Brexit: Is moving your business from the UK to Ireland easy?

return to office
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A new company can be registered, within a few days in Ireland with the Companies Registration Office, from date of lodgement of incorporation papers. An registered business address, can be procured from an established virtual office provider. Once a company has been established, any subsequent changes, such as the allotment of new shares, changing directors, or amending Memorandum and Articles is easily done in the Companies Registration Office. Making any of these changes does not require physical attendance. Ireland has an ease of doing business not seen in many countries in mainland Europe.

So why choose Ireland?

Ireland’s position displays our openness to trade and investment, a strong commitment to trade liberalisation, our global connectedness and our open society.

  • Despite the ongoing pandemic, Ireland demonstrates on-going, consistent growth with indigenous exports recently increasing by 60% to reach €20.6 billion; we have strong export growth in all geographic territories; our visitor revenues exceeded government targets by 20%; and our foreign direct investment (FDI) targets were exceeded by 30%. Ireland’s competitiveness has increased dramatically, from 17th most competitive in 2013 to 6th in the world in 2017.
  1. With respect to taxation, Ireland has consistent, transparent and long term tax policies:
  • 12.5% corporate tax rate, which is the lowest in Europe. Non-trading revenue is taxed at 25%.
  • Start-ups are exempt from corporation tax for three years where profits are less than €320k.
  • 72 tax treaties including with the US, UK, Australia, China, Canada, Japan and
  • A 25% tax credit is available on qualifying R&D spend – including staff salaries and other direct R&D costs.

By having your UK company or part thereof, set up a sister company in Ireland and registered with the Companies Office in Dublin, your company will be back having a presence in the EU. By using a virtual office service in Dublin, you will have an affordable business presence, without having to rent a physical office.

Once the UK leaves the EU, Ireland will find itself the only English speaking EU member, still sharing many legal and institutional structures with the UK. These advantages may account for an upsurge in the numbers of financial institutions and manufacturing and service providers, inquiring about relocating part or all of their operations to Ireland as a means of staying in the EU.

Ireland has a very attractive business environment, lower corporate tax rates and we have a positive connection with the EU, UK, US and globally. There is an ease of doing business here that is attractive to foreign investors.

Ireland is an obvious partner to do business within the EU and setting up your presence in Dublin by employing virtual office solutions, allows your firm to, not only remain in the EU, but to position your company to attract further investment from within the EU and from outside the EU.

Setting up a limited company in Ireland you need to do is to appoint a director – you need at least one. The director is responsible for managing the company on behalf of its shareholders. In small companies, the directors and shareholders are often the same people. All Irish companies are required to have at least one director who is a resident of an EEA country. If all the directors of your company are based outside of the EEA, then you must purchase a non-EEA residents bond before setting up your company.

You can set up a company without purchasing a bond if there one at least one director who lives in an EEA-state, like Ireland. On the other hand, if there two directors and they both live in a non-EEA country, for example, the USA, then you have to purchase a bond before setting up a Limited Company in Ireland.

Your company requires a registered office address. The registered office is the official, legal address of your company. It must be a physical address located in Ireland and monitored regularly. Our registered business address service ensures your company complies with these laws.