# Kinore — Online Accountants & Business Services in Ireland > Kinore is an Irish accountancy and business services firm providing online accounting, tax, payroll, bookkeeping, VAT, company secretarial, audit, and outsourced finance support to startups, SMEs, consultants, contractors, and scaling companies across Ireland and the UK. > Kinore is led by CEO and founder Larissa Feeney FCA. The team includes chartered accountants, chartered company secretaries, IPASS-qualified payroll staff, and qualified bookkeepers, and is a certified Xero partner. Core service areas: - Accountancy: annual accounts & corporation tax returns, bookkeeping, management accounts, VAT returns, payroll, directors' returns, audit, Xero conversion & training. - Company secretarial: company formation in Ireland, company secretary maintenance, named company secretary, virtual office, voluntary strike-off, Irish branch registration, minute taking. - IT strategic services: IT roadmap, technical vendor selection, custom integration support. Who Kinore serves: startups and new businesses, small and growing businesses, established companies and SMEs, consultants and contractors, and businesses needing outsourced finance teams. Offices: Dublin, Letterkenny (Donegal), Cork City, Mitchelstown, and Claudy (Northern Ireland). Contact: hello@kinore.com, +353 (0)1 905 9364. ## Pages - [Home](https://kinore.com/) - [Contact](https://kinore.com/contact/) - [Calendar](https://kinore.com/calendar/) - [Cookies](https://kinore.com/cookies/) - [GDPR Policies and Procedures](https://kinore.com/gdpr-policies-and-procedures-june-2025/) - [Xero Accountants Ireland](https://kinore.com/xero-accountants-ireland/) - [Guides](https://kinore.com/guides/) - [Careers](https://kinore.com/careers/) - [Webinars](https://kinore.com/events/) - [Blog](https://kinore.com/blog/) - [Client Reviews & Stories](https://kinore.com/stories/) - [Industries we work with](https://kinore.com/industries-we-work-with/) - [About Kinore](https://kinore.com/about/) - [Terms of Engagement](https://kinore.com/terms-conditions/) - [Privacy Notice](https://kinore.com/privacy/) ## Posts - [Hidden Hiring Costs](https://kinore.com/hidden-hiring-costs/) - [What Is the Employment Misclassification Rule in Ireland? Karshan, Revenue's Disclosure and What Businesses Must Do](https://kinore.com/employment-misclassification-rule/) - [Enhanced Reporting Requirements (ERR) in Ireland: What Employers Must Now Report](https://kinore.com/enhanced-reporting-requirements-err/) - [The Share Scheme Tax Trap in Ireland: What Employees and Employers Are Getting Wrong](https://kinore.com/the-share-scheme-tax-trap-in-ireland/) - [Ireland's eInvoicing Roadmap: What Every VAT-Registered Business Needs to Know Before 2028](https://kinore.com/irelands-einvoicing-roadmap/) - [R&D Tax Credit Ireland: The Rate Just Increased to 35% (What You Need to Claim)](https://kinore.com/rd-tax-credit-ireland/) - [The Advantages of Integrated Financial Services Under One Roof](https://kinore.com/the-advantages-of-integrated-financial-services-under-one-roof/) - [Mastering PR in the AI Age](https://kinore.com/mastering-pr-in-the-ai-age/) - [When Is the Right Time to Outsource Your Finance Function?](https://kinore.com/when-is-the-right-time-to-outsource-your-finance-function/) - [Net Profit Margin: What It’s Really Telling You About Your Business](https://kinore.com/net-profit-margin-what-its-really-telling-you-about-your-business/) - [€4,000 Power Up Grant Now Taxable: What Irish Business Owners Need to Know](https://kinore.com/e4000-power-up-grant-now-taxable-what-irish-business-owners-need-to-know/) - [Registering As A Beneficial Owner On The Central Register Of Beneficial Ownership (RBO)](https://kinore.com/register-of-beneficial-ownership/) - [When Should You Start Preparing Management Accounts?](https://kinore.com/when-should-you-start-preparing-management-accounts/) - [Key Considerations When Deciding Whether To Give Away Equity In Your Startup](https://kinore.com/selling-equity-in-your-startup/) - [How To Find A Good Accountant](https://kinore.com/how-to-find-a-good-accountant/) - [Checklist for Applying For A Business Loan](https://kinore.com/applying-for-a-business-loan/) - [What Is The Back To Work Enterprise Allowance?](https://kinore.com/what-is-the-back-to-work-enterprise-allowance/) - [Top 10 Legal Documents For Startups And Small Businesses](https://kinore.com/top-10-legal-documents-for-startups-and-small-businesses/) - [Shareholders’ Agreements: What You Need To Know](https://kinore.com/shareholders-agreements-what-you-need-to-know/) - [What Is Equity Finance? Investment For Companies](https://kinore.com/what-is-equity-finance/) - [5 Supports For Starting Your Business You Might Not Have Heard Of](https://kinore.com/5-supports-for-starting-your-business-you-might-not-have-heard-of/) - [Accounting Year-End Planning for Irish SMEs](https://kinore.com/smart-year-end-planning-for-irish-smes/) - [Ayu Cosmetics: Scaling Without External Investment](https://kinore.com/ayu-cosmetics-scaling-without-external-investment/) - [The Dublin Startup Guide](https://kinore.com/dublin-startup-guide/) - [How To Switch Accountants](https://kinore.com/how-to-switch-accountants/) - [New EU Rules Will Change How You Invoice](https://kinore.com/new-eu-rules-will-change-how-you-invoice/) - [Where to Get Funding for Small Irish Businesses: Grants, Loans, and Supports](https://kinore.com/where-to-get-funding-for-small-irish-businesses/) - [Irish Business Owners with UK Companies: Don’t Miss the New ID Deadline](https://kinore.com/irish-business-owners-with-uk-companies-dont-miss-the-new-id-deadline/) - [Guide to Hiring Remote Employees Outside of Ireland](https://kinore.com/hiring-remote-employees-outside-of-ireland/) - [What Is Accounting Software? A Brief Introduction](https://kinore.com/what-is-accounting-software/) - [How Doing Your Own Accounts Could Cost You Money](https://kinore.com/doing-your-own-accounts/) - [Why Outsource Your Accounting?](https://kinore.com/outsourcing-your-accounting/) - [Things You Need To Know Before Starting A Business](https://kinore.com/4-things-you-need-to-know-before-starting-a-business/) - [Commercial Acumen in Medtech](https://kinore.com/commercial-acumen-in-medtech/) - [Alternative Sources of Funding for SMEs in Ireland: Beyond the Bank Loan](https://kinore.com/alternative-sources-of-funding-for-small-and-medium-enterprises-smes/) - [Do You Need a Business Plan? When It's Essential and When It's Not](https://kinore.com/do-you-need-a-business-plan/) - [What Is A Subsidiary Accountant?](https://kinore.com/what-is-a-subsidiary-accountant/) - [Pros and Cons of Remote Working in Ireland](https://kinore.com/pros-and-cons-of-remote-working/) - [Pension Support For Sole Traders And Limited Companies In Ireland](https://kinore.com/pension-support-for-sole-traders-and-limited-companies-in-ireland/) - [Pension Auto-Enrolment in Ireland: What Employers and Employees Need to Know](https://kinore.com/pension-auto-enrolment-is-coming-is-your-business-ready/) - [Four Biggest Challenges To Small Business Growth](https://kinore.com/four-biggest-challenges-to-small-business-growth/) - [Why Irish Employers Should Avoid Agreeing to Net Pay](https://kinore.com/why-irish-employers-should-avoid-agreeing-to-net-pay/) - [Entrepreneurship: 30 Years of Learning](https://kinore.com/entrepreneurship-30-years-of-learning/) - [Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOP) - Rewarding Your Employees Differently](https://kinore.com/employee-share-ownership-plans-esop/) - [Do I Need an Accountant for My Small Business in Ireland?](https://kinore.com/starting-a-business-in-ireland-frequently-asked-questions/) - [Smácht Philosophy Discipline Business Success](https://kinore.com/smacht-philosophy-discipline-business-success/) - [Working With An Online Accountant](https://kinore.com/working-with-an-online-accountant/) - [Local Enterprise Office: What Do They Do?](https://kinore.com/local-enterprise-office-what-do-they-do/) - [Small Business Accountants in Ireland: Services, Costs, and How to Choose](https://kinore.com/small-business-accountants/) - [Why Data Loss Prevention (DLP) Is Essential for Modern Businesses](https://kinore.com/why-data-loss-prevention-dlp-is-essential-for-modern-businesses/) - [The Secret to Staff Retention](https://kinore.com/the-secret-to-staff-retention/) - [Larissa Feeney's Entrepreneurial Journey](https://kinore.com/larissa-feeneys-entrepreneurial-journey/) - [Avoid These Common Company Secretarial Mistakes](https://kinore.com/avoid-these-common-company-secretarial-mistakes/) - [What Ireland’s Gender Pay Gap Reporting Means for Your Business](https://kinore.com/gender-pay-gap-reporting-whitepaper/) - [Your Guide to Confident Auto-Enrolment Planning](https://kinore.com/autoenrolment-whitepaper/) - [Scaling a Specialist Service](https://kinore.com/scaling-a-specialist-service/) - [Budget Changes 2026](https://kinore.com/budget-changes/) - [Sleeping Giant](https://kinore.com/sleeping-giant/) - [Why the 25th of November Is The Busiest CRO Deadline Day](https://kinore.com/why-the-25th-of-november-is-the-busiest-cro-deadline-day/) - [Pension Planning Made Simple](https://kinore.com/pension-planning-made-simple/) - [The Accidental Entrepreneur](https://kinore.com/the-accidental-entrepreneur/) - [Bursting Bubbles](https://kinore.com/bursting-bubbles/) - [Is Your Finance Function Built for Change?](https://kinore.com/is-your-finance-function-built-for-change/) - [Empowering Small Businesses: Training AI Models for Smarter Decisions](https://kinore.com/empowering-small-businesses-training-ai-models-for-smarter-decisions/) - [Expand Your Comfort Zone](https://kinore.com/expand-your-comfort-zone/) - [The Highs and Lows of Fundraising](https://kinore.com/the-highs-and-lows-of-fundraising/) - [Finance Automation Playbook](https://kinore.com/finance-automation-playbook/) - [Providing Better Service Delivery: 3 Key Technology Solutions at Kinore](https://kinore.com/3-key-technology-solutions-at-kinore/) - [Retirement Relief Changes 2025](https://kinore.com/retirement-relief-changes-2025/) - [Change Is About Trying Things](https://kinore.com/change-is-about-trying-things/) - [Exciting News! Accountant Online Is Becoming Kinore](https://kinore.com/accountant-online-is-becoming-kinore/) - [Outsourcing Reception: Complete Guide](https://kinore.com/why-outsource-your-calls/) - [How To Advertise A Job Vacancy?](https://kinore.com/dos-and-dont-for-advertising-jobs/) - [Why Employees On Covid-Related Payments Are Being Hit With A Tax Bill](https://kinore.com/why-employees-on-covid-related-payments-are-being-hit-with-a-tax-bill/) - [What is EWSS? The Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme Explained](https://kinore.com/ewss-the-employment-wage-subsidy-scheme/) - [Interview With Daragh O’Shea: "How Do I Start Up Startup?"](https://kinore.com/how-do-i-start-my-startup/) ## Client Reviews Stories ## Guides - [Navigating Ireland's 12.5% Corporation Tax Rate: A Complete Guide](https://kinore.com/guides/how-to-qualify-for-corporation-tax-in-ireland/) - [Paying Landlord Tax On Rental Income](https://kinore.com/guides/paying-tax-rental-income/) - [Best Business Bank Accounts For Startups In Ireland: The Complete Guide](https://kinore.com/guides/best-business-bank-account-for-startups-in-ireland/) - [How To Start A Business While Working Full Time](https://kinore.com/guides/creating-a-business-with-full-time-job/) - [Claiming Home Office Expenses As A Business Owner/Director](https://kinore.com/guides/claiming-home-office-expenses/) - [Best Online Accounting Software For Small Businesses In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/best-online-accounting-software-for-small-businesses/) - [Changing From Sole Trader To Limited Company In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/changing-from-sole-trader-to-limited-company-in-ireland/) - [Filing Your Form 11 Income Tax Return](https://kinore.com/guides/faq-filing-your-form-11-income-tax-return/) - [Compliance Requirements For New Companies In Ireland - What to Know](https://kinore.com/guides/compliance-requirements-for-new-companies/) - [What Is A Company Seal Used For?](https://kinore.com/guides/company-seal/) - [Registered Office Address Service For Irish Companies](https://kinore.com/guides/finding-the-right-registered-office-address/) - [Complete Company Registration In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/company-registration/) - [Pros And Cons Of A Limited Company In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/pros-and-cons-of-a-limited-company-in-ireland/) - [The Difference Between Irish And UK Company Set Up](https://kinore.com/guides/the-difference-between-irish-and-uk-company-set-up/) - [B1 Annual Return Deadline... Don’t Panic](https://kinore.com/guides/annual-return-deadline-from-the-companies-registration-office-dont-panic/) - [Annual Directors Return Checklist For A Smoother Deadline](https://kinore.com/guides/directors-returns-2/) - [Management Accounts For Small Businesses In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/management-accounts/) - [Quick Guide to Preliminary Tax in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/quick-guide-to-preliminary-tax/) - [How To Charge VAT In Ireland, the EU, the UK and Internationally](https://kinore.com/guides/how-do-i-charge-vat/) - [Starting A Company In Ireland as a Non-Resident](https://kinore.com/guides/non-resident-directors-starting-company-ireland/) - [How Do I Register For VAT In Ireland?](https://kinore.com/guides/how-do-i-register-for-vat-in-ireland/) - [How To Start An Online Business in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/how-to-start-an-online-business/) - [How Much Does It Cost To Set Up A Limited Company In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/set-up-costs-for-limited-company-in-ireland/) - [How To Close A Company In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/voluntary-strike-off/) - [Guide To Startup Business Grants And Government Startup Support 2025](https://kinore.com/guides/guide-to-startup-grants-and-support/) - [Business Address Dublin](https://kinore.com/guides/business-address/) - [Understanding the VAT Treatment of Social Media Influencers](https://kinore.com/guides/understanding-the-vat-treatment-of-social-media-influencers/) - [Capital Gains Tax Ireland - CGT For Business, Personal & Property](https://kinore.com/guides/capital-gains-tax-ireland-explained/) - [The Importance Of Timely Annual Returns: What You Need To Know](https://kinore.com/guides/importance-of-timely-annual-returns/) - [How To Minimise Your Tax Liability: Tax Credits, Tax Relief and Expenses](https://kinore.com/guides/how-to-minimise-your-tax-liability/) - [Benefits Of Xero Accounting And Bookkeeping Software](https://kinore.com/guides/guide-to-moving-your-accounts-online-with-xero/) - [Missed CRO Deadline? What Happens When Your Annual Return Is Late](https://kinore.com/guides/missed-annual-return-deadline/) - [What Tax Credits Are Available to Me in Ireland? A Complete Guide for 2026](https://kinore.com/guides/what-tax-credits-are-available-to-me/) - [Company Formation Specialist Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/company-formation/) - [The Impact of Financial Management on Business Success in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/impact-of-financial-management-on-business-success/) - [Complete Guide to Start-Up Relief for Entrepreneurs (SURE) in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/start-up-relief-for-entrepreneurs/) - [Dividend Tax Ireland Explained](https://kinore.com/guides/dividend-tax-ireland/) - [Requirement for Directors Who Do Not Have a PPS Number](https://kinore.com/guides/cro-requirement-for-directors-who-do-not-have-a-pps-number-form-vif/) - [Business Tax Registration in Ireland: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://kinore.com/guides/vat-and-tax-registration/) - [How to Account for VAT in Your Business](https://kinore.com/guides/how-to-account-for-vat/) - [Accounting Deadlines for Companies and Sole Traders in Ireland: Key Dates You Can't Afford to Miss](https://kinore.com/guides/deadlines-for-limited-companies-and-sole-traders/) - [Documentation Required to Register an Irish Limited Company](https://kinore.com/guides/documentation-register-irish-limited-company/) - [Remote Working Relief – Rules and Calculations](https://kinore.com/guides/remote-working-relief-rules-and-calculations/) - [Bookkeeping Guide for Small Businesses in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/bookkeeping/) - [Consequences of a Late Income Tax Return in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/late-filing-income-tax-return-ireland/) - [A Guide to Corporation Tax in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/a-guide-to-corporation-tax-in-ireland/) - [What Is a Director's Loan? Director's Loan Accounts in Ireland Explained](https://kinore.com/guides/what-is-a-directors-loan/) - [Do You Qualify For Tax Relief For Refurbishing Old Properties?](https://kinore.com/guides/tax-relief-for-refurbishing-old-properties-aims-to-revive-city-centre-living/) - [Best Payroll Software For Small Businesses In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/best-payroll-software-for-small-businesses/) - [What Is Entrepreneur Relief (Revised Entrepreneur Relief) in Ireland, and Do I Qualify?](https://kinore.com/guides/what-is-entrepreneur-relief-and-do-i-qualify/) - [Share Capital for New Limited Companies: Authorised and Issued Shares Explained](https://kinore.com/guides/share-capital-for-new-limited-companies-in-ireland/) - [Tax-Deductible Expenses for Companies and Sole Traders in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/tax-deductible-expenses-for-companies-sole-traders/) - [What Expenses Can I Claim to Minimise My Personal Tax Liability in Ireland?](https://kinore.com/guides/expenses-can-i-claim-minimize-personal-tax-liability/) - [How to Move Your UK Limited Company to Ireland: A Step-by-Step Guide](https://kinore.com/guides/moving-your-uk-company-to-ireland/) - [Introduction to VAT OSS and VAT IOSS in Ireland: A Guide for E-Commerce Sellers](https://kinore.com/guides/introduction-to-vat-oss-and-vat-ioss/) - [What Can I Claim VAT Back On in Ireland?](https://kinore.com/guides/what-can-i-claim-vat-back-on/) - [Benefits Of Company Secretarial Services For Companies In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/outsourcing-your-company-secretary-role/) - [Annual General Meeting Guidelines for Irish Companies: Requirements, Notice, and Best Practice](https://kinore.com/guides/annual-general-meetings/) - [Hire a Fractional CFO in Ireland (Outsourced / Part-Time CFO Services)](https://kinore.com/guides/when-to-hire-a-fractional-cfo-key-signs-your-business-needs-one/) - [Irish Payroll for UK Company Employees in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/irish-payroll-for-uk-company-employees-in-ireland/) - [Will I Pay Less Tax If I Am A Limited Company?](https://kinore.com/guides/will-i-pay-less-tax-if-im-a-limited-company/) - [Company Director Responsibilities in Ireland: What You Should Know](https://kinore.com/guides/company-director-duties/) - [Checklist for Registering As A Sole Trader In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/becoming-a-sole-trader-in-ireland-a-step-by-step-checklist/) - [Have You Under-Declared Tax and VAT? What Happens Next and How to Fix It](https://kinore.com/guides/under-declaring-tax-and-vat/) - [Checklist For Hiring Your First Employee in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/hiring-your-first-employee/) - [FAQ: How to Register as Self-Employed in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/register-as-self-employed-in-ireland/) - [Virtual Office Dublin: Business Address, Mail Handling, and What You Need to Know](https://kinore.com/guides/a-virtual-office-in-dublin-for-your-companys-correspondence/) - [How To Fund Your Business In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/how-to-fund-your-business-in-ireland/) - [A Simple Guide to Payroll in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/payroll/) - [Tax-Free Voucher: A Double Bonus For Directors And Employees](https://kinore.com/guides/tax-free-vouchers-ownermanagers/) - [Xero Setup Checklist for Irish Businesses](https://kinore.com/guides/xero-setup-checklist/) - [Should I Register a Subsidiary or Branch in Ireland?](https://kinore.com/guides/irish-branch-or-subsidiary/) - [Income Tax Deadline in Ireland: Pay and File Dates, Form 11, and What Happens If You Miss It](https://kinore.com/guides/ros-pay-file-tax-deadline/) - [Cash Flow Management Tips for Small Businesses in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/cash-flow-management-tips-for-small-businesses/) - [10 Things To Check Before Financial Year-End](https://kinore.com/guides/10-things-to-check-before-accounting-year-end/) - [How To Register A Business Name](https://kinore.com/guides/register-a-business-name/) - [Best Practices For Record Keeping In Small Businesses](https://kinore.com/guides/record-keeping-in-small-businesses/) - [Choosing The Right Name For Your New Company](https://kinore.com/guides/choosing-company-name/) - [Sole Trader or Limited Company? How to Choose the Right Structure in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/sole-trader-limited-company/) - [How To Pay Yourself From A Limited Company in Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/how-to-pay-yourself/) - [What To Do When a Shareholder Refuses To Cooperate](https://kinore.com/guides/shareholder-refuses-to-cooperate/) - [Expanding Abroad? Don’t Forget VAT When Storing Goods Overseas](https://kinore.com/guides/vat-when-storing-goods-overseas/) - [Adding A New Shareholder in Your Irish Company](https://kinore.com/guides/adding-a-new-shareholder-in-your-irish-company/) - [Managing VAT Across Borders](https://kinore.com/guides/managing-vat-across-borders/) - [How The Minimum Wage Increase Could Affect Your Business](https://kinore.com/guides/how-the-minimum-wage-increase-could-affect-your-business/) - [Do I Need an Accountant or a Bookkeeper?](https://kinore.com/guides/do-i-need-an-accountant-or-a-bookkeeper/) - [Free For Clients: Masterclasses And Workshops](https://kinore.com/guides/free-masterclasses-workshops-for-clients/) - [What is a Fractional CFO and How Can One Benefit Your Business?](https://kinore.com/guides/what-is-a-fractional-cfo-and-how-can-one-benefit-your-business/) - [What To Do If Your Accountant Is Retiring](https://kinore.com/guides/what-to-do-if-your-accountant-is-retiring/) - [Employee Benefits: What SMEs In Ireland Need To Know](https://kinore.com/guides/employee-benefits-in-ireland/) - [Debt Management Strategies For Small Businesses In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/debt-management-strategies-for-small-businesses/) - [The Role of Accountants In Supporting Business Strategy](https://kinore.com/guides/role-of-accountants-in-supporting-business-strategy/) - [Legal Obligations For Irish SMEs: Financial Compliance](https://kinore.com/guides/legal-obligations-for-financial-compliance/) - [Investment Strategies For Small Business Owners In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/investment-strategies-for-small-business-owners/) - [Planning Your Business Exit: Strategies For Irish SME Owners](https://kinore.com/guides/planning-your-business-exit/) - [Energy Supports For Business Owners In Ireland](https://kinore.com/guides/energy-supports-for-business-owners-in-ireland/) - [How To Prepare For A Financial Audit: A Checklist](https://kinore.com/guides/how-to-prepare-for-a-financial-audit/) - [Effective Cash Flow Management Techniques For SMEs](https://kinore.com/guides/effective-cash-flow-management/) - [How Much Should I Pay Myself As A Business Owner?](https://kinore.com/guides/how-much-should-i-pay-myself/) - [How to Set Up a Limited Company in Ireland: The Complete Guide](https://kinore.com/guides/setting-up-a-limited-company-in-ireland-an-essential-checklist/) - [5 Bookkeeping Tips For Businesses](https://kinore.com/guides/5-bookkeeping-tips-for-business-start-ups/) ## Industries - [Accountant for Software &
Technology](https://kinore.com/industry/software-technology/) - [Accountant for Creative & Marketing Agencies](https://kinore.com/industry/creative-marketing-services/) - [Accountant for Consulting & Professional Services](https://kinore.com/industry/consulting-professional-services/) - [Accountant for Engineering &
Infrastructure](https://kinore.com/industry/engineering-infrastructure/) - [Accountant for Consumer Goods](https://kinore.com/industry/consumer-goods/) ## Podcasts ## Services - [Audit Service](https://kinore.com/service/audit-service/) - [Annual Accounts & Corporation Tax Return](https://kinore.com/service/annual-accounts-corporation-tax-return/) - [Company Secretary Maintenance](https://kinore.com/service/company-secretary-maintenance/) - [Xero Conversion & Training](https://kinore.com/service/xero-conversion-training/) - [Payroll](https://kinore.com/service/payroll/) - [Online Bookkeeping Services](https://kinore.com/service/online-bookkeeping-services/) - [Company Formation Ireland](https://kinore.com/service/company-formation-ireland/) - [Management Accounts](https://kinore.com/service/management-accounts/) - [Technical Vendor Selection](https://kinore.com/service/technical-vendor-selection/) - [Custom Integration Support](https://kinore.com/service/custom-integration-support/) - [IT Roadmap](https://kinore.com/service/it-roadmap/) - [VAT Returns & Filing](https://kinore.com/service/vat-returns-filing/) - [Virtual Office](https://kinore.com/service/virtual-office/) - [Professional Minute Taking](https://kinore.com/service/minute-taking-service/) - [Voluntary Strike-Off](https://kinore.com/service/voluntary-strike-off/) - [Register a Business Name](https://kinore.com/service/register-a-business-name/) - [Form VIF Application](https://kinore.com/service/form-vif-application/) - [Register of Beneficial Ownership](https://kinore.com/service/register-of-beneficial-ownership/) - [Named Company Secretary](https://kinore.com/service/named-company-secretary/) - [Registered Office Address](https://kinore.com/service/registered-office-address/) - [Bond for Non-EEA Resident Directors](https://kinore.com/service/bond-for-non-eea-resident-directors/) - [Business Address](https://kinore.com/service/business-address/) - [Directors' Returns](https://kinore.com/service/directors-returns/) - [Company Seal](https://kinore.com/service/company-seal/) - [Irish Branch Registration](https://kinore.com/service/irish-branch-registration/) ## Solutions - [Startups & New Businesses](https://kinore.com/solutions/startups-new-businesses/) - [Growing Businesses](https://kinore.com/solutions/small-growing-businesses/) - [Consultants & Contractors](https://kinore.com/solutions/consultants-contractors/) - [Accountant Limited Companies](https://kinore.com/solutions/established-companies-smes/) - [Outsourced Finance Teams](https://kinore.com/solutions/outsourced-finance-teams/) ## Testimonials - [Aebhín Cawley](https://kinore.com/testimonial/aebhin-cawley/) - [James McGeehan](https://kinore.com/testimonial/james-mcgeehan/) - [Kyran O'Mahoney](https://kinore.com/testimonial/kyran-omahoney/) - [David Miller](https://kinore.com/testimonial/david-miller/) - [Claire Walsh](https://kinore.com/testimonial/claire-walsh/) - [Stephen McDonnell](https://kinore.com/testimonial/stephen-mcdonnell/) ## Webinars - [The Startup Playbook: Avoid the Financial Mistakes Every Founder Makes](https://kinore.com/events/beyond-the-basics-running-your-irish-limited-company/) - [Knowing Your Numbers & Cashflow: From Compliance to Decision-Making](https://kinore.com/events/knowing-your-numbers-cashflow-from-compliance-to-decision-making/) - [eCommerce Insights: The Hidden Cost of Growth, Shipping, Returns & Fulfilment](https://kinore.com/events/ecommerce-insights-the-hidden-cost-of-growth-shipping-returns-fulfilment/) - [How AI Helps eCommerce Brands Increase Profit with Thomas Gleeson from StoreHero](https://kinore.com/events/how-ai-can-transform-your-profit-margins/) - [Director Pensions: The Tax Opportunities Most Irish Directors Are Missing](https://kinore.com/events/what-irish-directors-get-wrong-about-payroll-pension/) - [E-Invoicing: What Is Coming, When, and What to Do Now](https://kinore.com/events/e-invoicing-what-is-coming-when-and-what-to-do-now/) - [Building the Tech Foundation for Sustainable Business Success Series](https://kinore.com/events/building-the-tech-foundation-for-sustainable-business-success-series/) - [Smart Tax Strategies for Irish Business Owners](https://kinore.com/events/smart-tax-strategies-for-irish-business-owners/) - [The Bookkeeping Fixes Every Growing Business Needs](https://kinore.com/events/is-your-bookkeeping-keeping-up-with-you-practical-fixes-for-irish-business-owners/) - [The Irish Funding Gap: Smarter Ways to Fund Your Business Growth in 2026](https://kinore.com/events/the-irish-funding-gap-smarter-ways-to-fund-your-business-growth-in-2026/) - [Pension Options Unpacked: Real Perspectives from Financial Advisors](https://kinore.com/events/pension-options-unpacked-real-perspectives-from-financial-advisors/) - [Auto-Enrolment 2025: Turning Compliance into Opportunity](https://kinore.com/events/auto-enrolment-2025-turning-compliance-into-opportunity/) - [Finance + Tech Alignment: Making Data Work for Better Decisions](https://kinore.com/events/finance-tech-alignment-making-data-work-for-better-decisions/) - [From Surviving to Scaling – Rethinking Your Growth Strategy for 2026](https://kinore.com/events/from-surviving-to-scaling-rethinking-your-growth-strategy-for-2026/) - [How Budget 2026 Impacts Your Business: Expert Insights For Irish Business Owners](https://kinore.com/events/how-budget-2026-impacts-your-business/) - [Navigating Growth Series: Hiring for Growth](https://kinore.com/events/navigating-growth-series-hiring-for-growth/) - [Bookkeeping Essentials: Save Hours on Finances with Automation](https://kinore.com/events/take-your-accounts-online-with-xero/) - [Navigating Growth Series: Beyond Compliance: Solutions for Scaling](https://kinore.com/events/navigating-growth-series-avoiding-compliance-pitfalls/) - [Fulfilment Strategies for Ecommerce SMEs in Ireland](https://kinore.com/events/fulfilment-strategies-for-ecommerce-smes-in-ireland-3/) - [Funding & Strategy Solutions for Ambitious CEOs](https://kinore.com/events/funding-strategy-solutions-for-ambitious-ceos/) - [Investor-Ready: Understanding EIIS for Business Growth](https://kinore.com/events/understanding-eiis-for-business-growth/) - [Navigating Growth Series: Funding Your Expansion](https://kinore.com/events/navigating-growth-series-funding-your-expansion/) - [Exploring Alternative Funding](https://kinore.com/events/exploring-alternative-funding/) - [Scaling Without Chaos: Building a 12–36 Month Tech Roadmap](https://kinore.com/events/scaling-without-chaos-building-a-12-36-month-tech-roadmap/) - [Funding & Strategy Solutions for Ambitious CEOs and Founders](https://kinore.com/events/funding-strategy-solutions-for-ambitious-ceos-and-founders/) - [Startup Webinar for New Businesses in Ireland](https://kinore.com/events/advice-guidance-event-startups/) - [Eliminating Manual Processes with Smart Integrations](https://kinore.com/events/eliminating-manual-processes-with-smart-integrations/) - [Making Financial Decisions That Drive Real Growth](https://kinore.com/events/making-financial-decisions-that-drive-real-growth/) - [Choosing Tools That Grow With You: Vendor Selection Done Right](https://kinore.com/events/choosing-tools-that-grow-with-you-vendor-selection-done-right/) - [Corporate Finance: Business Growth Webinar](https://kinore.com/events/corporate-finance-business-growth-webinar/) - [Death of ROAS: Are you spending too much money on Ads?](https://kinore.com/events/are-you-spending-too-much-money-on-ads/) - [Fundraising Foundations: Building Investor Trust](https://kinore.com/events/fundraising-foundations-building-investor-trust/) - [Building A Winning Global Employment Strategy](https://kinore.com/events/building-a-winning-global-employment-strategy/) - [Preparing Your Business for Investment](https://kinore.com/events/preparing-your-business-for-investment/) - [How To Grow Your E-Commerce Store Profitably](https://kinore.com/events/how-to-grow-your-e-commerce-store-profitably/) - [What Is Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS)?](https://kinore.com/events/what-is-employment-and-investment-incentive-scheme-eiis/) - [What Are Share Options & How To Set Up Employee Options](https://kinore.com/events/what-are-share-options-how-to-set-up-employee-options/) - [The Anatomy Of An Investment](https://kinore.com/events/anatomy-of-an-investment/) - [HR Updates for 2023 – Getting The Basics Right Is Still A #1 Priority](https://kinore.com/events/hr-updates-for-2023/) - [Managing Your Important Company Deadlines](https://kinore.com/events/managing-your-important-company-deadlines/) - [Building Value In Your Business - Business Valuations](https://kinore.com/events/anatomy-of-ma-deal/) # # Detailed Content ## Pages Trusted Accountants for Ambitious Businesses You need support that keeps pace with your business. We bring the teams, structure, and compliance to make it happen. Get in Touch View All Services https://kinore. com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/what-can-you-expect. mp4#t=22 What you can expect as a Kinore client? Watch Explainer Video 1:45 min TRUSTED BY TRUSTED BY Simplify Business with Kinore Managed Finance Services . 98% Filed more than 2 weeks before deadline . 12 On average, management accounts are delivered within 12 working days of month-end . €500m We advise businesses with a combined annual turnover more than €500m . 71% Approx. 71% of our clients grew their turnover last year. . 98% of Accounts Filed 2+ Weeks Before Deadline Early filing means peace of mind and no panic. . 70% of Clients Grew Last Year When your finances are sorted, growth follows. Our clients prove it year after year. . €500M+ Combined Client Turnover We advise businesses at every stage of growth. You're in experienced hands. Tailored Finance Solutions for Your Business — No Matter the Size Whether you're scaling or starting up, our experienced team delivers the right finance and accounting support at every stage. Business support solutions, when you need them. Get Support Now Our Business Services View All Services Meet the Experts Helping Irish Businesses Thrive Behind every service is a team of approachable, qualified professionals. Our chartered accountants, chartered company secretaries, IPASS and qualified bookkeepers, as well as dedicated client support staff combine decades of experience with a modern, digital,... Get in touch for expert financial and accounting support Running a business in Ireland is challenging enough without worrying about tax deadlines, filings, and financial admin like bookkeeping and payroll. At Kinore, we make it easy to hand those tasks over with confidence. If you’re ready to get clear, practical guidance from day one, we’re here to help. Share your details below and take the first step toward stress-free compliance, smarter financial insights, and more time to focus on growing your business. Choose how you'd like to start: Book a free consultation Speak directly with a Kinore advisor about your business and how we can help. Start an enquiry Provide a few details and our team will be in touch shortly. Or get in touch directly: Open Hours Mon - Fri, 08:00 - 18:00 Phone +353 (0)1 905 9364 Email hello@kinore. com Live Chat Chat with our team in real time for immediate assistance. WhatsApp Message us directly for quick questions or support during office hours. Follow us on socials Facebook-f X-twitter Linkedin-in Our Locations With offices across Ireland, we're never far from your business. Dublin 71 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin, D02 P593 Donegal Colab Centre, Port Road, Letterkenny. Co. Donegal Cork City Unit 1B, North Valley Business Centre, Old Mallow Road, Cork Mitchelstown Upper Cork Street, Mitchelstown, Co. Cork Northern Ireland 630 The Diamond Centre, Baranailt Rd, Claudy. Derry BT47 4EA Business support solutions, when you need them. Get in Touch Book a discovery call Speak directly with a Kinore advisor about your business and how we can help. Cookie PolicyIntroductionOur website uses cookies. We will ask you to consent to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of policy when you first visit our website. About CookiesCookies are small basic files of code with tags that are sent by a web server and stored on your computer’s browser directory. Cookies can be used to enable web servers to follow a web user as they visit different pages on a particular website and identify users returning to that website. Cookies On This SiteWe may use cookies to help us provide content that matches more specifically to your interests. We also use cookies to save personal preferences so that each time you visit our site, you don’t have to re-enter your details. Removing CookiesIf your selected browser allows, you will have the option to decline cookies from our site. Some browsers have the option to indicate when a cookie is being sent. To stop your information being collected, you can also completely erase cookies from your computer at your discretion. Please note that your ease of use on the website may be affected if you ask for a notification every time a cookie is sent or you decline the use of cookies on your browser. GDPR Polices & Procedures The firm shall at all times comply with its data protection obligations under the GDPR, in keeping with the six core principles of GDPR. 1. Kinore’s GDPR Policies Six Core Principles The firm shall at all times comply with its data protection obligations under the GDPR, in keeping with the six core principles of GDPR that personal data shall be: 1. Processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner (Lawfulness, Fairness and Transparency) 2. Collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that is incompatible with those purpose (Purpose Limitation) 3. Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to the purposes for which they are processed (Data Minimisation) 4. Accurate and where necessary kept up to date (Accuracy) 5. Kept in a form which permits identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the personal data are processed (Storage Limitation) 6. Processed in a manner that ensures appropriate security of the personal data, including protection against unauthorised or unlawful processing and against accidental loss, destruction or damage, using appropriate technical and organisational measures (Integrity and Confidentiality). Based on these principles, for each piece or type of personal data we hold, the firm is able to demonstrate on demand (i. e. accountability): • Why we are holding it; • How we obtained it; • The purpose/s we use it for; • How long we will retain it; • How secure it... Looking for a Xero Accountant in Ireland that can help you implement a cloud-based accounting and bookkeeping system in your business? Xero Accounting Services Ireland Are you looking for a Xero Accountant in Ireland who can help you implement a cloud-based accounting system, automate and digitise your bookkeeping, and support your business as it grows? We're here to help. All our accounting teams are certified Xero advisors, which means we have the knowledge and experience to ensure your transition to cloud based accounting software is smooth and accurate. We provide Xero set-up, migration and training services to businesses interested in saving time and costs on repetitive bookkeeping tasks like invoicing, billing and bank reconciliation. Our team also advises on additional integrations to Xero that can give you an enhanced view of your business. Xero accounting specialists Chartered and Certified AccountantsWe are Ireland's leading online accountancy firm. Our chartered and certified accountants, certified company secretaries, bookkeeping and IPASS certified payroll teams are here to help businesses in Ireland launch, grow and succeed. Certified Xero Platinum PartnersOur firm is a certified Xero platinum partner and winner of the "Xero Partner of the Year Ireland" award in 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024. Each of our clients has a dedicated accounting team that provides a consistent and accurate service because of our integration with cloud based technology like Xero. Why we recommend Xero Our client services team are always happy to talk to you about what's best for your needs Talk To Our Team... Business & accounting guides for Irish companies Practical step-by-step guides to help you understand accounting, compliance, and business management in Ireland. Go Straight to Guides Clear, practical resources for business owners Find in-depth guides on accounting, tax, and compliance tailored for Irish businesses. Perfect for startups, SMEs, and professionals who want clarity and confidence in managing their finances. Accounting & Tax Navigating Growth Setting Up A Business Limited Company Accounting & Tax Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax, Navigating Growth Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax, Navigating Growth Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published Author Kinore Team Read the Guide Accounting & Tax Published... Careers at Kinore Join our teams in Ireland and across the globe. Learn About Kinore At Kinore, Our People Make the Difference We know that great service starts with a supported team. That is why we provide consistent training, fair rewards, and the resources our people need to succeed and deliver real value to our clients. Meet the Team Why You’ll Love Working at Kinore We’re committed to creating a workplace where people feel valued, supported, and motivated to succeed. From flexible working to career progression, we make sure our team has every opportunity to thrive. Flexibility that works for you Whether remote, hybrid, or in-office, we provide a safe and inclusive environment that fits your lifestyle. Growth and development From trainee placements to ongoing learning, we give you the support and opportunities you need to reach your career goals. Rewards for great work With competitive salaries, regular reviews, and bonus opportunities, we ensure your hard work is always recognised. Hear From Some of Our
Team Members Open positions Permanent Accounting Manager Read Full Job Description Close Date October 16th 2025 Minimum Experience 5 Years in Similar Role Apply Now Permanent Accounting Manager Read Full Job Description Close Date October 16th 2025 Minimum Experience 5 Years in Similar Role Apply Now Additional
Benefits At Kinore, we know the little things make a big difference. That’s why we offer extra benefits designed to support your wellbeing and make work more enjoyable. Mindful working We keep open communication with every team member and provide... Webinars for Irish Business Owners Join Kinore’s expert-led webinars to learn practical strategies for managing accounting, compliance, and business growth. Each session is designed to make complex topics simple, relevant, and actionable for Irish companies. Upcoming Live Webinars Stay ahead with our live sessions covering accounting, tax, and compliance. Register to take part, ask questions, and get advice you can apply to your own business straight away. recorded Webinars Decide Ready Search All FAQS about our webinars Who should attend Kinore webinars? Our webinars are designed for Irish business owners, finance managers, and professionals who want to simplify compliance and improve financial management. How do I register for a webinar? You can sign up directly through the registration link on each event listing. Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email with access details. Our webinars are designed for Irish business owners, finance managers, and professionals who want to simplify compliance and improve financial management. You can sign up directly through the registration link on each event listing. Once registered, you’ll receive a confirmation email with access details. Do I need to be a Kinore client to attend? No. Our webinars are open to all Irish businesses and professionals, whether you work with us already or are simply looking to learn more. Will recordings be available after the live session? Yes. If you register but cannot attend live, we’ll send you a link to the recording so you can watch at a time that suits you. No. Our webinars are open... The Latest from Kinore Stay up to date with expert insights, practical tips, and company news from the Kinore team. Our blog covers accounting, compliance, and business advice tailored for Irish companies. Client Success Stories See how Kinore's accounting and compliance services have helped companies across Ireland save time, stay compliant, and plan for growth. Our case studies highlight real challenges, practical solutions, and the results that matter to business owners. Featured Case Studies Industries We Work With Kinore partners with companies across key sectors to deliver tailored accounting, tax, and advisory services. Every industry works differently, so we shape our support around the way you do business. See all services Businesses and Industries we support in Ireland We support ambitious businesses across diverse sectors, delivering financial and business services tailored to each industry's unique needs. Real solutions for every sector Take Control of Your Business with Support You Can Trust Partner with Kinore for a dedicated team to manage your finances, giving you the time to focus on your business. Our Business Solutions https://kinore. com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/what-sets-us-apart. mp4#t=26 What sets Kinore apart? Watch Explainer Video 1:59 min Kinore in the News Our Mission To provide superb financial and business advice and services to ambitious SMEs, high-potential startups, and larger businesses, wherever they are. Talk To Our Team . 4 Years Average Team Tenure Your dedicated team knows your business inside out. . 12+ Years Average Experience Our team's deep expertise means you get seasoned advice, not guesswork, every time you need us. . 90% Staff Retention Rate When your accountants stick around, you get consistency. No re-explaining your business every year. Outsource Your Business Challenges with Confidence You can count on us to do it better. Talk To Our Team Expertise at Every Level Our accountants, payroll specialists, and company secretaries bring years of experience and qualifications. You gain the full breadth of a finance team without the overhead of hiring in-house. Scalable Support That Grows With You Whether you're a SME, scaling business or startup company, our services flex to match your needs. As your business evolves, we provide more advanced reporting, advisory, and compliance oversight. Confidence Through Compliance With deadlines, filings, and tax requirements managed on your behalf, you avoid penalties and keep your business in good standing. We handle the complexity so you can focus on opportunities. Our Values... Terms of EngagementKinore terms and conditions – Acceptance Policy & General Refund Policy. Contact us for more information. Acceptance PolicyPlease note that this agreement of services is subject to certain acceptance procedures and until these procedures are completed we will not be able to carry out the services as outlined. Such procedures include the verification of the identity of directors, business owners, and shareholders (including individual shareholders where one of the shareholders is a company), receipt of general information about the business, clearance letters from former accountant, and other information required as part of our client acceptance policies. No refund is due following a failure to complete our acceptance process. Terms And Conditions1. Applicable law2. Complaint Process3. Client monies4. Fees5. Retention of and access to records6. Reporting responsibilities7. Electronic communication8. Data Protection9. Confidentiality10. External review11. Limitation of Liability12. Third-party13. Conflict of Interest14. Disengagement15. Implementation16. Intellectual property rights17. Internal disputes within a client18. Lien19. Professional rules and statutory obligations20. Reliance on advice21. Professional Indemnity Insurance22. Purchases made online: Company Formation, Company Secretarial, Registered Office, Business Address, Virtual Office, Non-EU Member Bond, and Startup Offer23. General Refund Policy 1 Applicable law1. 1 This Engagement Letter and our Terms and Conditions shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, Irish law. The Courts of shall have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any claim, dispute, or difference concerning the engagement letter (including the firm’s terms of business) and any matter arising from it. Each party irrevocably waives any right it may have to... Privacy Notice updated as per GDPR Privacy Notice (website) Lizdan Business Services t/a Kinore Finance & Business Services71 Baggot Street Lower, Saint Peter’s, Dublin, D02 P593hello@kinore. com 1. How we process personal data For people who contact us through our website We use the personal data you have provided to us to respond to your queries when you contact us. Our legal basis for this processing is our legitimate interest in the administration and operation of our firm. If you become a client, your personal date will become part of your file with us. If you do not become a client, we will delete your personal data 24 months after your last contact with us. For people who sign up for our newsletter We use the contact information you have provided us to send you our newsletter and other updates. Our legal basis for this processing is the consent that you provided when you signed up. We always include an unsubscribe option in our marketing communications, so you can opt out of receiving such communications at any time. We will retain your contact information until you unsubscribe or opt out. For people whose information we received from one of our clients If you are an employee, contractor, customer, supplier, or family member of one of our clients, we might receive and process your personal data as part of our engagement with that client. That personal data may include your name, contact information, financial information such as salary or payments, and... ## Posts Managing a dispersed workforce often leads to unexpected regulatory friction and compliance risks. Business owners frequently struggle to maintain legal standards when hiring talent across multiple international jurisdictions. We explore how to bridge these gaps through robust infrastructure and smart employment strategies. This episode breaks down the complexities of international payroll, tax obligations and the role of the employer of record. We are joined by Dee Coakley, CEO of Boundless. With deep operational expertise and a history of scaling high-growth tech companies, Dee shares the realities of building an award-winning platform that transforms how organizations manage remote international teams. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Origin story of Boundless and global expansion. Legal obligations of hiring remote international workers. Why Irish payroll fails for international employees. How to select a co-founder with complementary skills. Strategic benefits of the Boundless and Payoneer acquisition. GUEST DETAILS Dee Coakley is the co-founder and CEO of Boundless, an Irish-founded tech platform that enables companies to hire and manage international talent. A seasoned operational leader and former COO, Dee brings vast experience in finance, legal, and HR systems to the global workforce space. Under her leadership, Boundless successfully scaled to 32 countries and was acquired by the global financial technology giant, Payoneer. Company Website - www. boundlesshq. com Social Media: https://www. linkedin. com/in/deecoakley/ TRANSCRIPTION For your convenience, we include an automated AI transcription. Dee Coakley 0:02 We're an employer of record. We support businesses with cross-border workers, and we handle their HR compliance, payroll, and benefits in... If you engage contractors in Ireland, the ground under your contractor arrangements has shifted. The Supreme Court's Karshan (Midlands) Ltd v Revenue Commissioners judgment in October 2023 changed how the line between employee and independent contractor is drawn, and Revenue has been working through the implications ever since. The result is a sharper focus on employee misclassification, a fresh disclosure window that closed earlier this year, and an ongoing compliance project that shows no sign of slowing down. This is not an abstract legal debate. It is a live tax and employment law issue with real exposure for Irish businesses, especially those with large contractor populations, long-tenure "self-employed" workers, or core roles staffed through personal service companies. If you're reading this and feeling uncertain about your contractor model, that's the right instinct. The question is what to do about it. What Is the Employment Misclassification Rule in Ireland? There is no single statute called "the employment misclassification rule". The phrase is shorthand for the legal and tax framework used to decide whether a worker is an employee or a genuinely self-employed contractor. Misclassification happens when a business engages independent contractors who are, on the facts, effectively employees, and goes on to treat them as self-employed for taxation and payroll purposes. Where a worker is properly classified as an employee, the business must withhold PAYE, USC and PRSI through payroll; where the business has chosen instead to misclassify the same individual as a contractor, those deductions are not made, and the... If you are an Irish employer, ERR is no longer a "let's see how this beds in" policy. Enhanced Reporting Requirements have been live since 1 January 2024, and Revenue's own figures tell the story: in 2025, employers declared roughly 13. 5 million reportable benefits worth around €2 billion under the regime. The reporting is happening, the data is flowing, and Revenue can now see across the country in near real-time what employers are paying outside of normal payroll. The uncomfortable truth is that many employers are still not fully compliant. ERR is treated as a payroll add-on rather than a system change, gaps build up between policy, payroll and expenses, and benefits slip through unreported. This guide walks through what the rules actually require, the three categories that capture most of the reporting, the common pitfalls, and the practical actions to get clean. What Are Enhanced Reporting Requirements (ERR) and Why Do They Matter? Enhanced Reporting Requirements are Revenue's mandatory, real-time reporting regime for non-taxable payments made to employees and directors. The legal hook is Section 897C of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997, introduced by Finance Act 2022 and commenced on 1 January 2024. Section 897C and the accompanying regulations require employers to report details of certain non-taxable payments made to staff so Revenue can see, on a real-time basis, the value of tax-free items flowing alongside payroll. In plain English, employers are required to report to Revenue, on or before the date of payment, the details of certain... For years, the conventional wisdom on employee share schemes in Ireland ran along the lines of "you only pay tax when you sell". It was never true, but it was a forgiveable mistake while Revenue's attention was elsewhere. It is not a forgiveable mistake any more. Revenue's share scheme compliance project yielded €22. 8 million in 2025 and the same project is still working through 2021 to 2023 option exercises. If you exercised options in those years, or if you operate a share scheme for staff, the chances of a Revenue letter landing have risen sharply. Layer on top of that the rule change in Finance (No. 2) Act 2023 that moved share option gains into PAYE from 1 January 2024, and you have a tax landscape that punishes the old "leave it until I file my return" approach. Share-based pay is a powerful incentive and a useful financial benefit for staff, but it only works when both the employer and the employee understand what they owe and when. This article unpacks where the trap sits, who is most exposed, and what employees and employers should be doing now. What Is the Share Scheme Tax Trap and Why It Is Catching So Many People The "share scheme tax trap" is the gap between what employees and employers think will happen tax-wise and what actually happens. The usual misunderstandings sound like this: "It's only taxed when I sell the shares. " "It's a capital gains tax issue, not income tax. "... Ireland's eInvoicing roadmap is no longer a slow-moving consultation. It is a multi-year change programme with hard dates: large corporates from November 2028, and all VAT-registered Irish businesses by 1 July 2030. Once the new rules kick in, emailed PDF invoices will not satisfy VAT compliance requirements, and every B2B invoice will need to flow as structured electronic data built to the EU EN16931 standard. If you sell into Ireland or other EU member states, the question is no longer "will this affect us? " but "how ready will we be? " This guide walks through what Ireland's e-invoicing framework actually requires, the timeline, what counts as a compliant e-invoice, where the operational impact lands, and the practical preparation steps for the next 24 months. What Is Ireland's eInvoicing Roadmap and Why Is It Happening Now? Ireland's e-invoicing roadmap is the country's transition to mandatory, structured B2B e-invoicing and near real-time digital reporting of B2B transactions to Irish Revenue. It sits inside a much wider digital tax modernisation trend across the EU. The same direction of travel underpins the EU's VAT in the Digital Age (ViDA) package, which sets the EU framework for cross-border e-invoicing and digital reporting from 2030 onwards. The introduction of this regime is one of the most significant tax transformation projects ever undertaken in Ireland, and it sits alongside a wider global tax move toward digital tax reporting. The drivers behind the change are straightforward: VAT modernisation and the need to combat tax fraud, particularly missing-trader... Ireland's research and development tax credits regime just got more generous. The R&D tax credits rate has moved up from 30% to 35%, and the first-year payment threshold has also been increased, both under the most recent Finance Act covering accounting periods commencing on or after 1 January 2025. Revenue's Tax and Duty Manuals (TDMs) on the credit have been refreshed alongside the legislation, sharpening expectations around qualifying activities, qualifying expenditure and the documentation that needs to sit behind a claim. For Irish companies investing in innovation, the headline is simple: every €1 of qualifying R&D spend now generates a 35-cent credit instead of 30 cents. For a profitable company, R&D tax credits reduce corporate tax. For a loss-making company they convert into a cash payment over three instalments. Either way, more money flows back into the business, faster. The R&D tax credits regime sits alongside (and is separate from) the general corporation tax deduction available for revenue-account R&D spend, and an unused tax deduction can stack with a tax credit claimed on the same expenditure provided the rules are followed correctly. This guide walks through the changes, what qualifies, what does not, how R&D tax credits are calculated and paid, and what a defensible claim file looks like under the updated TDM guidance. What Changed in Ireland's R&D Tax Credit Under the Latest Finance Act The headline change is the rate. The R&D corporation tax credit rate has gone from 30% to 35%, applicable to qualifying R&D expenditure incurred... Most Irish SMEs end up working with three or four different financial service providers without ever planning it: an accountant for the year-end accounts, a payroll bureau for the monthly pay run, a tax advisor when the corporation tax bill needs planning, and an external consultant for cash flow advice when things get tight. Each provider does their part well in isolation, but the gaps between them quietly cost the business in duplicated effort, mismatched numbers, and missed reliefs. The case for integrated financial services under one roof is that consolidating accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, tax planning and financial advisory with a single integrated provider streamlines processes, reduces errors, improves financial decision-making, and ultimately costs less in real terms. This article walks through what integrated financial services means for a small or medium business, what stays specialist, the practical benefits of integrated financial systems, and what to look for when choosing an integrated financial services provider. What does "integrated financial services under one roof" mean? An integrated financial services provider delivers a suite of financial functions to your business through a single team, working from a shared set of integrated systems and processes. For an Irish SME, that typically covers: Bookkeeping. Day-to-day transaction recording, bank reconciliation, expense capture, supplier and customer ledgers Statutory accounts and year-end compliance. Preparing the annual financial statements, filing the CRO annual return, and filing the corporation tax return on time Payroll. PAYE modernisation, weekly or monthly payroll runs, payslips, benefits-in-kind, and statutory returns Tax compliance and... Most entrepreneurs are great at building a company but struggle to master public perception and get their unique story heard. In a world flooded with AI-generated content and diminishing returns from traditional advertising, mastering reputation management is no longer a luxury but a core business requirement. The solution lies in creating earned media opportunities, pivoting from old SEO methods to generative engine optimisation, and understanding what makes a story cut through the noise. Discover the powerful yet simple strategies small businesses can use to build visibility and ultimately grow their customer base. Host Larissa Feeney welcomes media heavyweight Garrett Harte, founder of Harte Media. Garrett served as the first employee and Editor in Chief at Newstalk for 15 years, helping turn a local startup into a national powerhouse. He now consults for business leaders on mastering storytelling and reputation management. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Guiding principle to beat the competition. Three unexpected pieces of business advice. AI is fundamentally changing SEO advertising. Focus on the desired media headline. Why business owners avoid doing press releases. GUEST DETAILS Garrett Harte is a highly respected media strategist and the founder of Harte Media, a Dublin-based consultancy specialising in strategic communications and reputation management. With a career spanning over two decades in the Irish media landscape, Garrett is best known for his 15-year tenure at Newstalk, where he served as Editor-in-Chief and was the station's very first employee. Under his leadership, Newstalk transitioned from a local Dublin station to a major national broadcaster.... Most Irish SMEs realise they need to outsource their finance function about six months later than they should. By the time the founder makes the call, the books are behind, deadlines have slipped, the team is firefighting, and a Revenue letter has just landed. The right time to outsource your finance function is just before operations become chaotic, not after. This article explains the signs that you are getting close to that moment, why outsourcing is now the default model for Irish SMEs in the €1m to €15m revenue band, and how outsourced finance services compare with hiring an in-house finance team. It draws on the patterns we see at Kinore working with founders and finance leaders across the country, plus the rapid expansion of AI-supported accounting tools that have changed the cost-benefit equation in the last two years. What does it mean to outsource your finance function? Outsourcing your finance function means engaging an external firm to handle some or all of the accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, tax, compliance, management reporting, and strategic financial advisory work that an internal finance team would otherwise do. The model can be partial (outsource bookkeeping and year-end, keep payroll internal) or comprehensive (the external firm acts as the full finance department, often layered with a fractional CFO). For Irish SMEs the typical outsourced finance services include: Bookkeeping and bank reconciliation Accounts payable and receivable management Payroll processing and PAYE Modernisation submissions VAT returns and other tax compliance Monthly or quarterly management accounts and KPI... Net profit margin is the single number most Irish business owners quote, and the one that hides the most lies. On the surface it is a clean calculation: net profit divided by revenue, expressed as a percentage. In practice, the number reported in your accounts can be 5 percentage points higher than your real economic margin, simply because the owner is paying themselves less than the market would pay a hired manager doing the same job. That gap distorts pricing decisions, hides inefficiency, and quietly caps the growth potential of the business. This article explains what net profit margin actually tells you, how to calculate it correctly, what good looks like by industry in Ireland, and the three common mistakes that make the number misleading. It is written for owners of small and medium businesses who want a metric they can trust to make pricing, hiring, and reinvestment decisions. What does net profit margin actually tell you about your business? Net profit margin is your bottom-line efficiency metric. It answers the question: of every euro of revenue that came in the door, how many cents made it through to the net profit line after every cost has been paid, including cost of goods sold, operating expenses, overhead, finance costs, and corporation tax? A healthy net profit margin signals four things at once: Pricing power. The business is charging enough relative to what customers value Cost control. Operating expenses and overheads are well managed Operating efficiency. Each transaction generates real margin,... Irish Revenue has confirmed that the €4,000 Power Up Grant paid to businesses in 2025 is taxable income and must be included in the relevant corporation tax or income tax return. The clarification matters because the grant was widely communicated, including by government ministers, as a tax-free payment to help with running costs. Many of the eligible businesses that received the €4,000 have already spent it on energy bills, rent, supplier payments and wages, and have not set aside any tax against it. The cashflow gap that this creates is real, but it is fixable if you take action before your filing deadline. This article explains why the grant ended up taxable, who it applies to, how to report it in your accounts and corporation tax return, and the practical steps to take if you have already spent the money. Why is the Power Up Grant making headlines now? The €170 million scheme was launched by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment in 2024 and rolled out through local authorities under the broader Increased Cost of Business (ICOB) framework. The €4,000 top-up was targeted at the hospitality and retail sector, two of the most exposed parts of the small business economy in Ireland, and was promoted heavily as a direct cash injection to help businesses absorb energy, insurance, wage and supplier cost inflation. The confusion stems from a mismatch between the political message and the tax treatment. Ministers and TDs talking about the scheme in 2025 repeatedly framed it... Every company registered under the Companies Act 2014 in Ireland is required to file beneficial ownership data with the RBO, the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership. The obligation flows from the EU 4th Anti-Money Laundering Directive and applies to new and existing companies alike, with a five-month window after incorporation to make the first filing. Despite the deadline being clear and the online process being free, the RBO is one of the more commonly missed compliance steps for new Irish companies, and the penalties for missing or inaccurate filings have become more substantial in recent years. This article explains what the RBO is, who counts as a beneficial owner, what the 25% threshold means in practice, what to submit, how the filing actually works on the RBO portal, and the common mistakes that delay or invalidate filings. What does "registering a beneficial owner with the RBO" actually mean? The RBO is the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership of Companies and Industrial and Provident Societies in Ireland. It is administered by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and the Companies Registration Office under the European Union (Anti-Money Laundering: Beneficial Ownership of Corporate Entities) Regulations 2019. The register is designed to identify the natural persons who ultimately own or control a company, regardless of how many intermediate corporate layers sit between them and the operating entity. The two obligations in practice are: The company must file data with the RBO, including each individual's beneficial ownership details, within five months of incorporation,... Management accounts are the regular monthly or quarterly financial reports that help business owners make decisions, rather than the annual statutory accounts that satisfy filing obligations. They typically include a profit and loss statement, a balance sheet, and a cash flow summary, supplemented by KPI dashboards and commentary. Done well, they turn the company's finance function from a backward-looking compliance exercise into a forward-looking decision-support tool, giving owners timely visibility on profitability, on liability positions, and on the levers they can pull next. The question for most Irish SMEs is not whether to prepare management accounts but when to start. The honest answer is earlier than most founders think, and certainly before the business is too complex to run on intuition alone. This article explains when to start preparing management accounts, what should be in them, who should produce them, and how to use them to make better decisions about growth, hiring, pricing, and cash flow. What are management accounts and how are they different from statutory accounts? Statutory accounts are prepared once a year, filed with the Companies Registration Office and Revenue, and serve a compliance purpose. Their primary audience is external: regulators, shareholders, banks. Management accounts are prepared monthly or quarterly, kept internal, and serve a decision-making purpose. Their primary audience is internal: the business owner, the leadership team, the board. Feature Statutory accounts Management accounts Frequency Once a year Monthly or quarterly Primary audience CRO, Revenue, shareholders, lenders Business owners, leadership team, board Format Standardised to FRS... Few decisions a startup founder makes have a longer half-life than the decision to give away equity. A 2% slice handed to an early employee or a 15% chunk handed to an angel investor at seed stage shows up on the cap table for the rest of the company's life, gets re-evaluated at every funding round, and ultimately determines how much value the founders keep at exit. Done thoughtfully, equity is the most powerful tool a startup has to attract talent and raise funds. Done casually, it can leave founders owning less than 20% of their own company by Series A and locked out of the decisions that matter most. This article works through the two main reasons founders give away equity (talent and funding), how to decide how much equity to give in each case, and how to avoid the common mistakes that early-stage Irish founders make. It draws on patterns we see at Kinore across our startup client base and on observations from SeedLegals' Michael McDowell and Irish investor Carey Smith, both of whom have flagged the cap table problems that follow when founders give away too much, too early, to too many people. What does "giving away equity" actually mean for founders? Equity is the ownership of a company, divided into shares. When you give away equity, you issue new shares (or transfer existing shares) so the recipient owns a percentage of the company alongside the founders. That percentage carries two distinct