Question 1

How do I get a VAT number for my Ireland company? Ireland? What is the VAT rate? What is the VAT filing cycle?

Accepted Answer

If you need to register an Ireland company for a VAT number, you will need to prove that your company has an annual turnover of more than €37,500 if you are a service company. If you are a trading company or a sales type company you will need to show that your annual turnover exceeds €75,000. In addition to this, the company will need to have an Irish resident as a director or employee and you will need to prove that the company has a physical presence in Ireland. The rate of VAT in Ireland is 23% and the filing cycle is generally bi-monthly, however, if your company has an annual VAT liability of between €3,001 and €14,400, you can apply to the Irish Revenue to file a return every four months. If your annual tax liability is €3,000 or less, you can file every six months.

Question 2

Do Ireland companies need to file income tax returns?What is the income tax rate? When do I need to file an income tax return?

Accepted Answer

The Ireland income tax rate is 12.5%. Irish companies must file their financial statements and pay any tax due within nine months of the end of their financial year (generally January 1 to December 31). The company must make this payment on or before the 23rd day of the ninth month. An additional audit of the financial statements is required if your company meets two of the following three conditions.
1. an annual turnover of more than €8.8 million
2. a balance sheet total of more than €4.4 million
3. the total number of employees exceeds 50.

Question 3

Why might an Irish company's VAT or Corporation Tax registration be rejected, and in what order should tax numbers be obtained?

Accepted Answer

An Irish VAT/Corporation Tax (CIT) registration can be rejected if the directors do not have a PPSN. The directors must first obtain a PPSN; without it the company's CIT number cannot be applied for, so the PPSN application should be started early. A dormant company does not need a CIT number for now, and VAT registration is only required once turnover reaches the Irish VAT thresholds; below the threshold a company can defer VAT registration.

Question 4

If the login credentials to an Irish company's ROS (Revenue Online Service) account are lost, can they be recovered and how long does it take?

Accepted Answer

Yes. If nobody has the company's existing ROS account / electronic-signature login, Revenue can reset it. The reset typically takes around two weeks, which extends the timeline for any filings (e.g. CT1, dissolution) that depend on ROS access.

Question 5

What does the Irish 46G third-party payment return require, and what is the reporting threshold?

Accepted Answer

The Irish 46G return reports third-party payments for services where the total annual amount paid to a single payee exceeds 6,000 EUR. For each reportable payee you must provide their name, address, tax number (if any) and the invoice. It is filed alongside the final CT1, for example as part of a dissolution package.

Question 6

To dissolve an Irish company, what tax and compliance items must be completed?

Accepted Answer

Closing an Irish company typically requires: confirming all prior-year CT1 corporation tax returns were filed (with carried-forward loss balances); filing the final CT1 and 46G; de-registering payroll/PAYE (providing the employer PAYE registration number, final payslips/P45, and confirming the last payroll return); confirming VAT status / de-registration if VAT-registered; setting a formal cessation date; and obtaining a Letter of No Objection / H15 from Revenue. Final closing bank statements are also required.

Question 7

What are the risks of leaving a company with a nominee director unattended (no accounting or tax filings, outdated registered address) for a long time?

Accepted Answer

If a company is left unmanaged for an extended period, the nominee director may submit a resignation letter to limit their exposure. Inaction can create legal and litigation risk, and once the company no longer has a resident (EU) director, it can no longer continue operating. Outstanding obligations — such as updating the registered address and bringing accounting and tax filings up to date — must be resolved to keep the company in good standing.

Question 8

Why might a company that has ceased operations still receive a tax collection/enforcement bill from Irish Revenue?

Accepted Answer

Even after a company stops trading, Revenue can issue a mandatory collection/enforcement order for unpaid tax if returns were not filed for the cessation period. If no one continued filing after operations stopped, estimated/assessed amounts (e.g. preliminary corporation tax) can accrue and be pursued for the relevant tax periods until the company is properly de-registered and a cessation date is recorded.

Question 9

What happens if an Irish company's annual returns are overdue, and can they be filed without director identity numbers?

Accepted Answer

Overdue annual returns put an Irish company out of good standing and incur escalating CRO late-filing penalties. If the annual return is late for two consecutive periods, audited accounts become mandatory for the affected year-ends. The returns also cannot be filed without each director's PPSN, RBO number, or IPN; if this identity information is missing the CRO simply rejects the filing.