Prepare your proposed name, registered office, director and secretary details, ownership information and business activity before starting an Irish company formation application.
Prepare a short, consistent brief
Create one working document for the application. Keep names and addresses consistent and ask each person involved to confirm their details. A careful brief makes it easier to compare services and reduces avoidable back-and-forth.
Name, address and business activity
List your preferred name and a backup. The CRO’s Form A1 asks for a registered office, company officers and share information. You will also need to describe the intended activity and identify the appropriate activity classification.
Think about the address you will use for official correspondence. If you need an address service, check its cost and what it includes before selecting a package.
Directors, secretary and owners
Confirm who will be involved and what each role means. A single-director LTD needs a separate company secretary. Discuss any residency questions with the agent before you order.
Agree ownership and share details with everyone involved. Have your adviser review any arrangement that is more complex than a straightforward founder-owned company.
Compare the complete package
Ask for a clear list of included services. Check VAT, filing costs, documents and optional extras. Ask which post-incorporation tasks remain your responsibility, including registrations and ongoing filings.
Three quotes can have different scopes even when they all say “company formation”. Compare them against your own checklist.
Make a plan for after registration
Set aside time for the domain, business email, banking and bookkeeping arrangements you will need. Keep the incorporation documents together and record deadlines with your adviser. A formation package is the beginning of administration, so choose support that matches how you plan to run the business.
Give each preparation task an owner
A checklist works best when each question has someone responsible for resolving it. In a fictional two-founder project, one founder researches the name and domain, the other gathers the company's proposed activity and ownership brief, and the appointed presenter checks the actual application requirements. Neither founder assumes the other has arranged an address service.
Keep sensitive personal details in the secure process supplied by your presenter. Our preparation checklist asks whether information is ready; it does not ask you to enter identity numbers or upload documents to this website.
Separate incorporation from what comes afterwards
| Stage | Preparation question |
|---|---|
| Before applying | Are the name, structure, officers, ownership and address questions resolved? |
| Provider order | Who submits the documents, handles queries and confirms the payable total? |
| After incorporation | Who handles each remaining registration, administration task and deadline? |
| Online setup | Who controls the domain, business email and renewal payments? |
Turn every excluded service into a named task. A package can still be suitable when a task is excluded, provided someone else has agreed to handle it. The risk is an assumption that nobody discovers until a deadline approaches.
Use the free private worksheet
Open the printable preparation checklist or download its blank text version. Mark the questions you have resolved, list the quotes you need and take the remaining questions to your presenter. Your selections stay on the page during that visit and are not submitted.
Before ordering, read the package questions and the timeline guide. A provider's preparation estimate and the CRO's processing stage are different parts of the journey. Keep a realistic launch plan with room for corrections and supporting evidence.
Sources & review
Editorial owner: Thomas O'Sullivan. Sources checked 9 October 2026. Professional review: Thomas O'Sullivan (Company formation expert and writer), 9 October 2026. Scope: Current naming, formation and domain guidance, practical examples and source references.
Examples are fictional and do not establish name or domain availability. Confirm current requirements with the relevant authority or provider. Report a correction.