rights: Economic rights. The right... Most Irish business owners realise they need an accountant about six months later than they should. By the time the search starts, there is usually a Revenue letter on the desk, a VAT deadline three weeks away, or a funding conversation that needs management accounts that do not yet exist. The good news: finding a good accountant in Ireland is easier than it used to be, because cloud accounting and video calls have removed the requirement to hire someone within driving distance. The harder part is choosing well, because the gap between a competent compliance accountant and a genuinely good business partner is huge, and the cost difference is often surprisingly small. This guide walks through when to bring an accountant in, what to look for, how to vet candidates, what fair pricing looks like in Ireland, and the red flags to avoid. When do you actually need to hire an accountant? The trigger points are predictable. If any of the following apply to you, the conversation should happen this month rather than next year: You are starting a business and need to choose between sole trader and limited company status Your turnover is approaching €42,500 in services or €85,000 in goods, the VAT registration thresholds You are about to hire your first employee and run payroll for the first time Your tax return is due, or worse, overdue, and you are not certain how to file it correctly You are buying or selling a business, taking on investment, or... If you are applying for a business loan in Ireland, the difference between a quick approval and a slow rejection usually comes down to how you prepare, not the strength of your idea. The everyday business loans offered by the main Irish banks and alternative lenders typically range from €5,000 to €300,000, with terms of 12 to 60 months and headline interest rates from about 6% per annum, depending on your credit profile, security, and the lender's risk appetite at the time you apply. This guide walks through the tips we share with business owners every week: what loans you can realistically borrow against, how lenders decide, what documents to prepare, and the most common reasons applications stall. If you are at the point of filling in a form, the next 10 minutes will save you several weeks. What can you use an everyday business loan for? Lenders are most comfortable funding clearly defined business activities with a measurable return. The purposes that get approved most often are: Business growth, such as opening a second location, adding capacity, or entering a new market Working capital, covering stock, supplier payments, and short-term cashflow gaps Equipment and vehicle purchases, where the asset itself often acts as part of the security Digitalisation, including software licences, e-commerce platforms, point-of-sale systems, and cyber security Staff expansion, particularly for recruitment costs and the first three to six months of payroll Brand development, covering marketing campaigns, signage, rebrand rollouts, and product launches Tie each pound or euro... The Back To Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) is an Irish government scheme administered by the Department of Social Protection that helps people receiving certain social welfare payments start their own business. It is one of the most generous supports available to anyone moving from unemployment into self-employment in Ireland: recipients keep 100% of their social welfare payment in the first year and 75% in the second year, including increases for a qualified adult and dependent children. For a redundant worker, a long-term jobseeker, or a one-parent family payment recipient with a credible business idea, the BTWEA can fund the personal living costs of starting a business for up to two years while the venture finds its feet. This guide explains who qualifies for the Back To Work Enterprise Allowance, what payments are available, how to apply through Intreo, the related Enterprise Support Grant for business costs, and the common questions Irish founders raise when using the scheme. Who is eligible for the Back To Work Enterprise Allowance? To qualify for the Back To Work Enterprise Allowance scheme, you must be aged under 66 and currently receiving one of a defined list of social welfare payments for a qualifying period. The main qualifying payments are: Jobseeker's Allowance, for a continuous qualifying period of 9 months One-Parent Family Payment Jobseeker's Transitional Payment Disability Allowance Carer's Allowance, if you have ceased caring duties Blind Pension Invalidity Pension Farm Assist Other qualifying routes exist, including credits from periods on the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance, Community... Legal documents are not the glamorous part of running a startup, but the gap between a business that has the right documents in place and one that does not becomes visible the moment something goes wrong: a co-founder leaves, a customer disputes an invoice, a Revenue audit lands, a competitor poaches a key employee with proprietary information. Each scenario plays out very differently depending on whether the paperwork was done up front. According to Karl Hutchinson, co-founder of Plugged. ie, the same handful of legal documents come up over and over again with Irish startups and small businesses, and they do not need to be expensive or complicated to do the job. Each one is designed to protect your business and safeguard the business owner from disputes that would otherwise spiral. This article runs through the 10 legal documents every Irish startup and small business should have, what each one does, when it becomes urgent, and the common pitfalls to avoid. Some are legally required (privacy policies and cookie policies under GDPR and EU ePrivacy rules), others are strongly recommended for any business that wants to grow your business beyond informal arrangements. What legal documents do Irish startups and small businesses actually need? The headline list, with a one-line purpose for each: Shareholders' agreement. Governs the relationship between shareholders beyond the company constitution Website terms of use. Sets the rules for visitors and users of your website Terms and conditions of sale. Defines what you sell, on what terms, with... A shareholders' agreement is the single most important legal document a private Irish company can have, and one of the most commonly missing. It is a legally binding contract between the shareholders of a company (and usually the company itself) that sets out how the business is controlled, how decisions are made, how profits are distributed, how new shares are issued, how minority shareholder rights are protected, and how shareholders can sell their shares or exit the business. Robert Dickson of Mason Hayes & Curran LLP, a corporate partner who works on shareholder agreements regularly, advises that companies with more than one shareholder should generally have one in place, even though Irish company law does not strictly require it. This article explains what a shareholders' agreement covers, when you need one, the key clauses to include, how it interacts with your company's constitution, and what to look for before signing. What is a shareholders' agreement? A shareholders' agreement is a private contract that supplements the rules in your company's constitution. The agreement is an agreement among the shareholders themselves about how the company will be run, and it covers four broad areas: Control and management. Who sits on the board of directors, who has the right to appoint or remove directors, what decisions require unanimous consent, and what reserved matters require a special majority Decision-making processes. How shareholder meetings are called, what notice periods apply, how votes are weighted, what deadlock mechanisms apply if shareholders cannot agree Share transfers and... Equity financing is the process of raising capital by selling shares in your company to investors. For Irish startup founders, it is one of the most common ways to fund a high-growth business that needs more cash than revenue can provide in the early years, and it sits alongside debt financing (loans, overdrafts, lines of credit) as the second major route to capital. Equity financing works through a series of funding rounds: pre-seed, seed, Series A, Series B and beyond, each typically at a higher valuation as the business proves itself and reaches new milestones. Understanding how equity finance works, what investors expect, and what you give up in exchange for the cash, matters before the first conversation with a potential investor. This article explains the different equity finance options available to Irish startups, how the rounds typically work, what investors look for, the trade-offs between equity and debt, and how programmes like Dublin BIC's investor-ready preparation help founders prepare to pitch effectively. It is written for business owners weighing up the financing options that will determine how the next two to five years play out, including whether to raise money from VCs, raise capital from angels, or balance equity finance with debt. What is equity financing? Equity financing means giving up a percentage of ownership in your business in exchange for cash. Unlike debt financing, where you borrow money and pay it back with interest, equity capital does not need to be repaid. The investor takes a shareholding in... If you are starting a business in Ireland and you are currently on a social welfare payment, you may already qualify for substantial financial support that most people never hear about. The Department of Social Protection runs several schemes designed specifically to help unemployed people, recently redundant workers, and former Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) recipients move into self-employment. Combined with grants from your Local Enterprise Office and time-limited Revenue reliefs, the supports below can put thousands of euro into a new business in its first two years. This guide covers five of the supports we see clients use most often: the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance, the Short-Term Enterprise Allowance, the Enterprise Support Grant, the SURE income tax refund, and the five-year corporation tax relief for new companies. Am I eligible for the Back to Work Enterprise Allowance? The Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA) is the headline support for anyone on a long-term jobseeker's payment who wants to become self-employed. It is run by the Department of Social Protection through your local Intreo office. You keep your social welfare payment while you set up the business, which removes most of the cashflow risk of the first year. To qualify, you must: Have been receiving Jobseeker's Allowance, Jobseeker's Benefit, or another qualifying payment for a continuous period, typically nine months or more Set up a new business that is a self-employed venture, approved in advance by a Case Officer or Local Development Company Not have used the scheme in the... The weeks before 31 December are the highest-leverage tax planning window in the Irish business calendar. A profitable SME that takes the right actions before year-end will pay materially less tax, file cleaner accounts, and start the new year with fewer surprises. The same business that skips the year-end planning will pay full whack on every tax line, leave reliefs unclaimed, and spend February cleaning up bookkeeping that should have been current by January 5th. This year-end accounting checklist for Irish businesses walks through the actions every SME should complete before the calendar year ends: tax-efficient remuneration, personal tax credits and Standard Rate Cut-Off Points, allowable expenses and capital allowances, the Small Benefit Exemption, pension contributions, and the wider tidy-up of bookkeeping and compliance. What should Irish SMEs do now to prepare for year-end? The high-level priorities for any Irish business (whether you operate as a sole trader, partnership or limited company) before 31 December: Review the balance between directors' salary and dividends so personal tax credits and rate bands are fully used Claim every allowable expense, capital allowance, and the Small Benefit Exemption of up to €1,500 tax-free per employee Maximise pension contributions to reduce both corporation and income tax Reassess whether your current business structure still suits you for next year Clean up bookkeeping so the year-end close is straightforward and the financial statements are accurate Confirm you are on track for every filing deadline that lands in the new year, including VAT, payroll, and the corporation tax... The leap from a great product idea to a sustainable, self-funded, international business is a massive hurdle for entrepreneurs. Scaling a brand while maintaining obsessive quality control and a digital-first approach requires discipline, intentional strategy, and a high tolerance for risk. This episode dives into the uncompromising philosophy of building a household name without external investment. Larissa Feeney sits down with Suzie O’Neill, the visionary Founder and CEO of Ayu Cosmetics, an Irish-owned, multi-award-winning beauty brand. Suzie shares her journey from a technical expert to a CEO leading over 30 employees, detailing her masterclass in identifying market gaps and prioritising long-term integrity over rapid mass-market growth. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Leaving a secure job for necessity Bootstrapping business to avoid debt Why quality control beats launches Intentional DTC model for luxury Leader evolution: from tornado to CEO GUEST DETAILS Suzie O’Neill is the Founder and CEO of Ayu Cosmetics, an Irish-owned, multi-award-winning brand. A professional makeup artist by trade, she successfully scaled her business without external investment into a team of over 30 employees. Her business is built on a foundation of customer-centric innovation, brand integrity, and a meticulous direct-to-consumer strategy. Connect with Suzie: Company Website – ayu. ie Social Media: https://www. linkedin. com/in/suzie-o-neill-ayu/ THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Leaving a secure job for necessity Bootstrapping business to avoid debt Why quality control beats launches Intentional DTC model for luxury Leader evolution: from tornado to CEO GUEST DETAILS Suzie O’Neill is the Founder and CEO of Ayu Cosmetics, an Irish-owned, multi-award-winning... Dublin is one of the most concentrated startup hubs in Europe, and depending on which list you read, Ireland is one of the top 20 countries globally to set up a business. The capital itself sits 7th out of 60 hubs in the European Digital City Index, ahead of cities many founders assume are bigger plays. For an entrepreneur landing in Dublin, the practical question is not whether the startup ecosystem is real; it is which programmes, grants, and networks actually move your business forward in the first 12 months. This guide picks out the ones we point clients to most often. What you will get in the next 2,000 words: the main government funding routes, the strongest incubator and accelerator programmes, the tax incentives Dublin startups rely on, the events worth blocking out the diary for, and a practical view on coworking and workspace options as your team grows. What makes Dublin one of Ireland's strongest startup hubs? Three things stand out when you compare Dublin to other European startup hubs. The first is a deep pool of English-speaking technical talent, anchored by the European HQs of Google, Meta, LinkedIn, Stripe, Salesforce and dozens of fast-growing SaaS companies. The second is the 12. 5% corporate tax rate, which has been a magnet for new companies setting up an Irish base and gives founders the cashflow oxygen to reinvest profits. The third is the density of the ecosystem itself: walk through the city centre on a weekday and you are... Switching accountants is one of those decisions that feels much harder before you do it than during. Business owners delay the change for months, sometimes years, because they assume the process will be disruptive, that they will lose access to historic records, or that the current accountant will refuse to cooperate. In practice, switching is well-established, professionally regulated, and almost always smoother than expected. The new accountant manages the handover, professional clearance follows a predictable process, and most businesses are fully transitioned within four weeks with no gap in compliance. This guide walks through the clearest signs it might be time to change accountants, what good looks like in a new accountant, how the switching process actually works for a sole trader or a limited company, and how to avoid the common mistakes that slow it down. It applies whether you handle your own bookkeeping in Xero or whether your existing firm runs it for you, and the goal in either case is the same: a seamless transition that keeps your business compliant from day one. Why do Irish businesses switch accountants? Switching accountants is normal, not drama. Many growing Irish businesses change adviser at least once every five years for entirely positive reasons: the business has outgrown the old firm, the founder needs a more digital approach, or a new growth phase needs proactive tax planning the previous accountant could not provide. The triggers we see most often when a new client comes to us are: Poor or slow... From 2028, the way Irish businesses issue invoices will change in a way that has not happened for at least 30 years. The European Union has signed off on a sweeping reform called VAT in the Digital Age, known as ViDA, which will replace PDF and paper invoices with structured electronic invoices in formats like XML and PEPPOL, and require real-time VAT reporting on cross-border B2B transactions directly to tax authorities. Ireland has not confirmed its exact timeline yet, but adoption is expected within three to four years, and the European Commission's broader directive sets 2028 as the firm date for cross-border e-invoicing across the EU. This article explains what is actually changing under ViDA, when it lands in Ireland, what new rules apply to which transactions (B2B, B2C, B2G), and the practical steps Irish SMEs should take now so the rollout in 2028 is a calendar event rather than a panic. What are the new EU invoicing rules and when do they start? ViDA is a package of three reforms agreed by the European Council in early 2025. The headline change for most Irish business owners is the first pillar: structured electronic invoicing and digital reporting requirements. From 1 July 2028, businesses across the EU issuing cross-border B2B invoices to customers in other EU member states will have to do three things: Issue a structured electronic invoice in a machine-readable format (typically XML, often delivered via PEPPOL) within 10 days of the supply Send near real-time invoice data to... If you’re running or starting a small business in Ireland and need funding, the good news is there are more options than you probably realise. The less good news? Figuring out which ones you actually qualify for, and which agency to talk to first, can feel overwhelming. This guide maps out the main funding sources available to small Irish businesses in 2026, from Local Enterprise Office grants through Enterprise Ireland supports to state-backed loans and revenue funding. It’s organised by the type of support, so you can go straight to what’s relevant to your stage and needs. Where to start: choosing the right funding route The first question isn’t “where can I get money? ” It’s “what do I need the money for? ” Different funding sources are designed for different purposes: Grants work best for defined projects: feasibility studies, expansion, innovation, energy efficiency, or exploring new markets. They’re non-repayable but typically require match funding (you contribute a percentage of the total cost). Loans are better for working capital, equipment purchases, cashflow gaps, and general startup costs. You repay them, but they give you flexibility in how the money is used. Programmes (mentoring, training, accelerators) don’t provide direct cash but can unlock funding by making your business “investor ready” or helping you access networks and grant applications. Before applying anywhere, make sure you have the basics prepared: a simple business plan, a 12-month cashflow forecast, up-to-date accounts (even basic bookkeeping records for startups), and a clear explanation of what the... If you operate through a UK company or are a director who sits on UK-registered firm boards, there’s an important legal shift coming your way. From 18 November 2025, all UK company directors and persons with significant control (PSCs) must verify their identities with Companies House. This isn’t just a procedural nuisance – it’s a mandatory legal requirement. Failure to comply can lead to: Fines Disqualification from directorship Criminal offences for acting without verification Potential company dissolution or inability to file key documents The good news is that the verification process is not as daunting as it may seem. It’s a straightforward process, free via the Companies House system, and can be handled online or with assistance from a professional, meaning there’s every reason to act now. Why This Matters This new requirement stems from the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023, introduced to improve data accuracy, fight fraud, and restore trust in the UK’s corporate registry. For SMEs, it’s another compliance responsibility – but one that’s quick to resolve once you know the steps. Who Needs to Verify – and When? 1) New Directors & PSCs (from 18 November 2025) New directors must verify before company incorporation or their appointment. New PSCs must verify within 14 days of their registration. 2) Existing Directors & PSCs Existing directors must submit their verification code with their next confirmation statement, within a 12-month transition window. Existing PSCs: If they are also a director, they must verify both roles – one via... You've found the perfect candidate. They have the skills, the experience, and the availability. There's just one thing: they don't live in Ireland. Maybe they're in Portugal, or Poland, or the US. And now you're wondering how you actually employ them without creating a compliance nightmare. Hiring remote employees outside of Ireland is increasingly common for Irish businesses, particularly in technology, professional services, and creative industries. But it introduces layers of complexity around employment law, payroll, tax, and immigration that don't exist when everyone works from the same country. This guide explains the key considerations, the options available, and how to get it right. Why hire internationally? The case for hiring outside Ireland is straightforward: Access to talent. The Irish labour market is competitive. If the specialist skills you need aren't available locally, international hiring opens a much wider pool. Cost considerations. Salaries vary significantly by country. Hiring in markets with lower cost of living can be more affordable, though fair pay and compliance should always be the priority. Time zone coverage. For businesses serving customers globally, having team members in different time zones means better support coverage and faster response times. Speed. Setting up an overseas entity takes months. Hiring a remote worker through the right structure can happen in weeks. But the benefits only hold if you comply with the rules. Getting it wrong can result in tax penalties, employment claims, and even corporate tax exposure in the employee's country. What are the main compliance risks? Employment law... Accounting software is a digital tool that records, organises, and reports on the financial transactions of a business. At its simplest, it replaces the manual ledger or spreadsheet that a sole trader or small business might otherwise keep, and at its most sophisticated it becomes the operational backbone of a multi-entity group with payroll, inventory, project costing, and real-time financial reporting all flowing through a single platform. For an Irish business owner setting up for the first time, the question is rarely whether to use accounting software (yes, almost always) but which platform to choose, how to configure it for Irish tax rules, and how to use it well enough to get the benefit without getting lost in features you do not need. This guide explains what modern accounting software does, the key features that matter for an Irish business, how cloud accounting differs from older desktop systems, and how to choose the best accounting software for your specific situation. What does accounting software actually do? At a functional level, accounting software performs four jobs: Records financial transactions. Every sale, purchase, expense, payroll entry, bank movement, and journal is captured in a single ledger Performs calculations automatically. Once tax rates are configured for your location and the goods or services you sell, the software calculates VAT, withholding tax, and balances automatically. The Irish standard rate of 23%, the reduced rate of 13. 5%, and zero-rated and exempt categories all live in the software's tax configuration Produces reports. Profit and loss,... "I will just do it myself for now" is the most expensive sentence in small business finance. The cloud-accounting boom of the last decade has made it easier than ever for a sole trader or limited company director to keep their own books on a laptop in the evening, and on the surface that looks like a tidy way to save money. In practice, DIY accounting often quietly costs Irish business owners far more than the fees they think they are avoiding, through wasted time, missed reliefs, late-filing penalties, and a year-end cleanup bill that ends up bigger than the original quote from a professional accountant. This article explains where the hidden costs sit, when it makes sense to keep some of the bookkeeping in-house, and why running both the bookkeeping and the tax return through the same firm almost always works out cheaper than splitting them. Why has self-bookkeeping become so popular in Ireland? Three forces have pulled small business owners into doing their own accounts. The first is software: tools like Xero, QuickBooks and Sage now feel approachable rather than terrifying, with friendly dashboards and bank feeds that pull in transactions automatically. The second is cost pressure: a new business with a tight cashflow looks at any monthly bill and asks whether the work could be done in-house. The third is a misconception that bookkeeping is "just admin" and that staying compliant is easy, when in fact bookkeeping is the data layer your VAT returns, payroll, year-end accounts,... Starting a business in Ireland is one of the few moments in a founder's life when getting the financial foundation right or wrong has compounding consequences. The decision on whether to set up as a sole trader or limited company, how to register for tax, how to pay yourself from the company, and which compliance routines to put in place from day one will quietly shape the next five to ten years of the business. The honest answer to "why outsource your accounting? " for a new Irish business is rarely about saving money in the first year. It is about avoiding the structural mistakes that are expensive and disruptive to fix later. This article explains what outsourced accounting actually covers, why structure and registration decisions matter so much at the start, when outsourcing beats hiring an in-house team, what to expect to pay, and how to choose the right accounting firm for a startup. What is outsourced accounting for a new Irish business? Outsourced accounting means engaging an external firm to handle some or all of the accounting and tax functions your business would otherwise have to staff internally. For an Irish startup, a typical outsourced engagement covers: Bookkeeping. Daily transaction recording, bank reconciliations, expense capture, and supplier ledger maintenance VAT returns. Bi-monthly or annual VAT submissions on ROS, plus advice on VAT registration thresholds and treatment Payroll. Setting up the business as an employer with Revenue and running monthly payroll once you have staff Management accounts. Monthly or... Most people who set out to start a business in Ireland already know the idea has legs. What stops them is the bit in between, the maze of registrations, structures, tax obligations and grant applications that nobody briefed them on. This step-by-step guide is for first-time founders, side-hustlers, and anyone who has decided that this is the year. We walk you through the four things that actually matter early on: testing whether your business idea is viable, lining up the cash, picking the right legal structure, and understanding what you must register and when. Get those right, and the rest is execution. If you want a sounding board before you commit, you can talk to our team. Kinore works with hundreds of Irish business owners across sole trader setups, limited companies, and scaling SMEs, so we have seen most of the early mistakes and how to avoid them. Have you tested your business idea thoroughly? Before you spend a euro on a logo or a website, pressure-test the business idea. Talk to ten potential customers in the next two weeks. Ask them what they currently do to solve the problem, what they pay, and what they would change. If you cannot find ten, your market is narrower than you thought. A viable business idea has a clear target customer, a price that comfortably covers your costs, and a believable sales channel. Everything else, including the brand and the office, can wait. While you are at it, sit down with an... Bringing life-saving medical innovation to a regulated market is fraught with complexity, risk, and massive commercial barriers. The challenge is balancing technical perfection with the difficult business realities of scaling, fundraising, and exit planning. This episode unpacks the journey of turning personal purpose into a profitable, high-impact medical technology business. We discuss the crucial differences between medical knowledge and commercial acumen, the importance of building trust, and securing investment in a slow-moving sector. Larissa Feeney welcomes Brian Bailey, the CEO of Harmony Hybrid. Brian is a 25-year veteran of the medical technology sector who has successfully built, scaled, and exited multiple businesses in this demanding industry. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Commercial acumen harder than medical knowledge Build respect by knowing limits Prepare documents to minimise due diligence Creating products to avoid child heart surgery Need patience, perseverance, and right people GUEST DETAILS Brian Bailey is the CEO of Harmony Hybrid. He has over 25 years of experience in cardiology device distribution and sales in Ireland. Brian is an expert in commercial strategy and navigating regulated markets, having successfully sold his family business, Bailey Medical Limited, and his subsequent distribution company, Medilex Limited Connect with Brian: Company Website - https://harmonyhybrid. com TRANSCRIPTION For your convenience, we include an automated AI transcription. Brian Bailey 0:00 I wasn't medically trained, but I'd been around this business a long time. It's an awful lot easier for people to learn the medical side than it is to learn the business side. The commercial side is... If you're a small business in Ireland looking for funding, the bank isn't your only option. In fact, depending on your stage, sector, and needs, it may not even be the best one. The Irish funding landscape has expanded significantly in recent years, with peer-to-peer lending platforms, government grants, equity crowdfunding, microfinance, and state-backed loan schemes all competing for your attention. The challenge isn't finding funding options. It's knowing which ones actually fit your situation. This guide walks through every major alternative funding source available to Irish SMEs in 2026, from the practical (microloans for cashflow gaps) to the ambitious (equity raises and accelerator programmes). What you need before applying for any funding Regardless of which type of funding you pursue, funders want to see the same fundamentals. Before you apply anywhere, make sure you have: Up-to-date management accounts (ideally monthly, at least quarterly) A financial plan or forecast covering at least 12 months ahead A clear explanation of what the funding is for and how it generates a return Tax clearance (or at minimum, all Revenue filings up to date) CRO filings current (annual return, financial statements) A business plan if applying for grants or equity investment Funders at every level, from Microfinance Ireland to venture capital, will assess your ability to repay or generate a return. Clean accounts, a credible forecast, and a clear purpose for the funds are non-negotiable. Peer-to-peer lending: Linked Finance Linked Finance is Ireland's largest peer-to-peer lending platform, regulated by the Central Bank of... You're about to start a business, or you're already running one and someone's told you that you need a business plan. Maybe it's a bank, a grant body, or a well-meaning mentor. And now you're wondering: do I actually need one, or is this just paperwork for the sake of paperwork? The honest answer: it depends on what you're doing and who you're doing it for. A business plan is a tool, not a formality. This guide explains when you genuinely need one in Ireland, what it should contain, when a simpler alternative works, and how to avoid wasting time on a document nobody reads. What is a business plan, really? A business plan is a written document that sets out your business idea, your market, your strategy, your operations, and your financial projections. It answers the fundamental questions: What are you selling? To whom? How will you make money? What will it cost? And what are the risks? What it's not: A sales brochure for your product A static document you write once and file in a drawer A guarantee that anything will go according to plan A good business plan is a thinking tool. It forces you to work through the assumptions, numbers, and risks before you commit time and money. The process of creating a business plan is often more valuable than the finished document itself. What's the purpose of a business plan? Business plans serve different purposes depending on your situation: Internal clarity. It forces you... A subsidiary accountant is a specialist who manages the financial activities of a subsidiary company, ensuring compliance with local Irish regulations while aligning with the financial goals and reporting standards of the parent company. In Ireland, the role has grown significantly as multinational groups, mid-market overseas businesses, and Irish parent companies with multiple trading entities all need someone who can handle both the local Irish compliance work and the group-level reporting demands that come with operating as part of a wider structure. Ireland's 12. 