Should consultants incorporate as a limited company in Ireland?

Yes, consultants benefit significantly from incorporation, especially when dealing with larger corporate clients. Limited companies provide professional credibility, 12.5% corporate tax rate, limited liability protection, and ability to claim business expenses for office costs, travel, and professional development.

What are the tax advantages for consulting companies in Ireland?

Irish limited companies pay 12.5% corporate tax on trading income. Consultants can deduct business expenses including office costs, travel, equipment, and professional development. This provides significant tax savings compared to sole trader personal income tax rates.

How much does consultant company incorporation cost in Ireland?

Open Forest offers consultant incorporation from €99 including CRO fees and basic constitution. For growth-oriented consulting businesses, the Future Proof package (€250) includes investor-ready documentation and advanced share structures.

Do consulting companies need a company secretary in Ireland?

Yes, if you're the sole director of your consulting company, you must appoint a separate company secretary by law. Open Forest provides professional company secretary services for €99/year to handle all CRO filings and statutory compliance.

Can consultants use trading names different from their company name?

Yes, consultants can use trading names that differ from their registered company name. For example, 'Smith Consulting Ltd' might trade as 'The Digital Marketing Experts.' Trading names must be registered with the CRO if they differ from your company name.

When should consultants register for VAT in Ireland?

Consultants must register for VAT once turnover exceeds €42,500 for services in a 12-month period. However, you can voluntarily register before reaching this threshold if it benefits your business operations or client requirements.

Should freelancers incorporate as a limited company in Ireland?

Yes, freelancers earning over €44,000 annually benefit significantly from incorporation. Limited companies pay 12.5% corporate tax vs up to 50% personal income tax for sole traders. You also get limited liability protection and enhanced professional credibility.

What are the tax benefits of incorporating as a freelancer?

Irish limited companies pay 12.5% corporate tax on trading income, significantly lower than personal income tax rates. Freelancers can also claim business expenses like office costs, equipment, travel, and professional development, reducing taxable profits further.

How much does it cost for freelancers to incorporate in Ireland?

Open Forest offers freelancer incorporation from €99, including CRO fees and basic company constitution. Additional services like company secretary (€99/year) and registered office (€199/year) are available if needed.

Do freelancers need a company secretary when incorporating?

Yes, if you're the sole director of your company, you must appoint a separate company secretary by law. Open Forest provides professional company secretary services for €99/year to handle all statutory obligations and CRO filings.

How long does company incorporation take for freelancers?

Open Forest completes freelancer company incorporation within 5 business days. The process involves a 14-minute online form, after which we handle all CRO filings and legal documentation on your behalf.

Can freelancers switch from sole trader to limited company?

Yes, freelancers can easily switch from sole trader to limited company. This is often beneficial when income exceeds €44,000 annually or when seeking better liability protection and professional credibility with clients.

Freelancers | Open Forest

Why do I need a limited company?

Asset Protection

Without a limited liability company, all assets you have gains over your life are exposed and unprotected.

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Tax Advantages

Limited companies allow you the flexibility to avoid getting taxed the moment you get paid.
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Professional Credibility

Clients, suppliers, investors, banks and business partners generally view limited companies as more established and trustworthy.
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Access Benefits

Banks and investors are more willing to lend to or invest in limited companies. Companies can issue shares to raise capital and present less risk to lenders.
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Especially for freelancers & sole-traders

Everything you need from a legal, tax and accounting perspective to run your new business. All of your company compliance needs under one roof.

Legal contracts including customer contracts, partnership agreements, intellectual property agreements, GDPR website packs and so much more.

Tax registrations and filings including corporation tax, VAT and PAYE for when it's time to pay yourself. We've got it covered.

Day to day accounting and bookkeeping - keep track of your sales and expenses and run year end reports.

Here's how we do it

Company Registration

We know the legal process inside out and so we deal with all of the tricky parts and just ask you the important questions.

Ongoing Compliance

We built new technology to ensure you never miss an obligation or a deadline - and it's free when you incorporate with us.

Legal Solutions

We give you easy access to hundreds of legal agreements and we have lawyers on hand should you ever need any serious advice.

Tax Compliance

We can ensure that your tax registrations and ongoing tax filings are done cheaply, correctly and right on time.

