Starting a business

If you are thinking about starting a business, there are supports to help you plan, set up and get funding.

Before you get started, you need to:

• Decide on your legal structure (sole trader, partnership, or limited company)
• Register for tax
• Understand your responsibilities as an employer (if hiring)
• Find the right support and funding options

You can read more about becoming self-employed, or visit our page about sources of information on starting a business.

You can also visit your Local Enterprise Office for advice on how to start, grow and develop your business. There are 31 Local Enterprise Offices in Ireland who work with micro-enterprises, sole traders and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Enterprise Ireland gives support and advice to larger start-ups and SMEs. Find more below on ‘Where to get advice on starting a business’.

If you are a foreign national

If you are from the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, or are a UK citizen, you do not need permission to set up a business in Ireland.

If you are not a EU/EEA or Swiss national, or a UK citizen and you want to open a business or invest in Ireland, you can apply for permission under the Start Up Entrepreneur Programme.

Read more about coming to set up a business or invest in Ireland.

You can set up your business as:

• A sole trader
• A partnership
• A limited company

Which legal structure is best depends on the kind of business you are running, who you will do business with, and your attitude to risk.

You should get advice from a solicitor or accountant when considering the structure for your business. Get contact details for solicitors in Ireland on the Law Society website.

Sole trader

As a sole trader, you are ‘self-employed’, you work for yourself and you are personally responsible for the business.

You must register as a self-employed person with Revenue (see the section on ‘Tax and PRSI’ below).

You can trade under your own name or, if you want to use a business name, you must register your business name with the Companies Registration Office (CRO).

If your business fails, your personal assets could be used to pay your debts.

Partnership

A partnership is where you set up your business with one or more people (known as ‘partners’). Each partner is jointly responsible for running the business, and each partner must pay income tax, PRSI and USC on their share of the profits.

If the business fails, all partners are jointly responsible for the debt.

Your partnership agreement should be drawn up by a solicitor.

Limited company

If you set up your business as a limited company, you and your business are separate legal entities. In general, this means that you are not personal responsible for company debts.

To set up a limited company, you must register with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Your company must then return reports and accounts to the CRO each year. Register your business name and file your company returns online using the CRO’s CORE (Companies Online Registration Environment).

Read about the requirements for different types of companies on the CRO website.

If you are starting a business, you can apply for funding and grants from a range of sources.

Microfinance Ireland

Small Business Cashflow Loans from €2,000 to €50,000 are available through Microfinance Ireland (MFI), to business that can’t get loans from banks or other commercial finance providers.

The loan terms are typically 3 years and there is a 1% discount on the APR Rate if you apply through your Local Enterprise Office. Once all documents are received, you will have a credit decision within 10 working days.

The loans are open to sole traders, partnerships, and limited companies with fewer than 10 full-time employees and annual turnover of up to €2 million. You can apply through the MFI website or through your Local Enterprise Office.

Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs)

Your Local Enterprise Office offers a range of financial supports, depending on your business needs. For example:

Enterprise Ireland

Enterprise Ireland helps Irish businesses to start-up and expand. It offers a range of financial supports, depending on your business needs. For example:

SEAI

You can also apply to the SEAI for business grants, specifically to reduce your business’ carbon footprint. For example:

Read more about the supports for businesses going green.

Government funding for employers

The Government has a number of financial schemes to help employers. Depending on your circumstances and the type of employees you hire, you may be eligible for:

• JobsPlus
• Community Services Programme
• Wage Subsidy Scheme for people with disabilities
• Work and Access - Workplace Adaptation Grant
• The gender-based bursary for apprenticeships

Get more information about funding from your Local Enterprise Office or your local Intreo centre.

You may also be eligible for tax relief – check ‘Tax, PRSI and employing staff’ below.

If you are unemployed

If you are unemployed and want to start a business, you may qualify for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) or the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA).

You may also get extra supports under these schemes, such as grants for training, market research and business plans, as well as access to loans to buy equipment. Contact your local Intreo centre for more information.

If you are a sole trader or have an SME and your application for credit is refused by one of the participating banks, you can apply to the Credit Review Office to have your case reviewed witin 28 days.

To be eligible for a review, your application must be in writing. Download the application form for a credit review (pdf) from the Credit Review Office website.

The fee for the review ranges from €100 to €250, depending on the value of the loan.

Get free financial advice

If you are struggling with business debt, you can get free advice and assistance on your business affairs from the Chartered Accountants Voluntary Advice service (CAVA).

Contact your local Citizens Information Service or Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) to see if they offer the CAVA service.

You can also read FAQs about CAVA’s service on their website.

Paying tax and getting tax relief

How your business is taxed depends on which legal structure you chose.

• Sole traders - pay tax through the self-assessment system
• Limited companies - pay corporation tax

Read more about tax for self-employed people, or visit Revenue's website for information on registering for tax.

Earned Income tax credit

In 2025, self-employed people can claim an Earned Income tax credit of €2,000. This tax credit is also available for business owners or managers who are not eligible for a PAYE credit on their salary income.

If a taxpayer also qualifies for the PAYE tax credit, the combined value of these 2 tax credits cannot exceed €2,000.

SURE tax refund

The Start Up Refunds for Entrepreneurs (SURE) is a tax refund scheme that allows eligible people to get a refund of up to 41% of the capital they invest in starting a business.

Under the SURE scheme, you may be entitled to a refund of PAYE income tax that you paid in the year you invested and the 6 years before that.

See Revenue's website for more details on the SURE scheme.

Start-up companies

New companies may get tax relief on the first 5 years of corporation tax. The value of the relief will be linked to the amount of employers’ PRSI paid by a company in an accounting period, up to a maximum of €5,000 per employee and €1,000 per director.

Paying PRSI

If you are self-employed, you pay Class S social insurance contributions. You can read more about PRSI for the Self-Employed (pdf) from the Department of Social Protection.

Employing staff

If you are starting a business and decide to recruit staff, you must register for PAYE and PRSI with Revenue.

You can find information about employers' obligations in Ireland. You can also read the Workplace Relations Commission’s (WRC’s) guide for employers who are starting a new business with a paid employee (pdf).

Or, visit our pages about:

• Contracts of employment
• Minimum wage
• Payslips
• Social insurance (PRSI)
• Leave and holidays
• Health and safety at work
• Data protection in the workplace

Local Enterprise Office

If you need help planning your business, or need advice about how to get started, contact your Local Enterprise Office.

Local Enterprise Offices support businesses that are starting up or in development. They can help you to stimulate economic activity at a local level and promote your microenterprise (with 10 or fewer employees).

Visit the Local Enterprise website for information on:

• Training programmes
• Start-your-own-business courses
• Mentoring
• Financial supports

New Frontiers

You can also apply to New Frontiers, a national development programme for early-stage entrepreneurs. The programme involves practical and interactive workshops, as well as one-to-one mentoring.

It is delivered locally by third-level institutions across the country (including Institutes of Technology and Technological Universities), and it is funded by Enterprise Ireland.

Find more sources of information on starting a business, and information about becoming self-employed and closing or selling a business.

You can also see the range of supports for making your business eco-friendly.

Or, if you need information about employing staff and employment rights, contact the Workplace Relations Commission’s (WRC’s) information and customer service.