5% corporate tax rate and access to the EU market attract international companies, but the regulatory landscape rewards businesses that get the local finance function right from day one. This article explains what a subsidiary accountant does, when your Irish business needs one, the specific compliance and reporting tasks they handle, and how the role differs from a general SME accountant or an outsourced bookkeeping arrangement. What is a subsidiary accountant? A subsidiary accountant is responsible for the day-to-day finance, statutory reporting, and tax compliance of a subsidiary company, while making sure that the numbers reported locally tie back cleanly to the parent company's group accounts. The role sits at the intersection of three demanding stakeholders: Local management. Needs accurate monthly numbers to run the Irish business The parent company finance team. Needs consolidated reporting in the group's accounting policies and timetable Irish authorities. Need compliant statutory accounts, tax returns, and Companies Registration Office (CRO) filings Most general SME accountants focus only on the third of... The days of treating remote work as a temporary arrangement are long gone. For many Irish businesses and employees, working from home, or some version of it, has become the default. But that doesn't mean it's without trade-offs. Whether you're an employer designing a policy or an employee weighing your options, the pros and cons of remote working are more nuanced than "flexibility good, isolation bad. " This guide gives you a balanced, practical breakdown of what remote work actually looks like in Ireland today: the genuine advantages, the real downsides, and how to make it work for your business and your people. What Does Remote Working Look Like in Ireland Today? Remote work in Ireland typically falls into three categories. Fully remote means the employee works from home (or anywhere) full-time with no expectation of office attendance. Hybrid means splitting time between home and office, usually two or three days on-site per week. Office-based with flexibility means the default is in the office, but occasional remote days are permitted. The shift started during the pandemic, but it stuck because of deeper forces: Dublin's commuting costs, the quality-of-life draw of regional living, competition for talent, and the simple reality that many roles don't require physical presence. Technology caught up, and most employers now have the tools (Teams, Zoom, Slack, cloud software) to support distributed teams. That said, remote work isn't universal. Hands-on roles in manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, and construction still require on-site presence. And even in knowledge-work sectors, some tasks... Pension planning for business owners in Ireland is one of the most tax-efficient ways to build personal wealth, and one of the most commonly underused. For any entrepreneur trying to save for retirement at the same time as growing a company, retirement planning sits inside a wider tax-planning picture that also covers income tax, capital gains tax, and benefit-in-kind (BIK) rules. A profitable limited company can fund a director's executive pension scheme (a form of company pension) with contributions that are fully deductible against corporation tax, exempt from income tax, USC and PRSI in the director's hands, and grow tax-free inside the pension fund for decades. The trade-off, and the part most owners under-think, is investment risk: the pension fund has to be invested somewhere, and every investment choice carries some degree of risk that returns will differ from expectations. This article explains the specific pension planning challenges Irish business owners face, the categories of investment risk that matter, and how to find a balance between growth and stability that suits your situation, your time horizon, and your tolerance for short-term volatility. The team at Harvest Financial Services, an Irish wealth and pensions firm Kinore works alongside, are referenced throughout for technical detail on specific investment risks. What makes pension planning different for Irish business owners? Business owners and company directors face a double challenge most PAYE employees do not. The first is irregular income: contributions to a pension plan have to flex with the business's cash position, not the... Ireland's pension auto-enrolment system, officially called My Future Fund, went live on 1 January 2026. If you're an employer, this affects your payroll, your costs, and your obligations. If you're an employee, it affects your pay packet and your retirement savings. Either way, understanding how automatic enrolment works is no longer optional. This guide explains who qualifies, how much you'll contribute, what employers need to do, and what happens if you want to opt out. No jargon, no speculation, just practical answers based on how the scheme actually operates. What Is Pension Auto-Enrolment (My Future Fund)? Pension auto-enrolment is a government-mandated retirement savings system. It requires employers to automatically enrol eligible employees into a workplace pension scheme, with contributions from the employee, the employer, and the State. The goal is straightforward: too many people in Ireland are reaching retirement without adequate savings beyond the State Pension. Auto-enrolment addresses this by making pension saving the default rather than something you have to actively choose. It sits alongside the State Pension (Contributory), which requires 40 years of PRSI contributions for the full payment. Auto-enrolment doesn't replace the State Pension. It supplements it. The scheme is administered by NAERSA (National Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings Authority) through the My Future Fund portal at myfuturefund. ie. Who Gets Automatically Enrolled? You'll be automatically enrolled if you meet all of the following criteria: You're aged between 23 and 60 You earn €20,000 or more per year You're an employee paying PRSI You're not already contributing to... Growth exposes weakness. A small business that runs comfortably at €500,000 of turnover can struggle visibly at €1. 2 million, not because the business is failing, but because the systems, processes, and habits that worked at small scale are no longer fit for the new volume. We see this pattern in dozens of Irish SMEs every year: the founder is working harder than ever, the team is busy, the revenue is climbing, and yet cash is tighter and decision-making is slower. That is what business growth challenges actually look like in practice. This article picks out the four biggest growth challenges we see Irish small businesses run into, and the practical steps that successful business owners take to overcome them. The themes are cash flow management, weak or absent processes, over-reliance on a small group of major clients, and recruitment. Why is cash flow the number one growth challenge for Irish SMEs? Cash flow problems are the biggest single reason that profitable businesses fail. A small business can post strong sales and a healthy profit on paper while running out of money to pay wages, VAT, and suppliers. The mismatch usually has the same root cause: revenue is reported when invoices are issued, but cash arrives weeks or months later. Meanwhile, costs (payroll, rent, stock, VAT) keep going out on a fixed cycle. Growing your business amplifies the gap, because every new customer often means more stock, more wages, and more receivables before the cash comes in. The pressure points... Someone asks for "€3,000 a month net" during salary negotiations. It sounds simple enough. But for an Irish employer, agreeing to a net pay figure is one of the most quietly dangerous commitments you can make. It shifts tax risk onto your business, makes labour costs unpredictable, and creates disputes that are nearly impossible to resolve cleanly. This isn't a rare scenario. Candidates comparing offers, international hires unfamiliar with Irish payroll, and employees who simply think in terms of take-home pay all push for net figures. The instinct to agree is understandable. But the consequences catch up, sometimes within months. Here's why every Irish employer should insist on gross pay agreements, and how to handle the conversation when a candidate or employee asks for a net figure. What Is the Difference Between Net Pay and Gross Pay? Gross pay is the total salary agreed before any deductions. Net pay, sometimes called take-home pay, is what lands in the employee's bank account after statutory deductions: PAYE income tax, USC (Universal Social Charge), PRSI (Pay Related Social Insurance), and any other deductions like pension contributions or Local Property Tax. The critical point is this: net pay is not a fixed number. It changes based on the employee's personal circumstances, their tax credits, their rate band, whether they have other income, and whatever Revenue decides to put on their Revenue Payroll Notification (RPN). An employer cannot control most of these variables. Promising a specific net figure means promising something that depends on factors... Entrepreneurship: 30 Years of Learning Entrepreneurs struggle to find the balance between aggressive business growth and their own essential wellbeing, often overlooking the psychological health of their teams. This challenge can lead to burnout, poor decision-making, and limits on long-term, sustainable success. This episode explores the strategies that prove compassion and a focus on human performance are not luxuries, but commercial necessities for building an enduring enterprise. You will hear key learnings from 30 years of entrepreneurship, the power of delegation, and innovative ways to listen to your customer to shape and expand your business. Our guest is Jenni Timony, founder of the hugely successful Irish athleisure brand FitPink Fitness. She is also the Managing Director for I Am Here, leading the movement for psychological safety in the workplace. Jenni shares her diverse experience, from starting her first business at 19 to becoming a national finalist in the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Starting an entrepreneurial career young Key financial lessons from business failure Launching an athleisure brand successfully How crowdfunding provides fast investment The essential nature of true delegation GUEST DETAILS Jenni Timony is an entrepreneur with 30 years’ experience in commercial and social entrepreneurship projects. As Managing Director for I Am Here in the UK and Ireland, she partners with employers across sectors to embed psychological safety and build cultures where wellbeing and performance go hand in hand. She is also the founder of FitPink, an athleisure brand for women. Jenni has lectured... An Employee Share Ownership Plan, usually shortened to ESOP, is one of the most powerful tools an Irish startup or growing company has for hiring and keeping top talent without spending cash it does not yet have. Done correctly, an ESOP turns employees into shareholders, aligns their incentives with the long-term success of the company, and meaningfully reduces the cash cost of building a senior team. Done late, or done badly, it can create unexpected tax bills, governance headaches, and a cap table that founders later wish they had structured differently. This article walks through what an ESOP actually is in an Irish context, when to put one in place, the difference between giving employees shares now versus granting share options, and the main tax-efficient structures Revenue allows. It draws on practical advice from Sean Wallace of Wallace Corporate Counsel and the experience we have helping clients design and implement schemes at Kinore. What is an Employee Share Ownership Plan in Ireland? An ESOP is any structured arrangement where a company gives employees either shares in the business or the right to acquire shares in the future. In Ireland, ESOPs are most common in private limited companies and especially in venture-backed startups, although established SMEs increasingly use them for senior hires and as part of succession planning. The plan itself is a layered document: the company's constitution must permit the scheme, the shareholders' agreement should reflect the option pool, the board approves grants under a written plan rules document, and... You've started a business, or you're about to. The accounts look manageable, there's software that promises to do everything, and hiring an accountant feels like an expense you can skip. For now, at least. Here's the problem: "for now" turns into "for a year" turns into "I haven't filed my returns and Revenue is writing to me. " The question isn't really whether you need an accountant. It's whether you can afford the consequences of not having one. This guide explains what accountants actually do for small businesses in Ireland, when you genuinely need one, when you might manage without, and how to find the right fit for your business structure and stage. What does an accountant actually do for a small business? First, it helps to understand that "accounting" covers a wide range of services. Not every business needs all of them, and not all of them require a qualified accountant. Bookkeeping Day-to-day recording of transactions: sales, purchases, expenses, bank reconciliations. A bookkeeper handles this. Many business owners do it themselves using software like Xero or QuickBooks. If your transactions are straightforward and you have the discipline to keep it current, this is the part you're most likely to manage alone. Tax compliance and returns Filing your income tax return (Form 11 for sole traders), corporation tax return (CT1 for limited companies), VAT returns, and PAYE submissions for employees. This is where many small business owners get into trouble. Irish tax laws are detailed, deadlines are strict, and penalties... Smácht Philosophy Discipline Business Success Discipline sounds harsh until you translate it to the Irish word "smácht"—meaning control, mastery, and the beautiful skill of managing your fishing technique. Pádraic Ó Máille reveals how this Connemara word became a life-changing philosophy for terrified business owners surviving Ireland's worst recession, evolving into mastermind groups running since 2011 with members still returning for one surprising reason: safety. Discover why 98% of heart bypass patients revert to old habits without peer accountability, how Pádraic went from C-class to A-class through presentation skills, why his mother's pre-speech phone call taught him about negative people, and the six questions transforming paralysing worry into actionable plans—including the business owner who smiled after finally knowing exactly what he owed THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT How the Smácht philosophy was born. Why mastermind groups provide irreplaceable benefits How physical fitness represents the #1 characteristic of successful business people. Why the six-question problem-solving framework transforms worry into action. How presentation skills differentiate successful entrepreneurs not by product quality but by communication ability. GUEST DETAILS Pádraic Ó Máille is Ireland's most sought-after business mentor, acclaimed speaker, and founder of the Smácht philosophy—the proven discipline of success driving incredible achievements since 2011. His framework has helped extreme athletes conquer the Atlantic, high-level sports teams win national titles, and entrepreneurs secure the EY Entrepreneur of the Year award. With over twenty years mentoring business owners through economic recessions, growth phases and personal challenges, Pádraic has worked with approximately 200 colleagues across 12+ Smácht mastermind... An online accountant is a Chartered Accountants firm (or equivalent) that delivers its accounting services through cloud-based tools, video meetings, and digital document sharing, rather than through in-person visits to a physical office. For Irish business owners the model has become the default in the last five years, particularly for small businesses and limited companies who value speed, flexibility, and transparent pricing. The relationship works differently from a traditional accountant, and getting the most out of it depends on knowing what to expect, what to ask for, and where to push back. This article walks through what online accounting actually means in practice, what a good online accountant should display openly on their website, how cloud accounting software supports the relationship, and the questions worth asking before you sign with any digitally focused firm. What does an online accountant actually do? A modern online accountant in Ireland typically handles the same scope of work as a traditional accountant: bookkeeping, payroll, VAT returns, year-end accounts, the corporation tax return, CRO filings, and tax planning. The difference is in how the work is delivered. Software. Online accountants work in cloud accounting platforms (Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage Business Cloud, FreeAgent) where you and the firm share live access to the same data. Most firms specialise in one or two platforms; ask before you sign Communication. Email, video calls, secure messaging, and shared document portals replace the in-person office visit. Most clients of online accountants speak to their accountant by video four to six... If you're starting a business in Ireland, or trying to grow the one you already run, the funding and free advice you need is probably sitting closer than you think. Your Local Enterprise Office is the public body charged with helping micro and small businesses get off the ground and stay there. Most owners we speak to have heard the name but have no clear idea what a LEO actually does, or whether they qualify. This guide answers that plainly, so you can decide quickly whether a call to your local office is worth your time. What is a Local Enterprise Office? A Local Enterprise Office is the first-stop shop for anyone seeking information and support on starting or growing a business in Ireland. There are 31 Local Enterprise Offices across the country, with at least one in every county, and they sit inside the local authorities (your county or city council). That structure matters: it means the office down the road from you is the front door to a national system of programmes and supports, backed by Enterprise Ireland and the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. The purpose of the LEO in business is straightforward. It exists to stimulate local economic activity, encourage entrepreneurship, and help create new jobs by backing the people most likely to be overlooked by the banks and the bigger State agencies: sole traders, startups, and micro-enterprises. Each LEO runs its own dedicated team, so you deal with people who know the local economy... Running your own business is hard enough without spending your evenings buried in spreadsheets, chasing Revenue deadlines, and wondering whether you’ve claimed everything you’re entitled to. That’s exactly when most small business owners in Ireland start looking for an accountant. Not because they want one, but because the cost of getting it wrong is too high. The right accountant doesn’t just file your tax return on time. They give you clarity on where your money goes, help you keep more of it, and free you up to focus on growing the business. The wrong one? You’ll only hear from them at year-end, and even then, it’s a scramble. This guide covers what small business accountants actually do in Ireland, what they cost, and how to find one that fits. What Does a Small Business Accountant Actually Do? There’s a meaningful difference between bookkeeping, accounting, and advisory. Many business owners assume all three are the same thing. They’re not. Bookkeeping is the day-to-day recording of transactions: sales invoices, expenses, bank reconciliations, and keeping your records up to date. It’s the foundation, and it needs to be accurate, but it doesn’t tell you what to do with the information. Accounting takes those records and turns them into financial statements, tax returns, and compliance filings. This is where your annual accounts, corporation tax returns, VAT returns, and payroll filings get done properly. A qualified accountant ensures everything is compliant with Revenue and the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Advisory is where the real value... Data loss prevention (DLP) is the set of policies, tools, and processes that stop sensitive data from leaking out of a business, whether through accidental human error, a malicious insider, or an external attack. For modern Irish businesses, particularly those in financial services, professional advisory, healthcare, and any sector handling personal data, an effective DLP strategy is no longer optional. The combination of GDPR enforcement, increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, and the financial loss and loss of customer trust that follow a serious data breach makes data security a board-level conversation in companies of every size. This article explains what data loss prevention is, why it matters for modern businesses, the specific risks it addresses, the categories of DLP tools available, and how to put practical safeguarding sensitive information measures in place. It is written for business owners and finance leaders who need to understand the business case for DLP rather than the technical detail. What is data loss prevention? Data loss prevention is a category of data security technology and policy designed to identify, monitor, and protect sensitive data wherever it lives across the business: in email, in cloud storage, in databases, on laptops, and in transit between systems. A good DLP solution combines four things: Data classification. Identifying which data is sensitive and which is not, so you can apply different controls. Most modern DLP tools classify sensitive data automatically using machine learning and pattern matching Data monitoring. Watching how sensitive data moves around the business; who accesses it,... The Secret to Staff Retention After years managing businesses for others who didn't value employees, Diane Kelly started LL Solutions with a simple plan. To test if a company built entirely on kindness could work. Six months later she was inundated. Five years later, she had over 40 staff. Her crew came mainly from self-employed backgrounds, who valued security without micromanagement, Diane’s exceptionally high retention rate and zero cold-calling. Today, as Ireland's only fully female-led property maintenance company of this scale Diane shares her story. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT Nobody here is a number: knowing staff stories enables understanding bad days Non-credit company paying as you go eliminates surprise bills devastating cash flow Seventy percent crew came from self-employed backgrounds valuing security without micromanagement Recruitment changed: no interviews, just coffee conversations, mostly recommendations from current staff Home to Hope documentary fixing five severely sad homes before Christmas nationwide GUEST DETAILS Diane Kelly is co-founder of LL Solutions, Ireland's only fully female-led property maintenance and refurbishment company operating at their scale. Diane leads with fairness and hands-on involvement, giving full trust from day one. https://www. linkedin. com/in/diane-kelly-0bb56921 TRANSCRIPTION Diane Kelly 0:00 We try to hold value in every person that we deal with every day. So from a staff perspective, for us, kindness is knowing all of their stories so that when one of them has a bad day, we may understand why nobody here is a number, 0:19 no unicorns, no brands, just hard working people who built their business... Larissa Feeney's Entrepreneurial Journey Many entrepreneurs find themselves unprepared for the realities of running a business which are usually beyond their core technical skills. For them, making the transition from technical expert to business leader requires a difficult shift in focus. Not doing so is a failure point for many. Today we hear about an unexpected journey that provides the essential groundwork for business growth: a profound focus on the customer, a robust problem-solving mindset, and the discipline gained from external investment. You'll hear about the initial struggles, the pivotal decision to embrace a remote, online model and the crucial strategy for scaling a service-based firm through acquisitions and technological adoption. This special episode features our own host and CEO Larissa Feeney, stepping into the hot seat to be interviewed by guest presenter, Richard Curran. Video episode: https://youtu. be/0xE3lpE-xqU THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT The pivotal shift from hospitality to accountancy The early struggle to build an online brand The necessity of outside investment and discipline Stepping back from client work to grow Why commercial awareness is vital for finance. GUEST DETAILS Larissa Feeney is the CEO and Founder of Kinore, a high-growth, remote-first accountancy practice in Ireland. Her main skills are developing business strategy, advocating for women in business, and successfully scaling a professional services firm from a small client base to a team of almost 80, proving that a remote model can achieve significant scale and success in the finance industry. Guest Host Details Richard Curran is one of... Running a business in Ireland today is demanding. Between managing cash flow, nurturing client relationships, and keeping your team motivated, it’s easy for statutory compliance to slip down the priority list. But company secretarial obligations are not just red tape; they’re essential to protecting your company’s legal standing, reputation, and financial health. At Kinore, we work with Irish SMEs every day to help them stay compliant and confident in their governance responsibilities. In this blog, we’ll walk you through the most common company secretarial mistakes we see and how to avoid them. 1. Missing Annual Return Deadlines One of the most frequent (and costly) errors we see is missing the Annual Return filing deadline with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Every Irish company must file an Annual Return once a year, even if the business is dormant or not trading. Missing this deadline can have significant consequences, including: Late filing penalties The potential loss of audit exemption The reputational hit of non-compliance It’s easy for deadlines to creep up, especially if your internal team is busy with day-to-day operations. However, once a company loses its audit exemption, it can take two full years to regain it, adding avoidable cost and complexity. How to avoid missing Annual Return deadlines: Set up a compliance calendar and automated reminders for filing dates. If you’re unsure when your next Annual Return is due, your company secretarial provider or accountant can check this via the CRO system. 2. Not Updating Beneficial Ownership Details Since the... Gender Pay Gap Reporting can feel complex - from understanding legal obligations to interpreting your data and taking meaningful action. At Kinore, we are finance and business experts providing payroll and compliance solutions. We’ve created this whitepaper to give Irish companies clear guidance, practical steps, and actionable insights to navigate gender pay reporting with confidence. What’s Inside: Strategic Guidance for Gender Pay Gap Reporting Understand the rules: What data you need and reporting requirements. Employer responsibilities: Legal obligations explained in plain language. Practical tools and checklists: Steps to assess your readiness and plan next actions. Why Trust Kinore? At Kinore, we are finance and business experts specialising in payroll and compliance solutions for Irish businesses. We understand that regulations like Gender Pay Gap Reporting can be complex and challenging to navigate, and we’re here to make it clear, manageable, and actionable. Download For Free Now Auto-enrolment can feel overwhelming—from understanding the rules to implementing systems that work for your business and employees. At Kinore, we are finance and business experts offering payroll and compliance solutions. We provide clear guidance to help Irish companies understand what’s coming, plan effectively, and implement auto-enrolment smoothly. This whitepaper provides practical insights, step-by-step guidance, and actionable tips so you can focus on growing your business rather than worrying about compliance. What's inside: Strategic Guidance for Auto-Enrolment Readiness Understand the rules: Who’s included, how contributions work, and what it means for your business. Employer responsibilities: Clear guidance to stay compliant without the stress. Employee journey: See what your staff will experience and how to communicate effectively. Explore alternatives: Decide if enrolling your staff is the best option for your employer brand and strategy. Governance & readiness: Practical checklists and tips to get your business prepared. Why Trust Kinore? With deep expertise in finance, payroll, and compliance solutions, Kinore has helped hundreds of Irish companies implement payroll solutions with confidence and ease. Our guidance ensures your company is ready for auto-enrolment while supporting your workforce. Download For Free Now Scaling a Specialist Service Starting a specialist occupational health practice in regional Ireland rather than Dublin seems counterintuitive—but Dan MacCarthy proved it could work. After experiencing burnout in pharmaceutical manufacturing, Dan co-founded MedWise with his wife in 2005, navigating startup challenges from zero customers to cash flow crises that nearly ended the business. Discover how a 50% price increase lost zero clients, why engineering project management skills translate perfectly to business growth, and how twenty years of bootstrapping created a sustainable healthcare service company. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT How travel health and mortgage medicals provided crucial cash flow during startup years Why implementing a 50% price increase resulted in zero customer losses How systemizing services helped escape monthly payroll stress How applying engineering project management skills created sustainable growth in the business. Why finding specialist occupational doctors remains the biggest constraint GUEST DETAILS Dan MacCarthy is co-founder of MedWise Occupational Health Services, established in 2005 with his wife Dr. Deirdre MacCarthy. With over 20 years of technical experience in medical device manufacturing at companies including Boston Scientific and Pfizer, Dan transitioned from senior engineering roles to entrepreneurship. As employee number 74 at Boston Scientific's Galway startup, he gained valuable scaling experience before co-founding MedWise as a regional specialist occupational health provider. Dan applies his engineering background and project management expertise to business challenges, systematizing services and developing innovative solutions like mobile medical clinics for workforce-scale health surveillance. Under his leadership, MedWise has grown from a small regional practice to a... The Irish government announced the Irish budget 2026 on the 7th of October 2025. Budget 2026, introduces a range of tax, reliefs, and structural measures with direct implications for businesses. Below is a curated breakdown of what matters most for SMEs, founders, and business owners. If you have any questions about these changes, please contact your accountant or a trusted advisor. We’re here to help. VAT & Indirect Tax Changes From 1 July 2026, a 9% VAT rate will apply to food & drink services, hairdressing, café/restaurant/takeaway services (excluding alcohol). The 9% VAT rate on gas and electricity is extended through 31 December 2030. VAT on completed apartments is reduced to 9% (from 8 October 2025) and this rate is maintained until 2030. Several development reliefs and stamp duty incentives are extended, supporting property investment and new builds. Implication: Hospitality and property developers may see margin benefits. However, cost pressures remain (energy, labour). Businesses should model the impact on cash flows and pricing carefully. R&D, Innovation & Talent Incentives The R&D tax credit rate rises from 30% to 35%, and first-year thresholds increase to €87,500. The KEEP (Key Employee Engagement Programme) is extended to 31 December 2028. The SARP (Special Assignee Relief Programme) is extended to 2030, and the minimum income threshold is increased to €125,000. Implication: Tech, export, and high growth firms benefit from improved incentives to attract and retain key staff, and make more innovation investment. "R&D credit up to 35% is good but still too complex for... In this powerful episode of Kinore’s Real Business Conversations Podcast, we dive into the incredible journey of Erica Hargaden, founder of Babogue. Erica has transformed a personal struggle with her child’s sleep into a “Sleeping Giant”—a global business that has helped over 5,000 families across 37 countries. This is not just a story of success; it’s a raw and honest look at the strategies that took a passionate entrepreneur from surviving to scaling. This episode is a master class if you’ve found a gap in the market, are looking to scale a one-to-one business, or feel like you are giving away too much of your expertise free of charge. We also delve into the benefits of delegation, virtual assistants, whether or not you should advertise your prices upfront, and balancing the demands of social media marketing. Learn more about Erica Hargaden and Babogue here: https://www. babogue. com/ THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Erica Hargaden’s personal journey from sleep struggles to founding Babogue. ● Transitioning from a one-to-one consultancy model to a scalable, online business. ● Launching the “Sleep Series” and moving into a subscription-based model. ● Social Media strategies, including Instagram, LinkedIn, and considerations for TikTok. ● Hiring and working with a virtual assistant, and the challenges and benefits of delegation. ● The value of mentorship, networking, and business support programs (e. g. , Acorns, Enterprise Ireland). ● Funding the business: grants, investment, and self-funding. GUEST DETAILS Erica Hargaden, Founder and CEO of Babogue. With a background in accounting, law,... If you own or manage a limited company in Ireland, you may have noticed that late November is always a hectic time in the Company Secretarial world. It’s not just you, the 25th of November is the single busiest filing deadline for the Companies Registration Office (CRO). But why is this the case, and more importantly, what can you do to avoid the stress, penalties, and administrative headaches that come with this crunch point? Let’s break it down in simple terms and share some practical steps to keep your business compliant and calm. Understanding the Annual Return and Annual Return Deadline The key date behind the chaos is the 30th of September. For many Irish limited companies, the 30th of September is their Annual Return Date (ARD). This happens for two main reasons: End-of-September Incorporations: Many Irish companies are incorporated around the end of September, which automatically sets the ARD for the same period in future years. Financial Year-End Alignment: The ARD is usually set six months after your company’s financial year-end. If your financial year ends on 31 March, for example, your ARD becomes 30 September. Once your ARD is fixed, the Companies Registration Office gives you 56 days to file your Annual Return, which means the filing deadline lands on the 25th of November. Multiply this by the thousands of companies with the same ARD, and you get one of the busiest days of the year for the CRO. Why the Annual Return Deadline Matters for Business Owners... OK, we get it. Even the mere mention of the “P” word makes you want to bury your head in the sand. Something to do later, right? Or maybe you think it’s already too late? This is a BIG MISTAKE! In the new Kinore “Real Business Conversations” podcast episode, wealth expert Niall Leyden explains why it’s never too early, and never too late, to take control of your financial future which includes PENSION PLANNING. Nial Leyden has over 30 years’ experience working as a wealth/asset manager for Ulster Bank and Permanent TSB, and has recently become an entrepreneur himself. In January 2024, Nial formed his own wealth management company, Atlantic Wealth Management. This episode of Real Business Conversations contains invaluable advice for any business owner, regardless of whether you are just starting out or a seasoned entrepreneur. In just 30 minutes, we cover topics that we believe could make a significant difference to your life in the years to come. Learn more about Niall Leyden and Atlantic Wealth Management here: https://atlanticwm. ie/ THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Niall Leyden's career and the founding of Atlantic Wealth Management ● Lifestyle and financial planning for business owners ● Pension planning and retirement strategies ● Balancing business with self-care ● The ``10 Commandments of Wealth Management`` ● Tax optimisation and investment strategies ● The challenges of entrepreneurship and avoiding burnout ● The role of a personal board of directors ● Starting a pension early and what to do if you didn’t. ● Dealing... Our guest, Annette Houston, describes herself as “an accidental entrepreneur. ” Annette’s remarkable journey began at just 21, when she started “helping out” at her mum and dad’s cleaning business. Over the past 31 years, she’s transformed that role into becoming the CEO of FM Services Group, based in Donegal, which today employs over 180 people. Annette is also the visionary founder of Bright Academy, an innovative online training resource designed for employees and business owners alike. In this episode of Real Business Conversations, Annette speaks candidly about her decades-long journey, the unique opportunities and challenges inherent in family businesses, and the critical importance of perseverance, strategic decision-making, and maintaining strong family relationships amidst business growth. Beyond her personal story, Annette shares a wealth of helpful insights and practical advice that are applicable to any business manager or owner, regardless of their industry or company size. THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● How “walking away” from a major client saved the business ● Building Client loyalty ● Getting the best from your consultants and advisors ● The importance of learning from experienced business owners/agencies in the early stages of business development ● Why investment in continuous self improvement and staff training really does make a difference to the bottom line GUEST DETAILS Annette Houston, CEO of FM Services Group and founder of Bright Academy. FM Services Group offers a comprehensive range of services which include specialised commercial cleaning, green cleaning solutions and full service facilities management. Bright Academy offers online training... Our guest today is Nicholas Deeney, an engaging and talented entrepreneur from Dublin. Nicholas is the founder and CEO of Biovit Technologies in Dublin, however, his background is in science. