Business accounts: Ireland

Updated 6 October 2026

An honest assessment before work starts, the quote is fixed in writing.

We assess your chances against your profile, prepare the compliance file, help you present your source of funds properly and handle communication with the bank until it decides. The final decision always rests with the bank, and careful preparation improves the odds.

We quote the exact cost for this country after a short consultation: it depends on the bank and your residency. The quote is fixed in writing before work starts.

An Irish company: what you need before the bank

Under the Companies Act 2014 an Irish company must have at least one director resident in the European Economic Area, or else take out an insurance bond under Section 137. The company registers with the Companies Registration Office and files its beneficial owners in a separate register. Corporate tax is 12.5% on trading income and 25% on passive income; groups with revenue of EUR 750 million or more pay at least 15%.

How an Irish bank opens an international business account

Why accounts are declined

• No operations in Ireland, the most common reason for companies with foreign owners.
• No EEA-resident director and no bond in place.
• Beneficial owner details do not match the register.
• An unclear source of capital or business model.

We prepare the file to answer the bank's questions in advance and handle onboarding until the decision. If an Irish bank is unrealistic for your model, we suggest a European payment institution with an Irish or other European account for settlements.

Registration, taxes and duties of an Irish company

• Online registration with the Companies Registration Office costs €50, about $56, and usually takes around 5 business days.
• Beneficial ownership details are filed in a separate register within 5 months of registration.
• A private company must have a secretary and files an annual return with the Companies Registration Office every year; late filing brings penalties and loss of the audit exemption.
• Value added tax is 23% at the standard rate; registration is mandatory from €42,500 annual turnover for services and €85,000 for goods.
• Company deposits, like those of individuals, are protected by the state scheme up to €100,000 per bank.

The dollar amount is converted at the European Central Bank rate of 5 October 2026 and rounded up. If an Irish bank is unrealistic for your model, the Irish company's account can be opened in another country of the Single Euro Payments Area: Irish counterparties must accept it.

The sequence: from registration to the account

1. Company registration with the Companies Registration Office, about 5 business days when filed online.
2. Registration with the tax authority for corporation tax and, if needed, value added tax and as an employer.
3. Beneficial ownership details filed in the register within 5 months.
4. The bank pack: business description, clients, turnover, source of capital, an EEA-resident director or an insurance bond.
5. The bank's review, usually several weeks.

If the company will not do business in Ireland, banks most often refuse it, so we plan real activity in the country before registration.

What we do

• Corporate account - opening assistance

See also

Company formation · Personal account · Investment property · Country taxes · All country programs

FAQ