Companies Registration Office (Ireland)

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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]