The Companies Registration Office have issued its first report providing statistics on a quarterly basis in relation to the lifecycle of a company:
- Incorporations,
- Restructuring,
- Liquidations; and
- Strike Offs
Incorporations
The standout statistic is that 7,483 new companies were incorporated in Q1 2026, the highest quarterly figure recorded in the report and 15% higher than Q1 2025 (6,491).
The majority of new companies continue to be Private Companies Limited by Shares (LTDs), accounting for 6,920 of the 7,483 incorporations (92%).
Unfortunately, the increase in the incorporation figures has led to a significant delay in processing of A1 applications and the CRO have said they will allocate more resources to the Incorporation Department to deal with the delays.
Restructuring
Receiverships fell significantly year-on-year (33 to 16), suggesting fewer companies required lender-led intervention.
SCARP activity remained relatively stable (7), indicating continued use of rescue mechanisms for smaller companies.
Examinerships increased from 1 to 6, although the absolute numbers remain very small.
Liquidations
The CRO recorded the following liquidations in Q1 2026:
- 425 Members’ Voluntary Liquidations (MVLs)
- 147 Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations (CVLs)
- 30 Court Liquidations
Creditors’ Voluntary Liquidations, remain significant but broadly stable relative to recent quarters.
Company Strike Off’s
The CRO recorded the following strike off’s in Q1 2026
- 2,106 Voluntary Strike-Offs
- 821 Involuntary Strike-Offs
The return of involuntary strike-offs is particularly significant, and this number should increase as CRO ramp up the process against late companies.
Submissions
B1 Annual Return, B10 change of director and secretary, B2 change of Registered Office and B73 change of ARD are the most frequently filed submissions.
NB: The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute legal or other advice.
Share this on...