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience from Trinity College and a Master’s in Biotechnology from University College and is now balancing his passion for science with his dedication to scaling his business way beyond the shores of Ireland. In this fascinating episode of our podcast “Kinore Real Business Conversations”, Nicholas discusses his journey from a neuroscience background to developing a technology to enhance nutrient absorption in health products. Admitting that he often “bursts a lot of bubbles”, he explains that up to 99% of nutrients in fortified food or within supplements are wasted and just end up “in our pee”. This discovery was the inspiration for Nicholas to create Biovit Technologies, and his determination to develop an effective solution to this “preposterous” problem. Biovit Technologies is now targeting manufacturers of fortified foods and supplements, aiming for market entry by 2026. https://www. biovit. ie/ THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● The problem with supplement absorption and Nicholas’s solution ● Fundraising challenges ● The need for “value-added” investors ● The importance of networking ● The strategic importance of IP protection GUEST DETAILS Nicholas Deeney, CEO of Biovit Technologies in Dublin. Biovit Technologies is an Irish startup pioneering advanced nanotechnology to enhance nutrient absorption in fortified foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. TRANSCRIPTION For your convenience, we include an automated AI transcription. Larissa Feeney... As your business grows and evolves, so should your finance team. But here’s a question we think more business owners in Ireland should be asking: Is your finance function set up to support change, or is it slowing you down? It’s easy to fall into the traditional mindset of “Do we build this in-house or outsource it? ” But in today’s fast-moving business environment, it’s not just about who does the work. It’s about building a finance function that’s flexible, scalable, and aligned with where you’re going, not just where you are today. Let’s unpack what that means and how the right mix of support (including outsourced services) can make a real difference to your business. Why Finance Agility Matters More Than Ever Things move fast. Whether it’s a sudden growth opportunity, a change in tax rules, new hires, or a global curveball, your ability to react quickly can make or break momentum. But here’s the thing – if your finance processes are clunky or your team is stretched too thin, it’s tough to move fast. You might find yourself spending more time figuring out your numbers than acting on them. That’s where the structure of your finance function matters. What’s the Right Fit: In-House, Outsourced, or a Bit of Both? There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Every business has different needs, goals, and internal capabilities. Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons of each approach to help you get a clearer picture. In-House Finance Teams In-house teams offer continuity,... Richard Williams, Head of Digital Transformation at Kinore, has seen how artificial intelligence (AI) is levelling the playing field for small businesses. A recent survey by the U. S. Chamber of Commerce found that 98% of small businesses are already using AI-enabled tools, with 40% leveraging generative AI for tasks like content creation (U. S. Chamber of Commerce). While tools like chatbots and marketing platforms are valuable, small businesses can unlock even greater potential by training custom AI models to make data-driven decisions. This approach, once reserved for large corporations with dedicated data science teams, is now accessible to companies with immature IT departments thanks to no-code and low-code AI platforms. Why Train Custom AI Models? Off-the-shelf AI tools, like chatbots or content generators, are excellent for general tasks, but they may not address your unique business challenges. Training a custom AI model allows you to tailor solutions to your specific data and goals, enabling more precise decision-making. For example: Predicting Customer Churn: Identify customers likely to stop purchasing, allowing you to offer targeted promotions to retain them. Sales Forecasting: Predict future demand to optimise inventory, reducing costs from overstocking or stockouts. Customer Support Automation: Classify incoming inquiries to route them to the right team, speeding up response times. Fraud Detection: Flag suspicious transactions in real-time to prevent financial losses. These applications can lead to significant benefits. According to Forrester, companies using predictive analytics are 2. 9 times more likely to achieve revenue growth of 15% or more (Forrester). Additionally,... Staying in your comfort zone may feel safe, but it can also prevent growth, innovation, and meaningful success. Today, we explore what happens when you take bold steps beyond the familiar. From shifting professional identity to starting a business from scratch, we unpack how discomfort can be a catalyst for clarity, creativity, and leadership. You’ll hear how embracing uncertainty, experimenting with new methods, and leaning into risk can unlock unexpected potential for you and your business. Our guest is a former Managing Partner with over two decades in legal practice, who now helps law firms and leaders evolve through strategic coaching, leadership development, and innovative tools like LEGO® Serious Play®. We’re delighted to have Katie da Gama, Executive Coach and Founder of Senatum Ltd, https://katiedagama. ie/ THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● From law firm leader to business founder ● Saying yes to opportunity - even if you don’t feel ready ● Reinventing career identity after leaving a defining role ● Using LEGO® Serious Play® to inspire leadership ● Stretching comfort zones to unlock professional growth GUEST DETAILS Katie da Gama is an Executive Coach, Legal Sector Consultant, and Founder of Senatum Ltd. With over 20 years’ experience as a barrister, solicitor, in-house counsel, and Managing Partner, she brings a unique, insider perspective to leadership and strategic development in the legal profession. Since 2018, Katie has partnered with law firms and legal professionals across Ireland and the UK to drive growth, enhance performance, and lead meaningful change. Her work blends the... Every entrepreneur knows that having a great idea is just the beginning. The real work begins with sourcing funding, building the right team and keeping focused on your goal. Today we meet an entrepreneur who shares his experience of turning an innovative idea—using space technology to improve sports safety—into a real business. He breaks down the realities of securing half a million euro in investment with the help of networking and mentorship, a s well as the importance of resilience in navigating the ups and downs of bringing a product to market. Our guest today has worked with the European Space Agency and is using that experience to create technology that can detect head injuries. It’s a pleasure to welcome Founder and CEO of Sports Impact Technologies, Eoin Tuohy. https://ie. linkedin. com/in/eoin-tuohy https://sportsimpacttechnologies. com/ THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Bringing space technology to sports ●Developing viable designs and prototypes ●Challenges and successes of raising half a million euro ●Building a team and why first hires are so important ●The emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship GUEST DETAILS Eóin is a mechanical engineer and entrepreneur from Kilmacanogue, Co. Wicklow. Before founding Sports Impact Technologies, he worked as a research engineer at the European Space Agency's European Astronaut Centre, contributing to the space medicine and lunar research teams. During his time there, he developed wearables for spaceflight, including a device currently in use on the International Space Station. His company, Sports Impact Technologies, focuses on innovative wearables that detect and monitor head... In the rush to embrace AI and automation, many in the accounting and business services world assume that technology is the answer to every inefficiency. Automate reconciliations, let AI handle audits, deploy chatbots for client queries—problem solved, right? Not quite. While automation is beginning to transform how accountants work, it doesn’t replace the need for human expertise, strategic thinking, and well-designed processes. In fact, over-reliance on technology can create blind spots, introduce risk if applied incorrectly, and even lead to missed opportunities. The real challenge isn’t just about what you automate—it’s about how and where you integrate technology without losing the human judgment that’s required to provide value to your stakeholders. Gartner research supports this approach, emphasising that organisations should optimise processes and prepare their teams before introducing new technologies. According to their findings, companies that prioritise process improvements before automation experience 30% fewer implementation failures and achieve higher ROI from technology investments (Gartner, 2024). Similarly, Forrester Research highlights that businesses that implement structured change management and process reengineering before deploying new technology see 40% higher adoption rates and greater long-term efficiency(Forrester, 2024). 1. The Limits of Automation in Accounting Automation excels at handling repetitive, rule-based tasks. It speeds up workflows, reduces errors, and enables teams to focus on higher-value activities. But there are critical areas where automation falls short: 1. 1 Complex Problem-Solving AI can analyse vast amounts of financial data, but it struggles with nuance and judgment. For instance: A machine learning algorithm can flag an unusual transaction,... Technology isn’t just about innovation; it’s about making a tangible difference to the bottom line. At Kinore, we focus on integrating solutions that drive efficiency, reduce overhead, and enhance client satisfaction. By investing in automated data processing, enhanced reporting, and client sentiment analysis, we’re helping to set a new standard for efficiency in the financial services industry. Although the list below is not comprehensive, these 3 key solutions allow our delivery teams to focus on what’s most important: providing value to our clients. 1. Automated Data Processing Financial firms handle vast amounts of data every day, from transaction records to client documentation. Manual data processing is time-consuming, prone to error, and resource-intensive. By automating these tasks, financial services firms can significantly reduce overhead, improve accuracy, and free up delivery teams (and our clients) to focus on more strategic work. Kinore’s Solution Our My Kinore Platform integrates powerful data automation features, enabling us to extract, validate, and classify data with minimal human intervention. For instance, our new onboarding experience connects our business contacts to advanced Anti-Money Laundering (AML) tools provided by AML HQ. Coupled with a robust taxonomy for classifying clients via onboarding forms, we’re able to apply the appropriate level of screening for each business contact. This key integration in conjunction with automation of other onboarding activities within our client journey, have allowed us to significantly improve client take-on processing times, allowing our team to focus on client engagement rather than administrative tasks. 2. Enterprise Reporting Solution for Strategic Insights... What Irish Business Owners Need to Know Retirement relief is a key tax relief in Ireland, benefiting individuals who sell or pass on business assets, often at retirement or when transferring a business to the next generation. The relief reduces or eliminates Capital Gains Tax (CGT) on such disposals, ensuring smoother business transitions and supporting the economy. Significant changes are coming into effect on 1 January 2025, and business owners should know the implications. Current Rules (Valid Until 31 December 2024) Qualifying Business Assets: Includes business assets such as goodwill, shares in trading companies, farming companies, or holding companies, provided the individual has at least 25% of the voting rights. Lifetime Limit: General lifetime limit of €750,000 for disposals to individuals other than a child; €500,000 if the individual is aged 66 or over. There is no lifetime limit for transfers to a child unless the individual is over 70, in which case the limit is €3 million. Age Limit: The upper age limit for CGT retirement relief is 65 years. Ownership Period: The individual must have owned the business assets or shares for 10 years or more. Key Changes EƯective from 1 January 2025 Qualifying Business Assets: No changes. Lifetime Limit: A general lifetime limit of €750,000 for disposals to individuals other than a child applies to all individuals aged 55-69. There is a new €10 million lifetime limit for the disposal of business assets or farms to a child for individuals aged 55-69. The €3 million limit continues... Change is inevitable, so developing a positive mindset towards change can really help a business thrive. Whether that’s in marketing, staff retention or handing over the family business. Today we hear from a second generation business owner who has leveraged change and connection to continue his father’s legacy in the home improvements industry. We hear how his passion for clear and simple communication has helped the company retain both staff and customers at an incredibly high level and about the mentors that inspired his management mindset. Although originally reluctant to step into the family business, our guest now believes it’s a privilege. He is Managing Director of Global Home Improvements, Barry Shevlin. Visit https://globalhomeimprovements. ie/ THINGS WE SPOKE ABOUT ● Transitioning to being a second-generation business leader ● Cultivating a simple but effective customer-centric approach ● Building a thriving team culture based on basic human respect and connection ● Embracing change in business and seeing it as an opportunity to learn ● Following your gut when planning for the future GUEST DETAILS Global Home Improvements has been trusted since 1980 to transform the warmth, comfort, energy-efficiency and look of homes across Dublin and surrounding counties. They specialise in designing and manufacturing quality windows, doors, roofline and flat roofing. Now a second-generation family business, the company’s core values of quality and service have earned recognition for Global including Guaranteed Irish Best Retailer 2024 & Q Mark Awards Best Home Improvements company in Ireland. The company is headed up by Managing Director... We’re thrilled to introduce our new brand, Kinore. This is a significant milestone in our journey to better align our services with the evolving needs of small and medium-sized businesses in Ireland. The rebrand isn’t just a new name; it’s a renewed pledge to empower your business with expert guidance and support. Watch the video to hear from our CEO, Larissa Feeney, as she discusses the exciting future of Kinore. Learn how our new brand identity will enhance our ability to serve you while we continue to uphold the values and expertise you trust. Join us as we embrace this new era, ready to move forward with fresh energy and dedication. How can outsourcing your calls help you grow? Many Entrepreneurs find it hard to find enough hours in the day to meet clients, answering calls and to juggle all the other things necessary to grow their business. We asked Rachael Gray and her Team members Emla and Marie at Call Pal what the benefits are in using their professional Virtual Reception Services and what they can offer to Startups. Here at Call Pal we can appreciate the business world is a scary place for entrepreneurs starting off their business. Bravado is a great trait in any entrepreneur but a smart business person will take controlled risks where they can. You may envision your business successful on a global level with hundreds of staff helping it to grow – and we hope you get there! But every business starts somewhere and that somewhere is usually on the ground. You’re only one person and you need help – but full time help doesn’t need to cost upwards of €26,000 a year. Starting a new business is no easy task and it is extremely important to put your best foot forward when dealing with the ever changing needs of your customers and clients. Virtual reception services maintain the highest level of professionalism that will enhance your business services. As most small businesses do not have the money to match the in-house support services that large-scale organizations have, outsourcing your call answering can provide you with access to tools and support that large-scale organizations... Hiring staff is a great benchmark for how well your Startup is growing. Many of our clients have started their companies with just themselves and now they’re hiring employees and operating payroll for a whole team. If you’re just starting out hiring staff, have a look at our checklist for hiring your first employee. Dermot Diver is an Employment Law Consultant from HR firm Peninsula. He’s provided this helpful guide on how to advertise a job vacancy. The following list of do’s and dont’s looks at some common pitfalls your business needs to watch out for when advertising jobs vacancies. Things you should do Broaden your Search Ireland’s workforce is more diverse than ever before. Immigration, longer working lives and greater equality of opportunity have combined to produce the most varied workforce in the history of the state. This means that your Startup may have to battle with competitors to recruit and retain talent. By casting your net far and wide, you’re more likely to yield better results. Recruiting from a diverse talent pool and developing an inclusive workplace is becoming vital for competing in the labour market. Familiarise yourself with Equality Legislation When it comes to advertising vacancies, the key piece of legislation remains the Employment Equality Acts, 1998 – 2015 (the EEA). This Act regulates the employment relationship. It also prohibits discriminatory recruitment practices before an employment relationship begins. The principal aim of the EEA is to outlaw discrimination. This is on the basis of the following nine... Have you availed of any Covid-related income payments? Thousands of us will have received an unpleasant New Year’s surprise from Revenue – a tax demand based on the money you were paid as part of the various State schemes supporting wages and salaries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March last year, a large chunk of the workforce participated in the Temporary Wage Supplement Scheme (TWSS) or availed of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP), when they were introduced by the State. Many people imagined that the schemes simply helped to pay their wages or provided temporary income supports – without any penalty. So, what’s happened and why are people now liable to repay tax after receiving what is known as a preliminary end-of-year statement? Why you’re getting an increased tax bill One of the reasons you will have received a tax bill from Revenue is because when you received your TWSS or PUP payment there was no tax deducted from the funds. But they were taxable. Revenue stated at the introduction of these schemes that this would be the case and you would be obligated to pay PAYE and USC tax on the payments after the tax year ended. The tax demands do not apply to the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) as it is taxed in the normal manner. If you were not in receipt of payment from the TWSS or PUP schemes and received a tax bill from Revenue this is likely because you have underpaid tax on your... Are you an Irish employer that has seen a reduction in turnover or orders as a result of the Covid-19 crisis? Have you availed of the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS)? If so, it’s important you’re aware that the TWSS stopped on 31 August 2020 and was replaced by the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS). The new scheme was implemented from 1 September 2020 and is expected to run until December 2021. On 23 July 2020, the Irish government announced the €7. 4 billion Jobs Stimulus package that included information about this new scheme. Similar to TWSS, EWSS is designed to help employers pay their employees through their payroll system during the Covid-19 crisis. The main difference between these two schemes is that the EWSS operates on a flat-rate basis. In this blog, you’ll learn: What is the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS)? Eligibility criteria How to apply? Employee criteria Rates of the subsidy If you have any questions about how this scheme affects your business, talk to your accountant or Payroll Team. Alternatively, contact our Client Services Team for more information about our payroll services in Dublin and the rest of Ireland. What is the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS)? The EWSS is an economy-wide enterprise support measure to help employers pay their employees through their payroll system during the Covid-19 crisis. It has two elements: Flat-rate subsidy. The scheme provides qualifying employers with a flat-rate subsidy based on the amount of paid and eligible employees on their payroll.... We sat down with Daragh O’Shea, a tech startup founder and consultant from Dublin, to discover what advice he would give to entrepreneurs in the early startup phase. Daragh helps early stage B2B founders turn their vision into a reality. Daragh is both tech and commercially focused and is extremely passionate about helping clients turn customer problems into a viable commercial technology. How did you get to where you are today? I have quite a varied background; when I left secondary school I took a year out to figure out what exactly I wanted to do. I tried studying accountancy but hated it so changed course and studied engineering at Trinity College instead. When I graduated I was still unsure about what I was going to do. I looked at becoming a professional rugby player but it didn’t work out. When I was younger my mother always encouraged me to do my own thing and that mindset stuck with me so I set up a sportswear business with my rugby coach at the time. The business was going well but the recession hit at a crucial time and sportswear budgets were slashed overnight. After that, I began my software development career and got a job in web development, where I stayed on for 6 years. In 2015, I co-founded a new travel tech startup called Dynamic Res. Within 6 months we had feasibility and joined the NDRC accelerator programme. It took almost 9 months after the programme to raise funding... ## Client Reviews Stories ## Guides The Corporation Tax rate for most Irish incorporated companies is just 12. 5%; in comparison, it’s over 20% in many other European countries. Ireland’s corporate tax rate benefits setting up a company in Ireland, but it shouldn’t be the sole basis of your decision. Before setting up in Ireland, you should know the intricacies of Corporation Tax in Ireland. This guide explores the fundamental aspects of Ireland’s corporate tax rate, including residency status, trading activities, and income sources. Understanding Corporation Tax in Ireland and its rates Not just any entity is liable for Corporation Tax in Ireland. It’s specifically designed for entities classified as ‘Tax Resident Companies’ in Ireland. This includes both locally incorporated entities and international businesses with significant management operations within Ireland. A company that is a tax resident in Ireland is liable for Irish Corporation Tax. This tax is paid on its worldwide income/profits – not just the profits generated in Ireland. What are the rates? 12. 5% Corporation Tax This applies to trade income or ‘active’ income only. It is the profits you obtain from trading or selling your products or services. 25% Corporation Tax This is for non-trading or ‘passive’ income. This is income you receive from rental properties or investments, for example. 6. 25% Corporation Tax This relates to profits under the Knowledge Development Box. For example, income from qualifying patents or computer programmes. Ensuring your business qualifies as a Tax Resident in Ireland There are two main tests of whether a company is... Do you have to pay tax on rental income? Renting out a property generates taxable income, and individuals/landlords must collect and annually pay the corresponding taxes to the Irish Revenue through an Income Tax Return. Rental income includes all funds from leasing various properties, such as houses, flats, apartments, offices, or farmland/conacre lettings. Our guide provides valuable insights into your rental income tax obligations and the process of filing rental income tax returns in Ireland. For tailored guidance on allowable expenses, rental income computations, and any unique tax considerations, contact our team for more information on our professional accounting services. How is rental income taxed? The taxation of rental income involves the calculation of gross rental income for each calendar year and deducting allowable rental expenses from it. 01. Calculate gross rental income The total amount of money you receive from renting out your property, such as rent payments, payments you receive for allowing advertising signs, or any payments you receive for allowing a right of way through your property. 02. Deduct allowable rental expenses Deducting expenses for maintaining and managing the rental property include mortgage interest, insurance, maintenance and repairs, and property management fees, helps reduce the taxable portion of your rental income. 03. Keep accurate records Establish a system to organise and store all relevant documents related to your rental property. Documents can include receipts, lease agreements, invoices, and other financial records associated with your rental income and expenses. What tax do you pay on rental income? The... Who needs a business bank account? If you’ve recently started a business in Ireland, setting up a business bank account is the next step. Many different banking options are available in Ireland, and we can help compare business bank accounts. Some banks have lots of experience helping Startups and charge no bank fees for the first year in business, which can help minimise your costs in your early days. This guide provides you with an overview of different banks available for business owners in Ireland, but please be sure to consult with the bank directly for any specific advice. How to choose the right business bank account? Questions to ask your bank Q: How much do they charge in fees? If you have to pay substantial bank fees for each transaction it may be worth shopping around more to find the best value. Q: Do you have specialised support for Startups? Your bank provides your accountant with the necessary information to produce your financial statements. It's also the central location of the money in your business. Do you want your bank to support you on your Startup journey? Q: What is the application process like? If you have clients waiting to pay you or invoices you need to pay, you want an application process that is as short as possible. Ask whether they offer a completely remote account set up or if an in-person meeting with one of the directors will be required. Q: Are there any restrictions? You want... Some entrepreneurs start a business while working full-time because it is the only option for those who dream of owning a company. Whether you have a brilliant business idea or great skills, you can leverage outside of your normal working hours, more and more people are considering starting a business alongside their 9-5. Starting a business in Ireland when you work full-time can be very exciting but time-consuming and difficult if you don’t know what’s involved. Here’s what you need to know and what you can outsource to us. Can you be employed and self-employed at the same time in ireland? Company policies Some companies may have formal policies in place that don’t allow employees to have their own business ventures outside of work. You should check your employment contract or speak to a colleague at work so you don’t get caught out. Employment contract clauses You should also consider the type of side business you are conducting. Does this directly conflict with your current job? Most companies have a clause around intellectual property and if you are using the information you acquired on the job, you may be liable for breach of contract. Tax credits Did you know your Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax credits can be adjusted across two jobs? Therefore, your employer may see that your tax credits have decreased on your payslip if you decide to change your tax credits. This might prompt them to question the change, so telling them about your side business... Tax deductions for home office As a business owner or director working from home, you can claim home office expenses. These expenses can reduce the amount of tax you pay at the end of the year. There are certain conditions around tax-deductible business expenses for companies and Sole Traders so we recommend that you speak to your accountant about the expenses you wish to claim. Your accountant will calculate the allowable amount of business expenses that you can enter into your tax return. In this guide, we go through some examples of home office expenses you can claim as a business owner/director. Claiming home office expenses – how to separate personal and business use? Home office expenses fall under the term “business expenses”, which must be wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the business. But what about expenses used for personal reasons and business reasons? No need to have two separate bills. In general, you need to estimate the percentage of reasonable business use and claim it as a business expense. Keep proper records of any expenses used for business purposes. We recommend recording transactions on online accounting software. We go through examples of some home office expenses below, but if you would like specific advice on claiming expenses, get in touch with our Client Services Team who are here to help with queries. Can I claim phone and broadband as a business expense? If you use your home or personal mobile phone as a business phone, you can... There are many different cloud accounting software to choose from in the Irish market. Many of them offer free trials or starter pricing to entice you to choose them. But where do you start looking for the right one for your business? We’re here to help. Online accounting software will help you stay on top of your accounting and bookkeeping responsibilities and make managing your business finances easier. Our accountants have years of experience working with many different online software products and know that there are big advantages for small businesses in terms of accessibility, usability, integrations, and cost. Our detailed guide will help you to decide which software best fits your business. Benefits of using cloud accounting software Allows you to work from anywhere With bookkeeping software, you can access your business finances anytime, from any internet-connected device. Cost-effective You could receive a 20% discount on your annual accounting bill and save on bookkeeping costs if you use online accounting software to manage your books and records. Provides real-time information When you use online accounting software to record your sales, invoices, and expense information, you always have access to accurate and up-to-date information on your business’s financial position. Automated accounts processes Time-intensive processes such as bank reconciliation, invoicing, and paying bills can be automated in online accounting software. Collaboration and gated access You can enable multiple users to access and collaborate with your account. This can improve communication and collaboration between important parties. Security Software providers follow strict security... Are you considering transitioning from a Sole Trader to a Limited Company for your business? This shift can open growth and market expansion doors while offering potential tax advantages. However, deciding based on solid commercial reasons is essential rather than just short-term tax savings. Before proceeding, be aware of the costs involved in setting up a Limited Company to ensure a well-informed choice for the future of your business. Our comprehensive guide will assist you in understanding the benefits, implications, and factors to consider, making the process smoother and more rewarding for your business. Should I set up as company? How much is your business going to grow? Since you're already in business, you probably have expectations of how your business will grow over the next 12 months. If your business is expanding and growing rapidly, it makes sense to change from a Sole Trader to a Private Limited Company so you can benefit from profits being taxed at the rate of Corporation Tax (12. 5%). Do you require the protection of limited liability? When you set up a company, you set up a separate legal entity for its directors and shareholders. You won't be personally liable for any of the business's debts in most circumstances. This is called limited liability and one of the benefits of setting up a Limited Company in Ireland. Are you making more money in your business than you need as a salary? This seems like a strange thing to think about – how can... What is a Form 11? A Form 11 (or an Income Tax return in Ireland) is a self-assessment tax return for self-employed individuals or individuals with additional income, such as rental or investment income. The form provides information on an individual’s income, expenses, and tax credits. It calculates the amount of tax owed to the Irish Revenue Commissioners annually within the filing deadlines. This guide explains what you need to do ahead of the 2025 Form 11 Income Tax return deadline. If you need help or have additional questions about your tax obligations, reach out to our team for more support. You should always seek advice from your accountant or a professional. When is the Form 11 due? The deadline for filing Form 11 varies depending on how the tax return is filed, but it is usually either the 31st of October or mid-November for those who file online using Revenue Online Service (ROS). Who needs to file a Form 11? Income Tax Returns need to be completed and filed by any individuals who are self-employed or directors of a limited company who may have income other than employment earned income (i. e. Rental income, Investment or Dividend income, Foreign income, etc). Some of the main groups who fall within the requirement to file income tax returns are as follows: Sole Traders Sole traders are self-employed individuals. Their taxable income is calculated as the profit from their turnover for the year after deducting expenses. Normally their taxes will be approximately... What new companies can expect in their first six months The first six months can be a steep learning curve, especially if you don’t know what to expect. There are registrations and deadlines due during this time that could get you on the wrong foot if you miss them. In this guide, you will learn what you need to do to ensure that your new company is compliant during its first six months in business. If you need help, don’t have the time or resources to look after your compliance, or if you need professional advice on your business journey, we are here to support you. A Checklist For The First 6 Months As A Limited Company 5 min Watch CEO and Founder of Kinore, Larissa Feeney FCA, explain what you need to do in the first 6 months after incorporating your Limited Company in Ireland. 