Company Extract
/ˈkʌmpəni ˈɛkstrækt/
Discover how to obtain an Irish Company Extract to verify legal details, directors, and filing history, essential for due diligence and business verification.
Discover how to obtain an Irish Company Extract to verify legal details, directors, and filing history, essential for due diligence and business verification.
A Company Extract is an official document issued by the Companies Registration Office (CRO) that provides a verified snapshot of a company's key details at a specific point in time. This comprehensive document serves as formal confirmation of a company's legal existence, its current directors and shareholders, registered office address, share capital structure, and compliance filing history. It is the primary document used to verify the official status of an Irish company during business transactions, due diligence processes, and legal proceedings.
When you request a Company Extract, you are asking the official company registry to provide a certified summary of all the public information held about a specific company. This extract is considered authoritative evidence of a company's constitution and governance, making it indispensable for anyone entering into a significant business relationship with that company. Unlike unofficial company searches, a Company Extract carries the weight of official verification from the state registry.
For founders and entrepreneurs, understanding Company Extracts is crucial because you will need to provide them to potential investors, partners, or lenders who want to confirm your company's legal standing. Similarly, you may need to request extracts of other companies when considering partnerships, acquisitions, or when verifying suppliers as part of your own risk management processes.
A standard Company Extract contains several critical pieces of information that collectively provide a complete picture of a company's legal and operational status. The document begins with the company's name and registration number, followed by its registered office address, which must be a physical location within Ireland where legal documents can be served. It lists all current directors with their appointment dates, residential addresses (though this may be a service address), and any previous directorships.
The extract details the company's shareholders and their shareholdings, including the class and number of shares held by each individual or corporate entity. It shows the company's authorised and issued share capital, providing insight into the company's ownership structure and valuation. Importantly, it includes the company's filing history, indicating whether annual returns and financial statements have been submitted on time or if there are any outstanding compliance obligations.
Additional information may include any charges or mortgages registered against the company's assets, details of the company secretary, and the company's memorandum and articles of association. The extract also confirms the company's status—whether it is active, in the process of being struck off, or already dissolved. This comprehensive data makes the Company Extract a single-source verification tool for due diligence.
You would need a Company Extract in several common business scenarios that require verified company information. During fundraising or equity financing rounds, potential investors will request a Company Extract as part of their due diligence process to verify your company's legal structure, confirm director identities, and ensure there are no undisclosed charges or compliance issues. Similarly, when entering into a joint venture agreement or significant commercial contract, both parties typically exchange Company Extracts to establish mutual trust and verify legal standing.
Banks and financial institutions require Company Extracts when considering loan applications to confirm the company's directors have authority to bind the company and to check for existing security interests. Legal proceedings, such as applying for an injunction or pursuing debt recovery, often necessitate submitting a Company Extract to the court to prove the defendant company's legal existence and registered details. Even simple supplier verification processes may require a Company Extract to ensure you are dealing with a legitimate, active company.
For company directors themselves, obtaining a Company Extract provides a useful summary of their own company's public record, helping them ensure all filed information is accurate and up to date. This can be particularly important after events like a change of registered office or director appointments, allowing you to verify that the CRO records correctly reflect your company's current situation.
To obtain a Company Extract in Ireland, you must request it directly from the Companies Registration Office through their online CORE system. The process begins by searching for the company using its name or registration number on the CRO website. Once you have identified the correct company, you can select the option to purchase a Company Extract, which typically costs €12.50 for a standard electronic version or more for a certified hard copy.
Payment is made online through the CORE portal, and the extract is usually available for immediate download as a PDF document. For certified copies required for legal proceedings, you may need to request a physical document with an official CRO stamp, which takes additional processing time. The electronic version is sufficient for most business purposes, providing the same information without the official certification.
Before ordering a Company Extract, ensure you have the correct company details, as common company names may return multiple results. The CRO search function allows you to filter by registration number, director names, or registered address to pinpoint the exact company you need. If you encounter difficulties, professional company formation agents like Open Forest can assist with obtaining Company Extracts efficiently.
A Company Extract differs significantly from other company documents in its purpose and content. Unlike a Certificate of Incorporation, which merely confirms a company's initial registration when filing a Form A1, a Company Extract provides a dynamic, current snapshot of the company's complete public record. The Certificate of Incorporation is a historical document showing when and where the company was formed, while a Company Extract shows the company's current status and structure.
Company Extracts also differ from annual returns (Form B1) and financial statements, which are individual filings submitted periodically. While these documents become part of the company's public record, a Company Extract consolidates all this information into a single, comprehensive report. It provides context and connection between different filings, showing how the company has evolved over time rather than presenting isolated documents.
Another key distinction is between a Company Extract and unofficial company information available from commercial databases. While commercial services may provide similar information, only an official CRO-issued Company Extract carries legal weight as verified evidence. For formal business transactions, legal proceedings, or regulatory compliance, the official extract is typically required, whereas commercial reports may suffice for preliminary research.
A standard electronic Company Extract from the CRO costs €12.50 and is typically available for immediate download once payment is processed through the CORE system. For urgent matters, this instant access makes the electronic extract highly practical. If you require a certified hard copy with an official stamp for court proceedings or formal submissions, the cost increases to approximately €40, and processing usually takes 3-5 working days plus delivery time.
The CRO aims to process all extract requests promptly, but during peak periods or if there are issues with the company's record, slight delays may occur. For companies with complex histories or numerous filings, the extract may be more extensive, but this does not typically affect delivery time for electronic versions. Many businesses find value in obtaining regular Company Extracts to monitor their own public record, particularly after making significant changes to their company structure.
Yes, a Company Extract is specifically designed for legal and formal business purposes. Courts, government agencies, and regulatory bodies accept Company Extracts as prima facie evidence of a company's registered details, director appointments, and filing compliance. When initiating legal proceedings against a company, lawyers typically include a Company Extract with court documents to establish the defendant's legal existence and registered particulars.
For contractual matters, a Company Extract provides verification that the company with which you are contracting is properly constituted and that the individuals signing on its behalf are duly appointed directors. This helps prevent disputes about authority and reduces fraud risk. In immigration contexts, Company Extracts may be required to prove business ownership or directorship when applying for certain visas or residency permissions.
It is important to note that while a Company Extract confirms what information is on the public register, it does not guarantee the underlying accuracy of that information. If a company has filed incorrect information with the CRO, the extract will reflect those errors. For this reason, sophisticated users of Company Extracts often cross-reference them with other documents and conduct additional verification steps during important transactions.