Accounting

We can take care of your day to day bookkeeping, help you pay staff, prepare your year end financial statements and make sure they are filed on time.

Organisation

Our technology ensures your corporate governance is in great shape - from our (free) legal dataroom to our compliance calendar, you won't miss a thing.

See Pricing

Chat to us

Timeline

And here's what to expect:

Get started

Learn more

Complete our Incorporation Form

We take away the complexities of figuring out how to start a company. Just let our simple interactive form guide you.

Due Diligence Process

Upload your ID, we run some quick checks and send you a (digital) pack to sign online. This just takes a couple of hours.

Incorproaton Process

We make the filing with the Companies Registration Office on your behalf. This usually takes 5 business days.

Approval Process

Once approved, you get full access to the Open Forest platform. You'll find all of your legal documents in your data room and upcoming legal obligations in your compliance calendar. We will introduce you to our banking and accounting partners at this stage if required.

Post-incorporation Filings

Check you upcoming obligations on your free compliance calendar and when the time comes, make the filings through the Open Forest platform. No more guesswork.

Ongoing Support

Incorporation is only the beginning. Open Forest will be there in support for your whole business journey. From legal agreements, to company changes, to tax filings - we do it all at super-low costs.

Don’t just take our word for it

Hear from some of our amazing customers who can now focus on their business,
while we watch their compliance.

PS - these are real reviews, see for yourself.

"OpenForest were so helpful to myself and my co-founder as first time founders. They helped us get setup quickly and ensured we had a constitution and founders agreement in place that was right for the company."

Christopher Lynch

Founder, Rekord

"Thanks to the Open Forest team for helping us navigate Irish company registration so seamlessly - professional, friendly and highly recommend".
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Fi from Fineo

Founder, Fineo

"Super helpful and efficient service that saved us so much time in setting up our business. Would highly recommend Open Forest to any start up that wants to get their business set up perfectly from the start."

Conor Fay

Founder, Abhar Materials

"Open Forest has truly been a game changer for us as founders. Their service has made obtaining vital legal documents at this early stage incredibly seamless."
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Laura Downes

Founder, Everly

"Open Forest set up our business, the entire process was seamless, stress-free and very efficient. The team just gets it, which allowed us to focus on other parts of the business with confidence. Thank you, Open Forest!"

Elaine Kelly

Founder & CEO, Curly Crowns

"Super service. They worked on weekends and after hours to ensure rapid registration. Despite a name change request by the CRO, we had the company registration in a week."

Brian Mahony

CEO, LCA Developments

Frequently asked freelancer & sole-trader questions

What is Open Forest?

Open Forest is an alternative legal services provider. We're a team of experienced lawyers and software developers - and importantly, we are founders too.

Will a company cost more to run?

There are some initial setup fees and very low annual maintenance fees but the tax benefits usually far outweigh the setup costs.

What if it doesn't work out?

So long as all of your filings are up to date, which we will ensure, then it usually only costs around €250 to close a company down.

Do I need to register for tax?

You will likely need to register for corporation tax, but we can take care of that for you. Later on you may also need to register for VAT and other taxes.

How do I get paid?

You pay yourself a salary from your company in whatever amount you want - we can help you run the payroll to do this.

How do I get started?

You simply need to click "Incorporate Now" above, fill our our interactive form, follow our instructions and we will take it from there. Our pricing page is here.

We help all types of freelancers

Designers

Writers

Painters & Decorators

Tradesmen

Photographers

Developers

Musicians

Hairdressers

Barbers

Copywriters

Illustrators

Content Creators

Social Media Managers

Bloggers

and more...

Why do I need a limited company?

Asset Protection

Tax Advantages

Professional Credibility

Access Benefits

Especially for freelancers & sole-traders

Here's how we do it

Company Registration

Ongoing Compliance

Legal Solutions

Tax Compliance

Accounting

Organisation

And here's what to expect:

Complete our Incorporation Form

Due Diligence Process

Incorproaton Process

Approval Process

Post-incorporation Filings

Ongoing Support

Don’t just take our word for it

Frequently asked freelancer & sole-trader questions

What is Open Forest?

Will a company cost more to run?

What if it doesn't work out?

Do I need to register for tax?

How do I get paid?

How do I get started?

Contact us