The Companies Registration Office (CRO) recently published its 2025 Annual Report, and we have set out some of the main highlights from the Annual Report below.
- There were 340,693 Irish companies on the Register at the end of 2025.
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- Private companies limited by shares accounted for 89% of all companies on the Register.
- The CRO recorded a net change of 18,838 companies during 2025.
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- A total of 579,316 submissions were filed with the CRO during 2025, compared with 566,827 in 2024.
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- More than 95% of all documents were filed electronically.
- 278,891 annual returns were received during the year.
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- Section 343 Court Applications:
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- The CRO received 1,422 notices of applications to the District Court or High Court for orders extending the time to file annual returns.
- The CRO lodged objections in relation to 11 applications.
- 1,313 Court Orders were processed.
- No applications were refused by the Courts.
- 14 applications were withdrawn.
- 106 applications were adjourned from 2025 to 2026.
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- The CRO received 38 official complaints during 2025.
- New Companies:
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- 26,533 new companies were incorporated during 2025, the highest annual number recorded to date.
- This represented an increase of 2,881, or approximately 12%, compared with the 23,652 companies incorporated in 2024.
- An average of 2,211 new companies were incorporated each month.
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- External Companies:
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- 183 new external companies were registered during 2025.
- These comprised 25 EEA and 158 non-EEA external companies.
- There were 3,701 external company branches on the Register at the end of 2025.
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- 303 companies re-registered during 2025, a decrease from 320 in 2024.
- 2,325 changes of company name were approved.
- 13,111 charges were filed during 2025, an increase from 12,015 in 2024.
- 2,665 liquidations were registered during 2025:
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- 1,988 Members’ Voluntary Liquidations;
- 577 Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations; and
- 100 Court Liquidations.
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- Receivers were appointed over the property of 97 companies during 2025, compared with 164 companies in 2024.
- Small Company Administrative Rescue Process (SCARP):
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- 23 notifications of the appointment of a process adviser were filed.
- 23 notifications of the approval of a rescue plan were filed.
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- At the end of 2025:
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- 6,655 persons were recorded on the Register of Disqualified Persons; and
- 788 persons were recorded on the Register of Restricted Persons.
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- Involuntary Strike-Off:
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- The involuntary strike-off process for failure to file annual returns recommenced on 11 August 2025.
- 958 companies entered the process during 2025 and were due to be struck off in 2026 if they continued to fail to meet their annual return filing obligations.
- Separately 506 companies without any registered directors were struck off during 2025.
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- 7,239 companies were struck off voluntarily during 2025, an increase from 6,737 in 2024.
- 50 companies were restored to the Register during 2025, compared with 47 in 2024.
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- 26 companies were restored by Court Order.
- 24 companies were restored administratively.
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- 20,237 business names were registered during 2025, an increase of 171 compared with 2024.
- 100 Limited Partnerships were registered during 2025, a decrease from 149 in 2024.
- CRO income for 2025 was €19.5 million, representing a decrease of 4.9% from €20.5 million in 2024. Expenditure increased from €8.41 million to €8.79 million.
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- €8.7 million was received in late filing fees.
- €8.7 million was received in submission fees.
- 15,163 companies paid late filing fees during 2025.
- The average late filing fee paid by those companies was €572.54.
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- The CRO’s Open Data Portal was expanded during 2025 through the addition of company financial statements for 2022.
NB: The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.
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