Companies Registration Office (Ireland) Explained

The Companies Registration Office (CRO; Irish: An Oifig um Chlárú Cuideachtaí) registers and incorporates companies in Ireland and files their annual returns.^[1]

The CRO has a number of core functions:^[2]

• The incorporation of companies.
• The receipt and registration of post incorporation documents.
• The enforcement of the Companies Acts in relation to the filing obligations of companies.
• Making information on companies available to the public.

It also registers the names of businesses which are non-limited trading entities such as sole traders and partnerships.

It also has the Office of the Registry of Friendly Societies which registers Industrial & Provident Societies, Friendly Societies and trade unions.

In 2019, the Register of Beneficial Ownership was introduced into Ireland. That was implemented on the back of the EU’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which essentially requires all member states to hold adequate, accurate and current information of all beneficial owners. A beneficial owner is someone who owns more than 25% of a company.^[3]

See also

• List of Irish companies
• List of company registers

External links

• Official site - includes company search facility

Notes and References

1. https://cro.ie/ Companies Registration Office
2. Web site: Companies Registration Office (CRO) . dbei.gov.ie. en. 2020-04-06.
3. Web site: Company Formations Ireland : The Comprehensive Guide . 2020-01-30. my-tax.ie. en. 2020-04-07.