8 requirements after your company is set up Ensure correct company set-up Registration of beneficial owner Set up a bank account Corporation Tax registration VAT registration Payroll Bookkeeping Annual Returns 1) Ensure correct company set-up The first thing is to ensure your new company is set up correctly. It is not enough to register a business name. You need to go through the formal process of completing Form A1, having a company constitution, and submitting the relevant documents to the Companies Registration Office (CRO). It’s important to note that if you are a non-resident, there may be additional steps to company formation in Ireland.... What is a company seal? A company seal is also known as a common seal. It’s an embossing tool used to stamp certain legal documents. This proves that the document is official and approved by the company and its directors. In other words, it acts as the signature of the company. The company’s name is engraved on its seal and it leaves an indentation on the paper when used. When is it used? You are usually notified when you need to use a company seal by the preparer of the form/paperwork. Some instances where a company seal is usually used include: Minutes of meetings Share transfers Company law documents Contract law documents Property law documents Who can use the company seal? It’s important for Irish companies to know that the Companies Act 2014 outlines specific rules around the company seal. Only the directors or a committee authorised by the directors may use the seal. There needs to be permission from the directors to use the seal. Every time the seal is used, it must be signed by a director or other authorised person and countersigned by the company secretary or another authorised individual. This may seem like a small detail, but it’s an important step to ensure that the seal is used properly and compliant with regulations. This is where the benefits of company secretary services come into play; ensuring that such regulatory nuances are adhered to without fail. Where do I keep my company seal? Your company seal is... Setting up a company in Ireland? Need a central location for your company correspondence? When setting up a company in Ireland, you are legally required to have an Irish registered office address with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). All of your company’s legal notices and correspondence from the CRO will be sent to this address. Your company’s registered office address must be in a physical location. You can not use a Post Office box for the address. This is because people are entitled to visit your company’s registered office to inspect certain registrars and company documents. The registered office address is shown on the CRO website and is available to the public. You must include this registered address in the forms to set up your company, but it can be changed at a later date. What registered office address can I use? Your company’s registered office can be based anywhere in Ireland. If you don’t currently have an office for your company in Ireland, you can use an authorised agent such as Kinore to supply you with an address. If you are an Irish resident, it is perfectly acceptable to use your home address as your company’s registered office. As previously mentioned, these details will be publicly available on the CRO website. Key features of our Registered Office Address service A Dublin 2 address Anyone forming a new company in Ireland must be able to provide an registered office address within the State. Having an address in Ireland’s capital city... We are here to help you register a company in Ireland easily and smoothly. Rely on our dedicated Company Team to guide you through the company registration process. We set up your Irish company in just a few days! We have helped hundreds of entrepreneurs register their companies in Ireland, and this Company Registration Package ensures that you continue to receive ongoing address and secretarial support even after your Irish company is registered. What’s Included: Company Registration & Seal * Certificate of Incorporation * Company constitution * Company number * Share certificates * Minutes of incorporation * Third-party CRO fees * FREE company name check * Physical company seal Virtual Office * Professional business address * 71 Baggot Street Lower, Dublin 2 * Same-day digital forwarding * Digital storage * Hard copies can be forwarded * Physical collection of mail * Fixed annual fee that is an allowable business expense Company Secretary * Annual Return filing * General secretarial paperwork * Updating company registers * Beneficial owner filing * Recording of minutes * Ongoing secretarial advice * Fixed annual fee that is an allowable business expense Requirement for directors who do not have a PPS number As an Irish company director, you’ll need to provide your Personal Public Service (PPS) number or a suitable alternative. Our team is here to help make things easier for you. Let us know your circumstances, and we’ll provide all the services you need to stay compliant with the CRO’s requirements. We’re committed to supporting... Should you operate as a Limited Company in Ireland? Operating as a Limited Company can offer entrepreneurs and business owners numerous advantages. However, it is vital to consider the potential drawbacks as well. In this article, we will explore the pros and cons of a Limited Company in Ireland to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of this business structure. You can decide whether a Limited Company in Ireland is the right choice for your business by weighing the advantages and disadvantages. Pros of a Limited Company Explore the ten advantages of a Limited Company in Ireland. 1. Company profits (after expenses) are taxed at just 12. 5% (Corporation Tax) One of the significant advantages of operating as a Limited Company is that the profits are subject to a 12. 5% Corporation Tax rate. Ireland is an attractive location for many new businesses compared to other European countries. 2. Setting up a separate legal entity By forming a Limited Company, you establish a separate legal entity distinct from yourself as an individual. This separation allows you to appoint yourself as a director and shareholder of the company, giving you control over its operations while maintaining a clear distinction between your personal affairs and those of the business. 3. Limited liability Limited liability is a crucial benefit of operating as a Limited Company. It means that as a shareholder or director, your assets, including your home and savings, are generally protected from being used to settle any debts incurred by the... If you’re a business owner looking to broaden your horizons, have you ever considered the possibility of expanding your operations to Ireland? With its favorable tax policies, highly educated workforce, and strategic location, Ireland has become an increasingly popular destination for companies seeking to establish a presence in Europe. This guide will focus on the unique aspects of starting or relocating your UK business in Ireland. Whether you’re a newcomer in the entrepreneurial world or an experienced business owner seeking new opportunities, we’re here to provide the insights you need. Difference between Irish vs. UK company setup Documents In Ireland, complete Form A1 and the constitution and submit them to the Companies Registration Office (CRO). UK: prepare and submit the application, the memorandum of association, and articles of association online to Companies House. Costs Ireland: €50 CRO filing fee. UK: £50 Companies House filing fee. Timescale Ireland: 3-4 working days from when the CRO receives your completed application. UK: usually 24 hours. Irish Companies Registration Office (CRO) The Companies Registration Office (CRO) is the Irish government body that looks after the public statutory information on companies and business names in Ireland. The core functions of the CRO are to incorporate new Irish companies, register business names, and receive and register post-incorporation documents. They also enforce the Companies Act 2014 concerning the filing obligations of companies and make company information available to the public. To view information about Irish companies on the CRO website costs €2. 50 per document. You need... Who needs to file Annual Returns? Irish Limited Companies must meet the annual return deadline by filing Annual Returns (AKA “Form B1”) to the Companies Registration Office (CRO) once a year. This requirement stands even if you have no profit or haven’t started trading yet. This guide will address your common questions about the Limited Company Annual Return process, highlight what is needed for the B1 annual return deadline, and advise on the implications of missing your deadline. If you need support submitting this return, contact our Client Services Team – we are here to help. When should the Annual Return be filed? Your first Annual Return is filed 6 months after your company’s incorporation date marking the start of your obligation to adhere to the annual return filing dates All subsequent Annual Returns are filed every 12 months. You can apply for an extension of your Annual Return deadline if necessary. This application must be filed before your current deadline expires, so consult a professional if you need assistance. A missed Annual Return Deadline will mean your company faces fines of up to €1,200 per year and the loss of your audit exemption. These are large additional costs that can easily be avoided. But try not to panic if you miss your deadline; talk to the CRO about what you need to do, or talk to our Client Services Team for more information on how we can help. It’s also worth noting that missing the income tax return deadline... We know how crucial it is to follow tax rules and report taxes correctly. Meeting the annual director returns deadline is vital to adhere to tax regulations and avoid the consequences of a missed tax deadline. By following this checklist, company directors can take proactive steps to organise their financial information, grasp the process of calculating tax liability, and determine the steps involved with completing their annual director’s return. We provide a general overview of the steps to make filing your director’s return as smooth as possible, and we always recommend you contact us if you want professional support from a tax return accountant during this process. 1) Determine who needs to file a directors return Directors who own more than 15% of the share capital of an Irish Limited Company (AKA proprietary directors) need to file a directors income tax return. This is the case even if you do not take money from the company – directors with no income are required to file nil returns for the company. The director’s tax return declares a director’s personal income, including income from their company (salary and dividends), rental or foreign income. In general, non-proprietary directors are exempt from filing director returns in Ireland. If you need help filing your tax returns, talk to our Client Services about getting a quote for our annual accounts and corporation tax return services. What is a proprietary director? A proprietary director is a director of a company who either directly or indirectly owns or... Management accounts are financial and non-financial reports that assess a company’s performance over a certain period, for example, monthly or quarterly. The report usually consists of a profit and loss account, balance sheet, cash flow statement and analysis or commentary. Small businesses usually use these reports to assess their cash flow management and the performance of specific business functions. As your company grows, management accounts are often presented to the senior management during board meetings, to financial institutions when applying for finance, and to equity funders when seeking funding. In this guide, we help you to decide if you need management accounts. We’ll go through the benefits and insights you can gain from them, tips for preparing management accounts, and the process for outsourcing to a management accounts service. Financial accounts vs management accounts Financial statements or accounts are required when filing the company’s Annual Returns and tax returns. They are usually prepared once a year, have a prescribed format, and are a statutory requirement. On the other hand, management accounts are not mandatory. They are prepared regularly, e. g. monthly or quarterly. They are generally more straightforward to prepare than financial statements and can be tailored to your success metrics. One of the main differences is the analysis or commentary in the management accounts reports. They usually provide non-financial information, such as analysis of a business’s most profitable customers, suppliers, target versus actual Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and sales forecasts. Benefits of management accounts Provides visual aid Management accounts... What is Preliminary Tax? Preliminary Tax is an estimate of the Income Tax, Universal Social Charge (USC), and Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) that you anticipate owing for a specific tax year. It’s important to note that this is only an estimation because you must pay it before your accounting year-end. Preliminary Tax is obligatory and self-assessed in Ireland. By making this estimated payment, you can proactively contribute to your tax liability and fulfil your tax obligations on time. It can initially seem daunting, particularly for new business owners. However, it presents a valuable opportunity for proactive financial planning and smooth tax management. With the proper guidance and resources, new business owners can confidently navigate the process and stay on top of their tax obligations. Embracing this aspect of financial responsibility can lead to a strong foundation for long-term business success. In this guide, we will explain how to calculate Preliminary Tax and how to pay Preliminary Tax in Ireland. Who pays Preliminary Tax? Self-employed individuals or directors, business owners, and those who rely on rental income or investment and foreign income as their primary sources of income must pay Preliminary Tax to Revenue each year. On the 31st of October each year, you will settle any underpayment of Income Tax for the previous year, along with the Preliminary Tax estimate for the current year. For instance, on the 31st of October 2025, you would pay any remaining balance of your 2024 Income Tax and your Preliminary Tax for 2026.... As a business owner, you must register for Value Added Tax (VAT) when you reach the turnover threshold, receive services outside of Ireland or receive goods from other EU states. When you register for VAT, you must charge VAT on your goods and services, and you are responsible for paying and filing the VAT returns to the Revenue Commissioners. Your VAT rates will depend on what you are selling and where. In this guide, you’ll learn how to charge VAT on goods and services in Ireland, EU countries, and non-EU countries as an Irish business. Please note that the information here is for guideline purposes only. Each situation may differ, and we recommend contacting our team for specific advice about your business. What rate of VAT to charge? There are different VAT rates for various goods and services. You can use Revenue’s VAT rate database to find the correct VAT rate to charge. You may need to charge different VAT rates if you supply goods and services. Each business is different, so talking with a professional about your specific circumstance helps us to give you the correct advice. The most commonly used VAT rates in Ireland The standard rate of VAT is 23%. Any goods and services that don’t fall into one of the reduced rate categories are charged VAT at this rate. The reduced rate of VAT is 13. 5%. This rate applies to tourism-related activities such as hotels, restaurants, cinemas, and hairdressing. Building services and photography also qualify... Are you a resident in a non-EEA country but you want to set up a company in Ireland? Are you attracted to what Ireland has to offer – tax incentives, access to talent and the European Union, and much more? Availing the perks of a company secretary service can simplify this complex process, ensuring every requirement is met seamlessly. Our guide will give you all the information you need about setting up an Irish company as a non-EEA resident director. Can I be a non-resident director in Ireland? Yes, you can become a director in Ireland. Note that to set up a company as a non-resident, you must meet certain conditions and directors of Irish companies must pay tax in Ireland. These conditions apply even if you are a citizen of the EEA who is living outside of the EEA. The rules apply to where you live, not your citizenship. For business owners considering relocating operations from the UK to Ireland, becoming a non-resident director offers a practical pathway to establish a presence without moving the entire company. Alternatively, if you want to maintain stronger ties with your parent company while expanding into Ireland, you might consider Irish branch formation, which allows you to operate under your parent company’s legal identity. How to set up a company in Ireland as a non-EEA resident? Secure a Section 137 bond If an Irish Company does not have at least one director who is resident in the EEA, a Section 137 bond must... This guide will walk you through getting a VAT number, ensuring you have the knowledge to register for VAT and fulfil your financial obligations successfully. Once you complete VAT registration in Ireland, you must charge it on the products and services you sell. You must also account for VAT in your VAT Returns and pay the tax to Revenue, usually every two months. We strongly advise contacting an accountant for tailored advice. Our Client Services Team is here to guide you through our service options, ensuring that you receive expert support and guidance for a smooth Irish VAT registration process. What is Value Added Tax (VAT)? VAT, or Value Added Tax, is a sales tax added to the price of goods and services at every stage of production or distribution. You may need to collect this tax from your customers, usually added to the price of your product or service, and then pass it on to the government through a VAT Return. When to register for VAT in Ireland? Before obtaining a VAT number, it’s crucial to determine if your business requires one. VAT registration isn’t generally necessary for starting a new business in Ireland except under specific conditions. Your business must meet certain criteria before applying VAT to your products or services. Keep in mind that both Sole Traders and Limited Companies can qualify for VAT registration. How to register for VAT in Ireland? Complete a tax registration form: Fill out the appropriate tax registration form. You can do... Do you have a business idea with the potential to trade online? This guide explains how to get your online business started. Trading online can involve selling a product or service or offering an online booking platform. How you trade online will depend on your business offering, so some of these steps may not be relevant to everyone. In the beginning, you may consider starting an online business at the same time as working a full-time job, so it’s important that you’re aware of your obligations as a business owner. 1) Decide how you want to sell online Will you set up your own website, use a reseller platform like Amazon or eBay, or a mixture of online sales and offline sales? Consider writing a business plan and researching what option is best for you. Writing a business plan will help you narrow your target audience and determine what your customers expect from your site. You should ensure you can meet your customer’s expectations. Shopify and Squarespace offer templates for new e-commerce businesses. They’re easy to use and easy to manage. There are also great tools online that help you manage your client’s expectations. For example, if you want your clients to book meetings with you, Calendly is a great online platform to manage your appointments. If you operate your business remotely, consider establishing a virtual business address in Ireland . This can enhance your business’s professional image and streamline correspondence. 2) Sole Trader or Limited Company Starting an online... Are you considering a setting up a limited company company in Ireland but need clarification on the setup costs? Or are you considering changing from a sole trader to a Limited Company? This guide provides essential insights into the cost of setting up a limited company in Ireland, ensuring you have a clear understanding of the expenses involved. How much does company registration cost in Ireland? The Companies Registration Office (CRO) registers companies in Ireland. To set up a company here, you must submit Form A1 and a company constitution to the CRO. Here we will break down the costs associated with the application and the required expenses if you wish to outsource some parts of the company formation process. Company registration application (Form A1) – €50 The CRO charges a €50 fee for filing a new company registration application and is a necessary cost for all new companies that wish to incorporate in Ireland. Outsourced company formation – €279+VAT, once-off You can outsource the company formation process to a company formation specialist, such as Kinore. We will look after all the paperwork on your behalf and the CRO filing fee of €50 is included in this price. This service simplifies the cost of setting up a company in Ireland by managing all paperwork and the CRO filing fee on your behalf. Professional company secretary – from €329+VAT, per year Hiring a professional company secretary is a wise investment in your company’s future, ensuring compliance and allowing you to focus... To close a Limited Company in Ireland, you must go through a “Voluntary Strike-Off. ” This process involves holding a board meeting, completing paperwork from the Companies Registration Office (CRO) and Revenue, and filing up-to-date financial accounts with the CRO (additionally, ensuring that all Annual General Meetings have been conducted is crucial for compliance). Generally, it can take up to 3 months to get all paperwork together and an additional three months for your company to be fully closed, i. e. “dissolved”, once you have filed all the correct paperwork with the CRO and Revenue. If you are considering closing your company, we understand that you want to complete it as easily and quickly as possible. This guide can help you to understand the complexities around closing a company in Ireland and to help you through the Voluntary Strike-Off process. Here we explain the criteria you must meet before closing a company in Ireland, the process of Voluntary Strike-Off and provide insight into what you can expect when you go through this process. If at any point you need our help, reach out to our Client Services Team, and we are happy to assist you. What is Voluntary Strike-Off? To close a Limited Company in Ireland, you must go through a “Voluntary Strike-Off. ” This process involves holding a board meeting, completing paperwork from the Companies Registration Office (CRO) and Revenue, and filing up-to-date financial accounts with the CRO. Generally, it can take up to 3 months to get all... Starting a business is an exciting journey but sometimes, getting off the ground can be harder than you think. You may have a business plan, but you need seed funding or government support to turn it into a reality. Or you may need to expand your staff, grow your operations, or develop your own skillset so you can manage business growth. There are many great government grants for entrepreneurs starting a business and small business grants that support SMEs to grow and scale into international markets. In general, there are more supports available for Limited Companies, which is one of the advantages of registering a company in Ireland. List of startup and small business grants available in Ireland Government startup support – Local Enterprise Office (LEO), Enterprise Ireland Private support for startups – NDRC, Dublin BIC, Social Entrepreneurs Ireland Supports For Women Entrepreneurs – Women-Founded High Potential Start-Ups (HPSU), Going For Growth, Rubicon, – Women Entrepreneurship, SheGenerate Support for startups moving to Ireland – Enterprise Ireland, Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), Startup Entrepreneur Programme (STEP), Back For Business, Government support for starting a business in Ireland – Back to Work Enterprise Allowance (BTWEA), Short-Term Enterprise Allowance (STEA) Government/public startup grants & support Ireland offers a range of government supports to help entrepreneurs start and grow their businesses. Here are some of the places you can go to seek grants and support: Local Enterprise Office (LEO) The Local Enterprise Office (LEO) is a network of 31 offices throughout Ireland and is usually... If you run your business from a kitchen table or a spare room, you've probably had the same uncomfortable thought. Do you really want your home address printed on your website, your invoices, and every business card you hand out? A Dublin business address solves that. It gives you a credible city presence and a place for your post to land, without the cost of a physical office or the exposure of using where you live. This guide explains what a business address service actually does, where it fits alongside a registered office address and a director's service address, and what the law requires for an Irish company. The three are often confused, and getting them mixed up can lead to either overpaying for something you don't need or, worse, falling short of your legal obligations. What a business correspondence address in Dublin is, and who it suitsA business correspondence address is an address you use for day-to-day post, letters, and general business communications. It's where customers, suppliers, and the occasional bank letter can reach you. You put it on your website, your invoices, your email footer, and your stationery. The provider receives your mail at their Dublin centre during business hours and lets you know it has arrived. It's a practical fit for a few groups of people:Sole traders working from home who want privacy and a more professional public-facing addressIrish limited companies that want a recognisable Dublin presence without leasing spaceStartups and remote teams whose people are scattered... If your marketing budget now includes paying creators to post about your products, you have a VAT question to answer, whether you have noticed it yet or not. Influencer fees, gifted hampers, free hotel stays, affiliate deals and brand ambassador contracts all sit somewhere on the VAT map, and getting the position wrong can leave you with an unexpected liability at your next audit. The rules are not new or exotic. Revenue has confirmed that there is no special VAT regime for social media, so the same principles that govern any other supply of services apply here too. This guide walks Irish businesses and finance teams through the VAT treatment of social media influencers in practical terms: when a creator's work is a taxable supply, how to check their VAT status, what happens with cash versus gifted products, the place of supply rules for cross-border deals, and the records that keep you compliant. What the VAT treatment of social media influencers actually meansAt its core, the issue is simple. When you pay an influencer to promote your brand, you are buying a service, and the supply of advertising is liable to VAT at the standard rate of 23% (revenue. ie). Revenue published specific guidance on the taxation of this activity in 2025, via Revenue eBrief No. 140/25 and an accompanying Tax and Duty Manual, and its central message is that standard VAT rules apply. There is no carve-out simply because the promotion happens on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube rather than in... Sell an asset for more than you paid for it and Revenue usually wants a share of the profit. That share is capital gains tax. It catches people out more often than almost any other Irish tax, partly because the payment date arrives long before most people think to file anything, and partly because the rules around property, shares and business sales each work a little differently. This guide walks through how capital gains tax works in Ireland for personal, property and business disposals. You will see the standard rate, the annual personal exemption, how to calculate a chargeable gain, the two payment dates, the CG1 return, and the main reliefs that can cut a bill sharply, including principal private residence relief and the 10% rate under Revised Entrepreneur Relief. What is capital gains tax in Ireland? Capital gains tax, usually shortened to CGT, is a tax on the profit you make when you dispose of an asset. The important word there is profit. CGT applies to the gain, not the full sale price. If you bought shares for €10,000 and sold them for €16,000, the gain of €6,000 is what matters, not the €16,000 you received. "Dispose of an asset" covers more than a straight sale. You make a disposal when you sell, gift, exchange or transfer something, and even when you receive compensation or an insurance payout for an asset that has been lost or destroyed. Gifting an asset to a family member is still a disposal for... Most directors of Irish SMEs treat the annual return as a box to tick once a year. Then they miss the date by a fortnight, and the cost of that oversight lands hard: a late filing fee, two years without audit exemption, and a public record that now flags the company as a late filer. None of it is dramatic on the day it happens. All of it is avoidable. This guide explains what an annual return is, how the deadline works, what you have to file, and what actually goes wrong when filing slips. If you run a limited company in Ireland, the rules here apply to you whether you trade actively or sit dormant. What is an annual return and who has to file one? An annual return is a statutory filing every Irish company makes to the Companies Registration Office (CRO). It is a document setting out certain prescribed company information at a particular date: registered office, directors and secretary, share capital, and the names of every shareholder. The annual return is the public snapshot of who runs and owns the company, kept current once a year. It is filed on Form B1, the standard CRO form for the annual return. For most companies the B1 is delivered to the CRO electronically through the CORE portal, and where financial statements are required they are annexed to it. Two clarifications save a lot of confusion. First, an annual return is not a tax return. It goes to the... If you feel like a large slice of every pay packet or invoice disappears to Revenue, you are not imagining it. A single Irish worker pays income tax at 20% up to a standard rate band of €44,000 and 40% on everything above that, before USC and PRSI are added on top. The good news is that the tax system is built with credits, reliefs and deductible expenses that are meant to be used. Most people simply never claim everything they are entitled to. This guide explains how to legally reduce your tax bill using Revenue-approved tax credits, tax relief and allowable expenses. It is written for PAYE employees, self-employed people and company directors. You will not find aggressive schemes here, just the practical levers that lower the amount of tax you pay each year and ease your overall tax burden. None of this requires you to earn less or work less. It is about making sure the tax system works the way it was designed to: rewarding pension saving, recognising genuine costs, and giving back the credits you are owed. Used together, these steps can reduce your tax liability by a meaningful amount every single year. What does minimising your tax liability actually mean? Your tax liabilities are simply the total tax you owe for a given period. For an individual that means income tax, USC and PRSI on your earnings; for a company it means corporation tax on profits. Minimising your tax liability means reducing that figure within the... Most Irish business owners do not start a company because they love bookkeeping. They start it to sell a product, build a service, or solve a problem worth paying for. The accounts get done at the kitchen table on a Sunday night, in a spreadsheet that only one person understands, or in a stack of receipts that nobody wants to open until the tax deadline looms. Moving your accounts online changes that pattern. Cloud-based accounting takes the work out of the drawer and puts it somewhere you can see it every day, from any device. Xero accounting software is one of the tools driving that shift, and it has become the default choice for a large share of Irish small businesses and the accountants who support them. This guide explains the real benefits of Xero, where it saves time, and what it actually means to leave manual bookkeeping behind. What are the main benefits of using Xero for accounting in Ireland? The headline benefit is simple. Your financial data lives in one place, updates close to real-time, and is available to you, your team, and your accountant at the same moment. You are no longer emailing a file back and forth or waiting weeks for a month-old report. Here are the key benefits that matter most for Irish SMEs:Cloud-based access.  Open your accounts from a laptop at the office or the Xero app on your phone, anywhere with an internet connection. Real-time financial visibility.  