Starting a business in Ireland: plain guides

Starting a business: all 8 guides

• How to start a business in Ireland

  The steps are: pick a structure, register for tax with Revenue, register the business name if it is not your own, then sort the bank account...

• How to register a business

  Registering a business can mean three different things in Ireland: registering for tax with Revenue, registering a business name with the Companies...

• Sole trader or limited company

  A sole trader is personally responsible for the business and pays income tax, USC and PRSI on all of its profit. A limited company is a separate...

• Self-employed: tax, PRSI and benefits

  If you are self-employed you pay income tax, USC and Class S PRSI on your profit, once a year, through Revenue's self-assessment system. The date...

• Start Your Own Business courses

  Local Enterprise Offices run short Start Your Own Business courses that finish with a draft business plan. The ones we checked in October 2026 cost...

• Business plan template

  There is no single official business plan format in Ireland. One plan with nine parts and a 12-month cashflow covers what the Department of Social...

• 12-month cashflow forecast

  A cashflow forecast is a table of the money you expect to come in and go out, month by month, with the bank balance at the end of each month. Lenders...

• How to get a business loan

  A lender is asking one question: can this business repay the money? Everything you send is evidence for the answer. Central Bank rules also give a...