a UK company from €350 has no residency rule. Our guide to UK company formation for non-residents covers that route.

Common Cost Mistakes When Setting Up a Company in Ireland

Most mistakes with the cost of setting up a company in Ireland come from planning for the formation fee and not the year that follows. Each of the four below has a price and an easy fix you can apply before you file.

Budgeting Only the Formation Fee

Many founders compare headline package prices and pick the lowest. Bare registration packages start under €100 plus VAT, but they cover the CRO filing only. The secretary, the registered office, the RBO filing, tax registration and the bond then arrive as separate bills, at published prices of about €200 to €375 plus VAT a year for the office and €200 to €600 plus VAT for the secretary. Ireland company formation costs are one line of a first year that runs about €3,500 to €7,500. Budget from the full cost table, and get one written price.

Forgetting the Two-Year Bond Renewal

The Section 137 bond stays in force for a minimum of two years, and many founders budget only the first term. If no director lives in the EEA at the end of year two, the company needs another bond, at about €1,500 to €1,970 on published broker prices. Without it, the company no longer meets section 137. Put the renewal date and the cost in your budget from day one. An EEA-resident director on the board removes the need for the bond, and so does a section 140 certificate once the company qualifies.

Paying 25% on Income Planned as Trading

Some founders plan on 12.5% and then earn mostly rent, interest or investment returns. That income pays 25%, and so do excepted trades. On €100,000 of profit, that is €25,000 of tax instead of €12,500. A company run from abroad can also be claimed as resident by the founder's home country, where CFC rules can tax its profits. Before you file, set out what the company will sell and where the board will decide. Then check the treatment with a tax adviser, so the first contract fits the 12.5% rate.

Leaving Profits Undistributed in a Service Company

Consultants often leave profits in the company to build a cash reserve, then find a surcharge on the next tax bill. A close service company pays a surcharge of 15% on half of its undistributed trading income, and rental or investment income left in a close company pays 20%. Service companies are also excluded from start-up relief, so nothing offsets the surcharge. Distributing within 18 months of the end of the accounting period removes it. Plan dividends with your accountant each year, and keep only the cash the business needs.

Bottom Line

An Irish company is worth its cost when you will use the 12.5% rate on trading profits and the access to the EU and the euro. The Ireland company formation cost with us starts from €1,899. The €50 CRO fee, the officers at formation and the first filings are inside it.

Plan for the full first year, not only the company formation cost in Ireland. A simple company spends about €3,500 to €7,500 in year one. Add the Section 137 bond at about €1,500 to €1,970 if no director lives in the EEA, and renew it every two years. Add an audit only if the company passes the small company limits or loses its exemption.

The costs people miss come from deadlines: €120 for a late annual return on day one, and the loss of audit exemption after a second late filing in 5 years.

We form the company ourselves, confirm one price in writing and handle every filing. For the full process, read our Ireland company formation guide. Then tell us what you plan to do, and we build your budget.

Sources

• CRO, Company fees: Form A1 at €50 electronic only, Form B1 at €20 and late filing fees.
• CRO, Company registration methods: name reservation at €25 for 28 days and the 5 and 10 working day targets.
• CRO, Audit exemption: small company limits and loss of exemption for late filing.
• CRO, European Economic Area resident director (Leaflet 17): the EEA director rule and the €25,000 bond.
• CRO, VIF form amendment and update, 30 April 2026: in-person witnessing of Form VIF.
• Revenue, Corporation tax basis of charge: the 12.5% and 25% rates.
• Revenue, Tax relief for new start-up companies: section 486C limits and exclusions.
• Revenue, Close company surcharge: the 20% and 15% surcharges.
• Department of Finance, Budget 2027 Tax Policy Changes: proposed thresholds, extensions and the 2027 minimum wage.
• AIB, Business Fees and Charges, effective 1 July 2026: account maintenance and non-euro card fees.