See current bank balances, unpaid invoices,... You've missed the deadline. Maybe the accounts weren't ready, a signature was delayed, or the filing simply slipped off the radar. Whatever the reason, the CRO annual return date has passed and your company hasn't filed. Now what? The short answer: file as soon as possible. Every day you delay costs money and increases the risk of losing your audit exemption. This guide explains exactly what happens when you miss the CRO deadline, what the penalties are, how to fix it, and how to make sure it doesn't happen again. Who needs to file an annual return with the CRO? Every company registered in Ireland must file an annual return with the Companies Registration Office (CRO), regardless of whether it has traded during the year. This applies to LTDs, DACs, CLGs, and PLCs. The annual return (Form B1) confirms the company's current details: directors, secretary, registered office, share capital, and shareholders. For most returns, financial statements must be attached. The exception is typically the first annual return, which may be filed without accounts depending on timing. If your company hasn't traded, you still need to file. If the company is dormant, you still need to file. The obligation exists from the date of incorporation until the company is struck off or dissolved. What is the Annual Return Date (ARD) and when is filing considered late? Every company has an Annual Return Date (ARD), which is the date assigned by the CRO. Your annual return must be filed within 56 days... Tax credits reduce your income tax bill euro for euro. If you owe €5,000 in income tax and have €4,000 in tax credits, you pay €1,000. Yet thousands of Irish taxpayers leave credits unclaimed every year, either because they don't know they exist or because they assume they don't qualify. This guide covers every major personal tax credit available in Ireland for the 2026 tax year, explains how they work, tells you exactly how much each one is worth, and shows you how to claim them. How do Irish tax credits work? Tax credits are applied directly against the income tax you owe. They're different from tax relief (which reduces the income on which you're taxed) and from exemptions (which remove income from taxation entirely). Most tax credits are non-refundable. This means they can reduce your tax bill to zero, but you don't get a cash refund for any unused portion. The exception is if you've been overpaying tax throughout the year via PAYE; in that case, claiming additional credits can generate a refund of the excess tax already deducted. Your tax credits are listed on your Tax Credit Certificate, which Revenue issues at the start of each tax year. If you're a PAYE worker, your employer applies these credits to your pay, reducing the income tax deducted from each payslip. If you're self-employed, you offset credits against your income tax liability on your annual tax return. Basic tax credits most people can claim Personal Tax Credit Every taxpayer is... Setting up a company is one of those jobs that looks simple until you open the first form and meet a wall of terms: constitution, A1, registered office, share capital, EEA-resident director. You want to start trading, not become an expert in the Companies Act 2014. This guide walks you through what company formation Ireland actually involves, from what it costs to how long it takes and what happens once your company exists. The aim is to help you make confident decisions, whether you handle it yourself or hand it to a specialist. Kinore is a digital-first accountancy firm with a dedicated company secretarial team and senior accountants who set up Irish companies every week. So while this is a guide, it is written by people who do the work, not a brochure. What company formation in Ireland meansCompany formation, also called incorporation, is the process of registering a new legal entity with the Companies Registration Office (the CRO). Once the CRO accepts your application, your business becomes a separate legal entity, distinct from you personally. It can own assets, sign contracts, and carry its own debts. That separation is the whole point: your personal finances and the company's finances stop being the same thing. A formation agent or accountant prepares the paperwork, checks your details against CRO rules, and submits everything correctly the first time. Most people who set up a company in Ireland use a service for exactly this reason. A rejected application costs you days, and sometimes... Every business that fails has something in common: the money stopped making sense before the business stopped trading. Cash ran out, costs crept up unnoticed, decisions were made on gut feeling instead of numbers, or tax bills arrived that nobody planned for. In every case, stronger financial management would have changed the outcome. For Irish SMEs, where margins are tight and the cost environment keeps shifting, effective financial management isn’t a luxury. It’s the difference between a business that survives and one that grows. This guide explains what financial management actually means in practice, why it matters so much for Irish businesses, and how to build the financial habits that drive profitability, resilience, and long-term success. What is financial management in a business? Financial management is the process of planning, organising, directing, and controlling the financial activities of a business. It covers everything from day-to-day bookkeeping and cash flow monitoring to long-term investment decisions and strategic planning. The key components include: Budgeting and forecasting: Setting financial targets and projecting future income, costs, and cash requirements Cash flow management: Ensuring the business has enough cash to meet its obligations at any given time Record-keeping and financial reporting: Maintaining accurate, timely records and producing reports that inform decisions Financial analysis and performance measurement: Understanding what the numbers mean, tracking KPIs, and spotting trends Cost control and profitability management: Monitoring margins, reducing waste, and ensuring pricing covers costs Funding strategy: Planning how to finance growth, manage debt, and maintain financial stability In a... You have spent years building someone else's business. Paying income tax every month through PAYE, watching deductions eat into your salary, and wondering what it would look like to finally back yourself. Now you are ready to leave employment and start your own company. But the financial leap feels enormous. What if you could reclaim a significant chunk of the income tax you have already paid and use it as working capital for your new venture? That is exactly what Start-Up Relief for Entrepreneurs, known as SURE, is designed to do. It is one of the most valuable tax reliefs available to Irish founders, yet it remains surprisingly underused. This guide walks you through everything: who can qualify, how much you could get back, the steps to claim SURE, and the mistakes that trip people up. Whether you are still weighing up the decision or already incorporating, read on. What Is Start-Up Relief for Entrepreneurs (SURE) and How Does It Work? SURE is a tax relief that provides a refund of income tax to individuals who leave employment to set up or invest in a qualifying new company. In simple terms, if you had PAYE income in the previous years, paid income tax on that income, and then invest cash into a new business by purchasing new shares, you can reclaim some or all of the income tax you paid. The core mechanism is straightforward. You take cash from your own resources, subscribe for newly issued shares in a qualifying... You have received dividends, or you are thinking about paying them from your own company, and now you need to know: how much tax will you actually pay? The answer is not as simple as most people assume. Many believe that the 25% Dividend Withholding Tax deducted at source is the end of it. Often, it is not. Dividend tax in Ireland involves multiple layers: Dividend Withholding Tax (DWT) at the company level, Income Tax at your marginal rate, USC, and potentially PRSI on the income you receive. For foreign dividends, double taxation agreements and foreign tax credits add further complexity. This guide explains how dividends are taxed in Ireland for Irish resident individuals, how DWT works, how to calculate your actual tax liability on dividend income, and what changes when the dividends come from UK, US, or other foreign companies. What Does “Dividend Tax” Mean in Ireland? A dividend is a distribution of profits from a company to its shareholders. Dividend income in Ireland is taxable, whether the dividend comes from an Irish company, a UK company, a US company, or anywhere else. There are two distinct stages to understand: Tax deducted at source (DWT): When an Irish resident company pays a dividend, it typically withholds Dividend Withholding Tax at a rate of 25% and remits it to Revenue on your behalf. This is not your final tax bill; it is a prepayment. Your final personal tax liability: You must declare the gross dividend on your tax return. Your... If you’re a director of an Irish company and don’t have a PPS number, you already know the problem. CRO filings get rejected, annual returns stall, and company incorporations hit a wall. Since June 2023, the Companies Registration Office requires every director to provide a verified identity number on key filings. No number, no filing. This guide explains the PPS number requirement for directors of Irish companies, what to do if you don’t have one, how the alternative verification process works, and what happens if you don’t comply. What is the PPS number requirement for company directors? A Personal Public Service (PPS) number is Ireland’s unique personal identifier, issued by the Department of Social Protection (DSP). Since 11 June 2023, directors and company secretaries must provide their PPSN to the CRO on certain filings. This requirement was introduced by Section 35 of the Companies (Corporate Enforcement Authority) Act 2021, which inserted Section 888A into the Companies Act 2014. The purpose is straightforward: to combat identity fraud and improve the integrity of the companies register. Before this change, it was possible to appoint individuals as directors using false or unverified identities. The CRO validates the PPSN against DSP records. If the name, date of birth, and PPSN don’t match exactly, the filing is rejected. This verification happens automatically through the CORE online filing system. Which CRO filings require a PPS number? Four key CRO filings now require a director’s PPSN (or alternative identifier): Form A1 — Incorporation of a new company.... You have decided to start a business. You have the idea, maybe even the first clients lined up. But before you issue your first invoice or hire your first employee, you need to register for the appropriate taxes with Revenue. Skip this step and you are trading illegally, unable to charge VAT correctly, and exposed to penalties from day one. Business tax registration in Ireland is the process of notifying Revenue of your business activity and enrolling for the taxes that apply to your situation. Whether you are a sole trader, a partnership, or a limited company, the registration process determines how you pay tax, file returns, and meet your ongoing obligations. This guide walks you through everything: which taxes apply to your business structure, how to register step by step using ROS, what documents you need, and the common mistakes that delay approval. What Does Business Tax Registration Mean, and Why Do You Need It? Tax registration is your formal notification to Revenue that you are conducting business in Ireland. It is a legal requirement. Once registered, Revenue assigns you a tax reference number and you gain access to the Revenue Online Service (ROS) for filing returns, making payments, and managing your tax affairs. Why it matters: Legal compliance: You must register for the relevant taxes before you start trading. Failure to comply can result in penalties and interest. Correct invoicing: If you need to charge VAT, you must be VAT registered first. Charging VAT without a valid registration... VAT trips up more business owners than almost any other tax. The rules feel fiddly, the deadlines are unforgiving, and one wrong entry on a return can leave you either underpaying Revenue or losing money you were entitled to reclaim. The good news is that accounting for VAT comes down to a handful of repeatable steps once you understand what you are actually doing. This guide walks you through the whole cycle, from registration to the VAT3 return to getting a refund processed without delay. VAT is Value-Added Tax, a consumption tax charged on most goods and services in Ireland. As a registered business, you collect it on behalf of the Revenue Commissioners, and you reclaim the VAT you pay on your own costs. The difference is what you hand over, or what comes back to you. What does accounting for VAT actually mean? When people talk about how to account for VAT, they mean the process of recording two opposite flows of tax and settling the balance with Revenue. Every VAT-registered business in Ireland does the same thing in principle, whether you sell coffee or software. The first flow is output VAT. This is the VAT you charge on your sales. When you charge VAT to a customer, that money is never really yours; you are holding it for Revenue. The second flow is input VAT, the VAT you pay on business purchases. Most of that input VAT is deductible, meaning you can reclaim it. Your net VAT position... Miss an accounting deadline in Ireland and you’re not just paying late fees. You could lose your audit exemption, face surcharges on your tax bill, or trigger a Revenue compliance intervention. The costs compound quickly, and they’re entirely avoidable. Whether you run a limited company or operate as a sole trader, the Irish tax and accounting calendar is packed with filing dates that demand attention. This guide sets out every key deadline, explains what happens if you miss them, and gives you a practical system for staying compliant year-round. Key accounting deadlines table for Ireland Here’s an at-a-glance summary of the most important accounting deadlines for companies and sole traders in Ireland. Bookmark this, print it, or hand it to your accounting team. Deadline / Filing Who It Applies To Typical Due Date Where to File If You Miss It CRO Annual Return (B1) + Financial Statements Limited companies Within 56 days of your ARD CRO Online €100 penalty + €3/day; loss of audit exemption Corporation Tax Return (CT1) Limited companies 23rd of the 9th month after accounting period end (ROS) Revenue ROS Interest, penalties, compliance checks Preliminary Corporation Tax Limited companies Small: 23rd of month before year-end. Large: 6th + 11th month instalments Revenue ROS Interest on underpayment Income Tax Return (Form 11) Sole traders / self-employed 31 October (paper) or 18 November (ROS) for prior tax year Revenue ROS 5-10% surcharge; interest; tax clearance risk Preliminary Tax (Income Tax) Sole traders / self-employed 31 October / 18 November... Setting up a limited company in Ireland is straightforward, but the CRO won’t process your application unless the documentation is correct and complete. A single missing detail or formatting error can delay incorporation by weeks. This guide sets out exactly what information and documents you need to register a private company limited by shares (LTD) with the Companies Registration Office, including director details, share capital, the company constitution, and identity verification requirements. What information do you need before filing? Before you submit anything to the CRO, you need the following details confirmed and ready: Company basics Proposed company name: Must end in “Limited” or “Ltd” (or the Irish equivalents “Teoranta” or “Teo”). Have two or three backup names in case your first choice is rejected. Company type: Private Company Limited by Shares (LTD) is the most common type for SMEs. Other types include Designated Activity Company (DAC), Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG), and Public Limited Company (PLC). Business activity description: A brief statement of the nature of the company’s business. This doesn’t limit what the company can do (LTDs have full and unlimited capacity under the Companies Act 2014), but it’s required for the registration form. Registered office address Every Irish company must have a registered office address in the State. This is the official address on the CRO register where legal and regulatory correspondence will be delivered. It doesn’t have to be your trading premises, but it must be a physical address in Ireland (PO boxes are not accepted).... If you spend part of your week working from your kitchen table or a spare room, your electricity, heating and broadband bills are quietly subsidising your job. Revenue lets you recover some of that through remote working relief, also known as e-working relief. It is not a windfall, and it will not cover the full bill, but for many PAYE employees it is worth claiming every year and it is straightforward once you know the rules. This guide explains what the relief is, who can claim it, which costs qualify, exactly how the calculation works, and how to submit your claim through Revenue myAccount. We use absolute figures and the current Revenue rules so you can work out your own position before you start. What is remote working relief in Ireland and how does it work? Remote working relief is a form of income tax relief on the extra household running costs you take on when you work from home. It is sometimes called e-working relief, and Revenue treats the two terms as the same thing. The relief reduces the amount of income tax you pay; it is a deduction against your taxable income rather than a flat cash grant or a separate tax credit. Because it works as tax relief on the amount you spend, the value you get back depends on your rate of income tax. The relief covers a fixed share of your electricity, heating and broadband costs for the days you worked from home, and you... You started a business to build something, not to spend your evenings sorting receipts into shoeboxes. Yet here you are, three months behind on your books, dreading VAT season, and wondering whether that supplier payment went through last Tuesday or last month. Sound familiar? Whether you’re a sole trader running a consultancy from your kitchen table or a limited company with a growing team, proper bookkeeping is the foundation of running a successful business in Ireland. It is not glamorous work. But it is the difference between knowing exactly where your cash flow stands and getting an unpleasant surprise when your accountant calls. This complete guide walks you through everything Irish business owners need to know about bookkeeping for small businesses: what records to keep, how to organise them, the best practices that save time and money, and when it makes sense to outsource or automate. What Does Bookkeeping Actually Mean for a Small Business in Ireland? Bookkeeping is the day-to-day process of recording, organising, and reconciling your business’s financial transactions. Every sale you make, every bill you pay, every expense you claim; all of it needs to be captured accurately and consistently. Why should you care? Because accurate bookkeeping gives you: Correct tax returns: Revenue expects your figures to add up. Sloppy records lead to errors, penalties, and potentially a revenue audit. VAT compliance: If you are VAT-registered, you need clear records of input and output VAT for every return period. Cash flow visibility: You cannot manage what you... You missed the income tax return deadline. Maybe you were buried in work. Maybe your bookkeeping got away from you. Maybe you just did not realise the date had passed. Whatever the reason, the clock is now ticking, and the longer you leave it, the more it costs. Filing a late income tax return in Ireland triggers a cascade of consequences: a late filing surcharge on the tax you owe, interest charges that compound daily, increased likelihood of a Revenue audit, and administrative headaches that can follow you into future tax years. The good news? Acting quickly can minimise the impact. The bad news? Ignoring it makes everything worse. This guide explains exactly what happens when you file your income tax return late, how the penalties and interest charges work, what to do if you cannot pay, and the steps to get back on track with your tax obligations as fast as possible. What Does “Late” Mean for an Irish Income Tax Return? If you are self-employed, a landlord in Ireland, a freelancer, a contractor, or a company director with non-PAYE income, you are required to file an annual income tax return (Form 11) under the self-assessment system. This applies to anyone with income that is not fully taxed at source through PAYE. The key deadlines you need to know: Obligation Deadline File Form 11 income tax return (paper) 31 October following the tax year File Form 11 via ROS (online) Mid-November (extended ROS deadline, typically around 14-16 November) Pay... Corporation tax is the tax a company pays on its profits, and getting it wrong is expensive in a way that is entirely avoidable. Miss the filing deadline by a day and you can lose part of your reliefs and pick up a surcharge. Underpay your preliminary tax and interest starts running. The rules in Ireland are not complicated once you understand the shape of them, but they are unforgiving about dates. This guide walks you through the rates, the deadlines, the CT1 return, and the reliefs that matter to an Irish trading company. What is corporation tax in Ireland and who pays it? Corporation tax is a tax on the profits of companies. It covers trading profits, passive income such as rent and interest, and chargeable gains. If you run a limited company in Ireland, this is the tax that applies to what the business earns, in the same way income tax applies to an individual. A company resident in Ireland is liable to Irish corporation tax on its worldwide profits. A company resident outside Ireland but trading here through a branch or agency pays corporation tax on the profits connected with that Irish activity. Residency usually turns on where the company is incorporated, with a separate test based on where central management and control sits. If your company is incorporated in Ireland, the default position is that it is tax resident in Ireland, subject to limited exceptions under double tax treaties. Irish corporation tax runs on self-assessment. You... You've taken money from the company account for something personal. Or the company paid a bill that was yours, not the business's. Maybe it happened once, maybe it's been going on for months. Either way, you now have a director's loan, and it comes with tax implications and company law obligations you need to understand. This guide explains what a director's loan is in Ireland, how the director's loan account works, what Revenue and the CRO expect, and how to clear an overdrawn balance without creating unnecessary tax problems. What is a director's loan and what is a director's loan account? A director's loan is any money taken from the company by a director that is not salary, dividends, or reimbursed business expenses. It's essentially an advance from the company to you personally. The director's loan account (DLA) is the running ledger that tracks the balance between you and the company. It can go in two directions: Overdrawn DLA (you owe the company): You've withdrawn more than you've put in. This is where most tax and legal issues arise. Credit DLA (the company owes you): You've paid company expenses from your own pocket, or loaned personal money to the company. This generally creates fewer complications. Common examples of transactions that create a director's loan include personal purchases on the company card, the company paying your mortgage or car insurance, cash withdrawals without processing payroll, or drawing money while waiting for dividend paperwork to be completed. Even accidental ones count. If... If you own an older building in one of Ireland's city centres and you are thinking about doing it up, the cost can feel like the whole story. It often isn't. The Living City Initiative is a tax relief scheme that lets you claim back a meaningful chunk of what you spend refurbishing or converting a qualifying old property, whether you plan to live in it, rent it out, or run a business from it. Get the conditions right before you start spending, and the relief you can claim can change the maths on a project entirely. This guide walks through who qualifies, which works count, how the relief is calculated, and how it sits alongside other supports such as the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant. We have checked every figure against Revenue and the relevant Government sources, because the rules here are precise and one of the most commonly repeated claims about this scheme is simply out of date. What is the Living City Initiative tax relief? The Living City Initiative is a scheme of property tax incentives that gives income tax relief on qualifying expenditure incurred refurbishing or converting older residential and commercial buildings. It exists to bring life back to historic city centres by making it worthwhile to restore buildings that have been neglected, and it sits alongside other measures aimed at vacant properties and derelict sites. According to Revenue, the scheme applies to Special Regeneration Areas within Cork, Dublin, Galway, Kilkenny, Limerick and Waterford. From 8 April... You've got a business to run. And yet here you are, spending your evenings trying to figure out PRSI calculations, Revenue submissions, and whether your payslips are even compliant. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. Most small business owners in Ireland reach a point where managing payroll on spreadsheets stops being a minor inconvenience and starts becoming a genuine risk. The good news? There is payroll software designed specifically for Irish businesses that can take this off your plate. But with so many options, choosing the best payroll software for your situation takes a bit of thought. This guide breaks down what is available, what each tool does well, and how to match your payroll needs to the right solution. What Is Payroll Software and Why Does It Matter for Irish SMEs? Payroll software is a tool that automates the calculation of employee pay, tax deductions, and statutory reporting. For businesses in Ireland, that means handling PAYE, USC, PRSI, and Local Property Tax deductions in line with Revenue's PAYE Modernisation requirements. Since January 2019, every employer must submit a Payroll Submission Request (PSR) to Revenue on or before each payday, in real time. That is not optional. From January 2024, Enhanced Reporting Requirements (ERR) added another layer: employers must also report small benefits, remote working allowances, and travel and subsistence payments before the payment date. Good payroll software handles all of this automatically. It retrieves Revenue Payroll Notifications (RPNs), calculates the correct deductions, generates compliant payslips, and submits everything... You have spent years building a business. Late nights, cash flow crunches, decisions that kept you awake. Now you are thinking about selling, or at least exploring what an exit might look like. The last thing you want is to hand over a third of your gain to Revenue. That is exactly where Revised Entrepreneur Relief comes in. It is one of the most valuable tax relief schemes available to business owners in Ireland, yet it is routinely misunderstood, overlooked, or claimed incorrectly. Get it right and you could save tens of thousands of euro. Get it wrong and you pay the full standard rate of 33% CGT on your gain. This guide breaks down how entrepreneur relief works, whether you qualify, what counts as a qualifying business, and how to claim it properly. No jargon without explanation. No assumptions about what you already know. What Is Entrepreneur Relief (Revised Entrepreneur Relief) in Ireland? Entrepreneur relief is a CGT relief that reduces the capital gains tax rate you pay when you dispose of qualifying business assets. Instead of paying CGT at the normal rate of 33%, you pay a reduced CGT rate of 10% on gains arising from the disposal. Revenue now formally calls it Revised Entrepreneur Relief, reflecting changes made in Finance Act 2015 and subsequent amendments. In plain English? The State rewards founders, directors, and active shareholders who have built real trading businesses and then sell them. It is designed to encourage entrepreneurship by ensuring you keep more... Setting up a company in Ireland and confused by share capital? You're not alone. Most founders want to get the paperwork done and start trading, but the decisions you make about shares at incorporation can affect everything from investor readiness to control of your business down the line. This guide breaks down what share capital actually means for limited companies in Ireland, explains the difference between authorised and issued share capital, and helps you choose the right structure for your new company. What is share capital for an Irish limited company? Share capital represents ownership in a company. When you set up a private company limited by shares (the most common company type in Ireland), the company issues shares to its shareholders. Each shareholder owns a proportion of the company based on the number of shares they hold. Share capital matters at incorporation for three reasons: Ownership and control. Shares determine who owns the company and, in most cases, who gets to vote on key decisions. Investment readiness. A well-structured share capital makes it straightforward to bring in new investors or co-founders later. Limited liability. A member of the company is only liable up to the nominal value of shares they hold. This is the core protection that limited companies offer. Understanding share capital for limited companies doesn't require a law degree. But getting it right at the start saves time, cost, and complexity later. What is the difference between authorised share capital and issued share capital? These two terms... Every euro you spend on your business that qualifies as a tax-deductible expense reduces your tax bill. Yet most business owners in Ireland are either claiming too little (leaving money on the table) or claiming things they should not (inviting trouble from Revenue). Neither outcome is good. Whether you're self-employed as a sole trader or running a limited company, the rules are clear but often misunderstood. An expense must be wholly and exclusively incurred for the purposes of your trade to qualify as an allowable deduction. Sounds simple. In practice, mixed-use costs, grey areas around entertainment, and the difference between day-to-day expenses and capital allowances make it anything but. This guide covers every category of tax-deductible expense you can claim in Ireland, what is disallowed, how to handle mixed-use costs, and how to keep the records Revenue expects. If you are filing your tax returns without understanding these rules, you are almost certainly paying more tax than you need to. What Does "Tax-Deductible Business Expenses" Mean in Ireland? A tax-deductible expense is a cost you incur in running your business that reduces your taxable profit. Lower taxable profit means less Income Tax (for sole traders) or less Corporation Tax (for companies). The core rule from Revenue is that the expenditure must be wholly and exclusively for the purpose of the trade. If an expense is partly personal and partly business, you can only deduct the business proportion. Two important distinctions to keep in mind: Tax deduction vs VAT reclaim: These... If you're paying income tax in Ireland, whether as a PAYE employee or a self-employed sole trader, there's a good chance you're paying more than you need to. Tax credits, tax reliefs, and allowable expenses can significantly reduce the amount of tax you owe, but only if you know they exist and actually claim them. This guide covers the most important expenses, credits, and reliefs available to Irish taxpayers, explains how each one works, and helps you build a system for making sure nothing gets missed. Tax credits, tax reliefs, and allowable expenses: what's the difference? Before diving into specifics, it's worth understanding the three ways to reduce your tax bill in Ireland: Tax credits reduce the amount of tax you pay directly, euro for euro. A €2,000 tax credit reduces your tax bill by €2,000. Tax reliefs reduce the income on which you're taxed, or give you relief at a specific rate. For example, medical expenses relief at 20% means a €1,000 expense saves you €200 in tax. Allowable expenses (for self-employed individuals) are deducted from your business income before tax is calculated. A €1,000 allowable expense reduces your taxable profit by €1,000, saving tax at your marginal rate. The strategies available to you depend on whether you're a PAYE employee, self-employed, or have mixed income. PAYE workers primarily benefit from tax credits and reliefs claimed through Revenue's myAccount. Self-employed taxpayers can also deduct business expenses against their trading income on their Form 11 tax return. Tax credits you... Since Brexit, many UK companies have found that operating from the UK alone no longer gives them the EU access they need. Customs friction, VAT complexity, loss of passporting rights, and procurement requirements from EU clients have pushed thousands of businesses to look across the Irish Sea. Ireland is the obvious choice for most: English-speaking, common law, EU member state, and a business-friendly environment with one of the lowest corporate tax rates in Europe. But "moving your company to Ireland" isn't as simple as changing your address. This guide walks through the practical steps, legal structures, tax considerations, and compliance requirements involved in relocating your UK business to Ireland. Why are UK limited companies relocating to Ireland? The triggers vary, but they come down to the same core issue: the UK is no longer in the EU, and that creates real barriers for businesses trading with European customers. EU market access. UK companies can no longer rely on freedom of services or freedom of establishment within the EEA. An Irish entity restores that access. Client requirements. Many EU clients, particularly in financial services, technology, and professional services, now require suppliers to have an EU-based entity for procurement, data handling, or regulatory reasons. Customs and VAT. Selling goods from the UK to the EU now involves customs declarations, potential duties, and VAT complications that didn't exist before Brexit. Operating from Ireland simplifies EU trade significantly. Talent. Hiring EU nationals is more straightforward through an Irish entity than through a UK company... If you sell products or services online to consumers across the EU, you have a VAT problem. Every EU country has its own VAT rates, its own registration requirements, and its own filing obligations. Without a simplification scheme, an Irish online retailer selling to customers in 10 EU countries would need 10 separate VAT registrations, 10 sets of returns, and 10 payment processes. That's the problem the VAT One Stop Shop (OSS) and Import One Stop Shop (IOSS) were designed to solve. These schemes let you declare and pay VAT on all your EU B2C sales through a single registration in Ireland, using a single return. This guide explains how OSS and IOSS work, who needs to register, and what's involved in staying compliant. How does VAT work for e-commerce sales? When you sell goods or services to consumers (B2C) in other EU countries, the fundamental rule is the destination principle: VAT is charged at the rate applicable in the country where the customer is located, not where your business is based. This means an Irish business selling a product to a consumer in Germany must charge VAT at Germany's rate (19%), not Ireland's (23%). A sale to a French consumer requires the French rate (20%). Each country's rate applies to your sales into that country. For B2B sales (business to business), the reverse charge mechanism usually applies, so OSS and IOSS are primarily relevant for B2C transactions. The €10,000 EU-wide threshold There is one important exception. If your total... You have been paying VAT on business expenses for months, possibly years, and you are not entirely sure what you can actually reclaim. You know the basics: you charge VAT on sales, you pay VAT on purchases, and somewhere in between there should be money coming back to you. But which purchases qualify? What about that client dinner? The new company car? Fuel? If you are registered for VAT in Ireland, you are entitled to reclaim the VAT you have been charged on legitimate business expenses. The catch is knowing exactly what is eligible, what is blocked, and what documentation Revenue expects if they come knocking. Get it right and you maximise your cash flow. Get it wrong and you face penalties, interest, and an uncomfortable conversation with a Revenue auditor. This guide covers everything Irish business owners need to know about reclaiming VAT: what qualifies, what does not, how to handle tricky areas like fuel and travel, and how to actually make a claim on your VAT return. What Does "Claiming VAT Back" Mean, and Who Can Do It? When you purchase goods and services for your business, the supplier typically charges you VAT. This is called input VAT. When you sell goods or services, you charge your