IrelandCompany formation, tax and banking

Why people choose Ireland

• 12.5% tax on trading profits, with access to customers across the EU
• English-speaking, with a legal system much like the UK's
• Banks and big customers accept Irish companies without long explanations
• Gains on selling a qualifying shareholding can be exempt
• Genuine development work can get a 30% R&D tax credit

Where Ireland fits

• EU holding & trading
• IP and software
• Fund ICAVs

Where Ireland fits in a structure

Typical role · Real EU trading and IP company

The Irish company is the business itself: it sells to customers across the EU, can own IP (rights such as your software), and pays 12.5% on its trading profits. It only counts as Irish for tax if it's run from Ireland, with board meetings there and directors who really make the decisions. Ireland is also the home of the ICAV, a fund structure sold to European institutional investors.

What it depends onRevenue only accepts the profits as Irish if the company is really run from Ireland, banks want at least one director living in the EU, and anyone can see who owns the company through the CRO.

A simplified picture to explain the idea, not a recommendation. General information, not tax or legal advice.

Opening a bank account

Irish business banking runs through AIB, Bank of Ireland and a growing number of EU digital banks and payment firms. Opening an account is realistic if at least one director lives in the EU and the business has documented activity in Ireland; if every director lives outside the EU, expect a longer review. We line up the bank before setting up the company, not after.

How tax works here

12.5% on trading profits, 25% on passive income (like rent or interest) and other non-trading income, and 33% on capital gains — though selling a qualifying shareholding can be tax-free under the participation exemption. Genuine development work can get a 30% R&D tax credit. Groups with more than EUR 750m of revenue pay the global 15% minimum (Pillar Two).

Real presence, and who can see the owners

To be Irish tax resident, a company has to be run from Ireland: board meetings held there, directors who really make the decisions, and records to prove it. The real owners are filed with the RBO (beneficial ownership register) and company filings can be searched publicly at the CRO. If you want anonymity, look elsewhere; if you want an EU presence that stands up to scrutiny, look here.

When to choose it

Choose Ireland when you need real access to EU customers, a company to own IP or trade that will stand up to a tax office's pricing review, an aircraft leasing business, or a regulated fund (ICAV/QIAIF) sold to European institutional investors.

You get a written comparison, not a sales pitch.

Every Ireland recommendation comes as a written comparison with the alternatives — whether the setup will stand up to scrutiny, how easy banking will be, which tax treaties apply, who can see the owners, what it costs to run each year and the risk to your reputation — so you can see the trade-offs before you commit.