customers VAT. This is called output VAT. Reclaiming VAT means deducting your input VAT from your output VAT on your VAT 3 return, so you only pay Revenue the difference. Who can reclaim VAT? VAT-registered businesses making taxable supplies. If you... Every Irish company carries a quiet, ongoing obligation that has nothing to do with selling, hiring, or building the product. Someone has to keep the company legally tidy: registers up to date, filings in on time, decisions properly recorded. That work falls to the company secretary, and getting it wrong is more expensive than most directors expect. A late annual return alone can cost a company its audit exemption for two full years. This guide explains what a company secretary actually does under Irish company law, why the role matters more than its admin reputation suggests, and why a growing number of directors hand it to a professional company secretarial service rather than carry it themselves. What a company secretary does under the Companies Act 2014The company secretary is one of two mandatory officer roles in an Irish company, alongside the director. Under the Companies Act 2014, every company must appoint a secretary, and that person carries real legal responsibility, not just clerical duties. In a single-director private company limited by shares, the secretary must be a separate person from the sole director; the Act does not let one individual sign in both capacities where both signatures are required (see the CRO guidance on dual capacity). The secretary's job is to keep the company compliant with its statutory and regulatory duties. In practice that means managing the corporate housekeeping that keeps a business in good standing with the Companies Registration Office and ready for any audit, bank review, or due... Running a company in Ireland means holding an AGM, or knowing exactly when you're allowed to skip one. Get it wrong and you're looking at fines, invalid decisions, and corporate governance headaches that could have been avoided entirely. This guide covers the legal requirements for annual general meetings under the Companies Act 2014, including who must hold an AGM, what the notice and quorum rules are, when you can dispense with one, and how virtual AGMs now work under permanent 2024 legislation. Do Irish companies have to hold an AGM? Yes, as a general rule. Under Section 175 of the Companies Act 2014, Irish companies must hold an annual general meeting within specific timeframes: First AGM: Must be held within 18 months of incorporation. The company need not hold another AGM in the year of incorporation or the following year, provided this deadline is met. Subsequent AGMs: Must be held in each calendar year, with no more than 15 months between successive AGMs. These AGM requirements apply to all company types, including limited companies, companies limited by guarantee, PLCs, and DACs. The obligations fall on the directors and company secretary to ensure compliance with the legal requirements. At the AGM, the company must present its financial statements to members, deal with the appointment or reappointment of the auditor (where applicable), consider dividends, and address any other business that requires shareholder approval. It is the one formal meeting each year where members can hold the directors to account. Can an AGM... Your revenue is growing but your bank balance tells a different story. Month-end reports arrive late, riddled with numbers that raise more questions than they answer. Pricing feels like guesswork. And every big decision lands on your desk with no financial framework to guide it. Sound familiar? You are not alone. Thousands of Irish SMEs hit this ceiling. The business has outgrown basic compliance accounting, but the cost of a full-time CFO feels impossible to justify. That is exactly where fractional CFO services come in. This guide breaks down what it means to hire a fractional CFO, when you need one, what they actually do, and how to choose the right provider for your business in Ireland. What Does "Hire a Fractional CFO" Mean and How Is It Different from a Full-Time CFO? A fractional CFO is an experienced financial leader who works with your business on a part-time or project basis rather than as a permanent employee. They deliver CFO-level strategic financial leadership without the full-time cost. Think of it as getting the expertise of a chief financial officer, but tailored to your business needs and budget. The term "fractional" simply means you get a fraction of their time. Some businesses need two days a month. Others need two days a week. The engagement flexes around what you actually require, not around filling a full-time salary. How Is This Different from an Accountant or Financial Controller? This distinction matters. Your accountant handles compliance: tax returns, annual accounts, bookkeeping. A... You are a UK company, and you have just hired someone in Ireland. Or maybe you already have a team member who has relocated across the Irish Sea. Either way, you have hit a question that is more complicated than it looks: do you need to run Irish payroll? The short answer, in most cases, is yes. And the longer answer involves Irish tax law, Revenue obligations, permanent establishment risk, double taxation agreements, and a payroll process that works differently from the UK system you are used to. This is not a guide for large multinationals with dedicated global mobility teams. This is for UK companies, often SMEs, who have found themselves with employees in Ireland and need to understand what that means practically. What you need to set up, what you need to pay, and what happens if you get it wrong. When Does a UK Company Need Irish Payroll? The trigger is straightforward: if someone is working in Ireland, Irish tax law generally applies to the income they earn while working there. It does not matter that the employer is based in the UK. What matters is where the work is performed. Under Irish tax legislation, an employer (including a foreign employer) who has employees working in Ireland is obliged to operate Irish payroll and deduct Irish income tax, USC, and PRSI from their pay. This is the PAYE system, and it applies regardless of where the employer is incorporated. There are limited exceptions. Short-term business visitors may... It is one of the most common questions we hear from self-employed people in Ireland. You have been running your business as a sole trader for a year or two, things are going well, and then you look at your tax bill and think: there has to be a better way. The short answer is yes, in many cases you will pay less tax as a limited company. But the longer answer is more nuanced than that, and getting it wrong can cost you more than it saves. The difference between a sole trader and a limited company is not just about the tax rate on paper. It is about how you extract money, what expenses you can claim, and whether the extra admin is worth the savings. This guide walks through exactly how the numbers work in Ireland right now, so you can make an informed decision about your business structure. How Sole Traders Are Taxed in Ireland As a sole trader, your business income is your personal income. There is no separation between you and the business, which means all your profits are subject to income tax, USC, and PRSI in your own name. Here is how that breaks down for the 2025/2026 tax year: Income tax is charged at two rates. The first €42,000 of taxable income (for a single person) falls into the standard tax band at 20%. Everything above that threshold hits the higher tax rate of 40%. On top of income tax, you pay... Being asked to become a company director sounds like a promotion. And it is, in a sense. But it also comes with a stack of legal obligations that many people don't fully understand until something goes wrong. In Ireland, directors carry personal responsibility for how a company is run, and the consequences of getting it wrong range from fines to restriction to disqualification. This guide sets out the key duties and responsibilities of a company director under the Companies Act 2014, what you're expected to do on an ongoing basis, and what happens if you don't comply. What responsibilities do you take on as a company director? Directors manage the company on behalf of its shareholders. That management comes with two tracks of responsibility: Statutory obligations: Legal duties set out in the Companies Act 2014 and enforced by the CRO and the Corporate Enforcement Authority (CEA). These include filing requirements, maintaining registers, and ensuring the company meets its compliance obligations. Fiduciary and common law duties: The duty to act in good faith in the interests of the company, exercise care and skill, avoid conflicts of interest, and not misuse your position for personal gain. These responsibilities apply whether you're an executive director running the day-to-day business, a non-executive director providing oversight, or an owner-director of a small company. The law makes no distinction. If your name is on the register, you're accountable. Who can be appointed as a director in Ireland? Under Irish company law, every company must have at... You’ve decided to go out on your own. Maybe you’re already doing the work, picking up clients on the side, and it’s time to make it official. Or maybe you’re leaving a full-time job and starting fresh. Either way, you need to register as a sole trader in Ireland, and the process isn’t quite as simple as people make it sound. Registering as a sole trader is straightforward once you know the steps, but there are enough moving parts to trip you up if you go in blind. You need to register with Revenue, choose whether you need a business name, understand your tax obligations, decide about VAT registration, open a business bank account, and get your record keeping in order before you start trading. This checklist takes you through everything, step by step. What Is a Sole Trader? A sole trader is a self-employed person who owns and runs a business as an individual. There’s no separate legal entity. Your business income is your personal income. Your business debts are your personal debts. Your personal assets are on the line if things go wrong. This is the simplest business structure available in Ireland and by far the most common for freelancers, consultants, tradespeople, and anyone starting a small business. You don’t need to register with the Company Registration Office (unless using a business name), you don’t need a board of directors, and your filing obligations are lighter than those for a limited company. The trade-off is that you don’t... You've spotted something off. Maybe a batch of invoices never made it into your VAT returns. Perhaps cash sales slipped through the cracks, or you've been applying the wrong VAT rate for months. That sinking feeling is more common than you'd think. The good news? Most under-declarations stem from genuine errors, not deliberate evasion. And in many cases, the sooner you act, the less it costs. This guide explains what under-declared tax and VAT actually means in Ireland, what Revenue can do about it, and how to put things right before the problem compounds. What counts as under-declared tax and VAT in Ireland? Under-declaration means declaring less tax or VAT (value added tax) than you legally owe. It can be a one-off slip or a pattern that's built up over several periods. The key point: it doesn't have to be deliberate to be a problem. Irish Revenue treats careless behaviour and innocent errors differently from deliberate evasion, but in every case, the underpayment still needs to be corrected. The most common tax heads affected include: Income tax for sole traders and self-employed individuals, particularly where a source of income has gone unreported on a self-assessment tax return Corporation tax for limited companies that have understated profits or overclaimed reliefs VAT, where errors in output VAT, input VAT reclaims, or incorrect VAT rates create a shortfall in VAT returns PAYE and payroll taxes for employers who have misclassified workers or underreported pay Common ways under-declarations happen include unreported or undeclared cash... You have been running the business yourself, and now you can't keep up. The workload has outgrown you, or you've landed a contract that needs more hands. Either way, you're about to hire your first employee, and the reality of what that involves is starting to sink in. Hiring your first employee is one of the biggest steps a small business takes. It's also one of the most regulated. Ireland has detailed employment legislation, strict payroll obligations, and employer responsibilities that kick in from the moment you make an offer. Get the hiring process right and you've built a foundation for growth. Get it wrong and you're looking at penalties from Revenue, or disputes with the Workplace Relations Commission, before your new hire has finished their first month. This checklist covers everything you need to do to bring your first employee on board legally and smoothly. Before You Hire: The Groundwork 1. Decide What You Actually Need Before you write a job ad, be clear on the role. What tasks will this person do? Is this a full-time position, part-time, or could it be handled by a contractor? The distinction matters because employing someone comes with obligations that don't apply to contractors, and Revenue takes a dim view of employers who classify employees as contractors to avoid payroll obligations. If the person will work set hours, use your equipment, and follow your direction on how the work is done, they are almost certainly an employee. The Code of Practice for... You have decided to go out on your own. Maybe you're freelancing, consulting, starting a trade, or looking to set up a business from a side hustle. Whatever the reason, you've hit the same wall that every new self-employed person in Ireland hits: the paperwork feels like it was designed to put you off. How do you register? What forms do you need? When do you pay tax, and how much? What happens if you get it wrong? These are the questions we hear every week from people who are perfectly capable of running a business but who have never had to deal with Revenue before. This guide answers all of them, clearly and practically, so you can get registered, stay compliant, and focus on the work that actually matters. Who Counts as Self-Employed? Before you register anything, it is worth understanding what self-employment actually means in an Irish context. You are considered a self-employed person if you work for yourself rather than for an employer. You control what work you do, how you do it, and when you do it. You invoice clients for your services or sell goods directly. Self-employed people include sole traders, freelancers, contractors, and anyone running an unincorporated business. If you are earning income outside of the PAYE system and no one is deducting tax from your pay, you are almost certainly self-employed. There is a grey area with contractors. Revenue looks at the reality of the working arrangement, not just the label. If you... You need a professional business address in Dublin, but you do not need (or want to pay for) a full-time physical office. Maybe you work from home and would rather not put your home address on every invoice and Companies Registration Office filing. Maybe you are a startup keeping overheads low. Or maybe you are an overseas company establishing a Dublin presence without the commitment of a lease. A virtual office in Dublin gives you a prestigious address, mail handling, and optional services like call answering and meeting room access, all without the cost of dedicated office space. It is one of the smartest ways to look established, protect your privacy, and stay compliant with Irish company registration requirements. This guide covers everything you need to know: what virtual office services include, how pricing works, what TCSP compliance means for you, and how to choose the right plan and Dublin location for your business. What Is a Virtual Office in Dublin and Who Is It For? A virtual office is a service that provides your business with a professional business address and administrative support without requiring you to rent a physical office space. You get the benefits of a Dublin business address for your website, stationery, and official filings, plus services like mail handling and call answering, while working from wherever suits you. A virtual office in Dublin is ideal for: Startups: Keep overheads low while projecting a professional image from day one. Sole traders and freelancers: Use a Dublin... Most founders hit the same wall early on. The idea is sound, the demand looks real, but the money to actually build it has to come from somewhere. The good news is that funding a business in Ireland breaks down into three routes that are easier to reason about once you name them: debt, equity, and cash. Almost every funded Irish company uses some mix of the three, often alongside a state grant or two. This guide walks through each route, the specific Irish schemes worth knowing, and how to choose the right blend for your stage. Whether you are about to start a business or you are scaling one that already trades, the aim here is to help you ask better questions before you sign anything. What are the three main ways to fund a business in Ireland? Every funding source sits in one of three buckets. Debt is money you borrow and repay with interest, so you keep full ownership but carry repayment pressure. Equity is money you raise by selling a share of the company, so there are no monthly repayments but you give up some control. Cash is money that comes from inside the business or your own circle: savings, retained profit, or support from family or friends. The route that fits depends on your stage, how fast you need the money, and how much risk and dilution you can stomach. A pre-trading idea usually leans on cash and small grants. A growing services firm might... Running payroll should not be the thing that keeps you up at night. But for many employers in Ireland, it is. The rules are detailed, the deadlines are strict, and the consequences of getting it wrong range from penalties to very uncomfortable conversations with Revenue. Whether you are setting up payroll for the first time, taking over from someone who "handled it in a spreadsheet," or just trying to understand what your payroll provider is actually doing on your behalf, this guide covers the full payroll process from registration through to year-end obligations. No jargon where it is not needed. Practical steps you can actually follow. What Payroll Actually Involves At its core, payroll is the process of paying your employees correctly and making sure the right taxes are deducted and sent to Revenue. That sounds simple enough. In practice, it means: Calculating each employee's gross pay (salary, overtime, bonuses, benefit in kind) Applying the correct tax credits and rate bands to work out the right deductions Deducting PAYE (income tax), USC (Universal Social Charge), and PRSI (social insurance) Calculating employer PRSI on top of what you deduct from the employee Issuing a compliant payslip to each employee Reporting everything to Revenue on or before each pay date Keeping records of every calculation, every payment, and every submission Every employer in Ireland is legally required to do all of this, every single pay period. There are no exceptions for small businesses. PAYE Modernisation: Real-Time Reporting If you are new to... Every year around November, the same question lands on our desks. Business owners want to thank their staff for a solid year of work, but they do not want to hand over a cash bonus only to watch a chunk of it disappear in tax. It is a frustrating situation. You want to reward good people, and they want to feel rewarded. PAYE, PRSI, and USC have a habit of turning a generous gesture into a disappointing payslip line. The good news is that Ireland has a scheme specifically designed for this. The Small Benefit Exemption lets an employer give employees and directors a tax-free voucher (or other non-cash benefit) without anyone paying a cent in tax. No income tax, no USC, no PRSI, no benefit in kind charge. It is one of the simplest tax savings available to Irish businesses, and yet plenty of employers still are not using it. Or worse, they are using it incorrectly and losing the exemption entirely. Here is everything you need to know to get it right. What Is the Small Benefit Exemption Scheme? The small benefit exemption scheme allows an employer to give employees a tax-free benefit of up to €1,000 in combined value per year, across a maximum of two separate benefits. Each individual benefit cannot exceed €500. This means an employer may give: One voucher worth up to €500, or Two vouchers worth up to €500 each (totalling up to €1,000), or One gift card worth €300 and another worth... You have decided to use Xero. Good choice. Now comes the part that determines whether it actually works for you or becomes another half-finished tool gathering digital dust: the setup. Get it right and Xero saves you hours every month, gives your accountant clean data, and keeps you compliant. Get it wrong and you spend the next year fixing misallocated transactions, wrong tax rates, and bank feeds that do not reconcile. This comprehensive Xero setup checklist walks you through every step, from creating your organisation to entering opening balances. It is written specifically for Irish businesses: sole traders, startups, SMEs, and anyone switching from spreadsheets or another accounting software package. Follow it and you will have your chart of accounts configured, Irish VAT set up correctly, bank feeds connected, invoicing ready, and reporting working. What to Gather Before You Start Before you open Xero, collect the following. Having everything ready makes the setup process dramatically faster. Business details: CRO number (if a limited company), Revenue registration details, VAT number (if registered). Bank details: Online banking login credentials for every business bank account and credit card you want to connect. Customer and supplier lists: Names, addresses, email addresses, payment terms, and VAT numbers where applicable. Products and services list: What you sell, the prices, and the VAT rate that applies to each. Current year accounts: Your latest trial balance, aged debtors and creditors, and bank balances as at your planned conversion date. RCT status: If you operate in construction, forestry, or... You've decided to expand into Ireland. The market opportunity is clear, the talent pool is deep, and the corporation tax rate is competitive. But now you're stuck on a question that trips up nearly every foreign company entering the Irish market: should you register a subsidiary or a branch? Get this wrong and you could face unnecessary tax exposure, compliance headaches, or a structure that actively limits your ability to win contracts. Get it right and you build a foundation that supports growth for years to come. This guide breaks down everything you need to know. Liability, tax, cost, timelines, compliance, and the practical realities of doing business in Ireland through either structure. What's the difference between a subsidiary and a branch in Ireland? The distinction is fundamental, and it affects everything from how you pay tax to how Irish customers perceive you. A subsidiary is a separate legal entity incorporated in Ireland under the Companies Act 2014. It has its own directors, its own share capital, its own registered office, and its own obligations to the Companies Registration Office (CRO). The parent company owns it, typically through shareholding, but the subsidiary operates as an independent legal entity in its own right. A branch, by contrast, is an extension of the parent company. It is not a separate legal entity. When you register a branch in Ireland, you are registering the foreign parent's presence here, not creating a new Irish company. The branch trades under the parent's name and legal... Every year, the same question: when is the income tax return deadline in Ireland? And every year, thousands of self-employed people, landlords, and company directors leave it too late, scrambling to file and pay in the final days before penalties kick in. Some miss it entirely. The Irish income tax system operates on a "Pay and File" basis. This means you must both file your annual income tax return and pay your tax by the same deadline. Miss either obligation and you face a late filing surcharge, interest on overdue tax, and increased scrutiny from Revenue. This guide covers every deadline you need to know, who needs to file, how to file through ROS, what preliminary tax means, and exactly what happens if you are late. What Is the Income Tax Deadline in Ireland? The income tax deadline in Ireland is the annual date by which self-assessed taxpayers must: File their income tax return (Form 11) for the previous tax year. Pay the balance of income tax due for the previous tax year. Pay preliminary tax for the current tax year. All three obligations fall on the same Pay and File deadline. For most taxpayers, this is 31 October each year. If you file and pay online through ROS (Revenue Online Service), you typically get an extension to mid-November (the exact date varies each year; for the 2025 income tax return, the ROS deadline is 18 November 2026). Obligation Paper Deadline ROS Online Deadline File Form 11 (2025 tax year)... Profit doesn't pay your bills. Cash does. You can have a growing order book, healthy margins, and a business that looks great on paper, and still not be able to make payroll next Friday. That's the gap between profit and cash flow, and it kills more small businesses than a lack of demand ever will. For Irish SMEs, the pressure is amplified. Bi-monthly VAT returns, real-time PAYE reporting, seasonal trading patterns, and a culture of late payment mean cash flow management isn't something you can deal with at year-end. It needs daily and weekly attention. This guide covers the practical strategies that keep cash moving through your business, from forecasting and invoicing to managing suppliers and building reserves. How to tell if your business has a cash flow problem Cash flow problems rarely arrive as a single dramatic event. They build gradually, and the warning signs are easy to miss if you're focused on sales and growth rather than the bank balance. Watch for these early indicators: You're struggling to pay VAT or PAYE on time You're relying on an overdraft or credit card to cover routine operating costs Your debtor days are creeping up (customers are taking longer to pay) You're paying suppliers late or juggling which bills to pay first Stock is building up while your cash balance shrinks You can't say with confidence how much cash you'll have in four weeks Common causes include poor forecasting, weak credit control, uncontrolled expenses, overstocking, and rapid growth without working... Year-end has a way of arriving faster than anyone plans for. One month you are heads-down running the business, the next your accountant is asking for figures you half-remember entering, and a stack of receipts is staring back at you from a drawer. The panic is avoidable. Most of the stress that lands in the final fortnight comes from small jobs left undone through the year, not from the year-end itself. This financial year-end checklist is built for Irish SMEs, owner-managers, and the finance or admin people who carry the load when the deadline hits. Treat it as your comprehensive checklist for the close. Work through the ten checks below in order, flag anything that looks off for your accountant or payroll provider, and you will reach your filing dates, even as the year end approaches fast, with cleaner accounts and far fewer surprises. At Kinore we run this process for hundreds of Irish companies every year, and the businesses that close calmly are the ones that treat year-end as a series of small reconciliations rather than one frantic scramble. What "year-end close" actually means, and who this checklist is forYour year-end close is the process of tying off your bookkeeping for the financial year, sometimes called your fiscal year, so your figures can be turned into financial statements, financial reporting, and tax returns. In practice that means making sure every transaction is recorded, every balance is reconciled, and every discrepancy is explained before the books are locked. The accounting... You have settled on a name for the thing you are about to build. Maybe it is a sole trade, maybe a small partnership, maybe a side project you run through a company you already own. The next question is the one that trips most people up: do you actually need to register that business name, and if so, how? This guide walks you through the rules, the forms, the fees, and the timing, so you can get it done correctly the first time and get back to the work that matters. At Kinore we set up new businesses across Ireland every week, from first-time sole traders to established limited companies adding a fresh brand. The mechanics are not complicated once you understand who has to register and what the registration does and does not give you. Let us start there. What does registering a business name in Ireland actually mean? A business name is simply the name you trade under when it is different from your own true name. If Aoife Byrne sets up as a sole trader and operates as "Aoife Byrne", she has nothing to register. The moment she trades as "Riverside Bakery", that trading name has to be registered. The same logic applies to partnerships and to limited companies that operate under anything other than their full registered title. The registration is governed by the Registration of Business Names Act 1963, and it is handled by the Companies Registration Office. The CRO maintains the central register... Most people don't start a business because they love filing receipts. You start because you're good at something, and the admin comes attached whether you like it or not. The problem is that weak record keeping has a habit of catching up with you at the worst possible moment: a Revenue query lands, a grant application asks for two years of accounts, or you simply cannot tell whether last month was profitable. Good records remove that uncertainty. They give you a clear view of your money and they keep you on the right side of the rules. This guide explains what records you need to keep, how to organise them so they stay useful, how long you must retain them under Irish law, and the everyday habits that keep a small business audit-ready without swallowing your week. What record keeping means for a small business in IrelandRecord keeping is the practice of capturing and storing every financial document and entry your business produces: the invoice you send, the receipt you collect, the bank statement that confirms a payment. Bookkeeping is the closely related job of recording those transactions in an ordered way so they add up into accounts. The two overlap heavily, and in a small business the same person often does both. Think of record-keeping as gathering the evidence and bookkeeping as writing the story those records tell. Why does it matter so much for an Irish business? A few reasons stand out. Accurate financial records give you real... You have decided to set up a limited company, and now you are stuck on the name. It feels like a creative problem, but in Ireland it is also a legal one. The Companies Registration Office (CRO) can refuse a proposed name in minutes, and a refusal costs you time at the exact moment you want to be moving. So the right approach treats two jobs at once: pick something customers will remember, and pick something that will clear the rules first time. This guide walks through how to choose a company name that is brandable and compliant, what the CRO will reject, the difference between a company name, a business name and a trademark, and the practical checks to run before you register your company in Ireland. What to consider before naming a new Irish companyA strong company name does two things. It works in the market, and it survives the CRO. Those are separate tests, and a name can pass one while failing the other. "First National Insurance Ireland" might sound trustworthy, but it stacks restricted words, a place name and a generic descriptor in a way that will not get through. Naming matters more in Ireland than people expect because of how the system is built. The CRO decides whether your name can exist at all; branding decides whether anyone remembers it. Getting both right from the start saves you a name change later, which means a new domain name, updated contracts and a fresh round of... It starts with a practical question, but it quickly becomes a confusing one. You are setting up a business in Ireland (or you have been running one for a while), and everyone seems to have a different opinion about whether you should be a sole trader or a limited company. Your mate who runs a consultancy says “go limited, the tax is way better. ” Your uncle says “stay sole trader, keep it simple. ” Your accountant says “it depends. ” They are all right, frustratingly enough. The best business structure for you depends on what you are doing, how much you are earning, and what matters most to you. There is no universal answer, but there is a clear framework for making the decision. This guide lays out the real differences between the two structures, so you can make an informed choice rather than guessing. The Basics: What Is a Sole Trader? A sole trader is the simplest business type in Ireland. You and the business are the same legal entity. There is no separation. You earn the business income, you pay the tax on it, and you are personally responsible for everything the business does. Setting up as a sole trader is straightforward. You register with Revenue for tax (income tax, VAT if applicable, and potentially as an employer). You can use your own name or register a trading name with the CRO (Company Registration Office) for a small fee. That is essentially it. There is no company... You have set up your limited company in Ireland, the business is making money, and now you're staring at the company bank account wondering how to actually get that money into your own pocket without handing half of it to Revenue. It's one of the most common questions company directors ask, and it's one of the areas where mistakes are most expensive. Pay yourself too much salary and your personal tax bill eats into everything. Pay yourself too little and you miss out on tax credits and PRSI contributions. Get the structure wrong entirely and you could face a Section 438 director's loan charge that nobody warned you about. This guide covers the practical options for paying yourself from a limited company: salary, pension contributions, expenses, dividends, and the combinations that work best. The Core Options for Taking Money From Your Company As the director of a limited company, the money your business earns is not yours personally. The company is a separate legal entity with its own income, its own tax obligations, and its own bank account. Company profits belong to the company until you extract them, and how you extract them determines how much tax you pay. There are five main ways to move money from your company to yourself: Director's salary (processed through PAYE) Pension contributions (made by the company on your behalf) Expenses (reimbursed for genuine business costs) Dividends (distributions from after-tax profits) Director's loans (borrowing from the company, with significant restrictions) The most tax-efficient approach... Few things cause more stress for a business owner than a shareholder dispute. You may have built a successful company with trusted partners but when one of those partners refuses to cooperate in a share transfer or exit, things can quickly turn tense and uncertain. Maybe the partnership just isn’t what it used to be. When a shareholder refuses to cooperate, the fallout can ripple through your whole business — morale drops, decisions stall, and financial progress can grind to a halt. It’s stressful, frustrating, and often deeply personal. But here’s the good news: you’re not the first business owner to face this — and you don’t have to face it alone. At Kinore, we’ve helped Irish SMEs untangle tricky ownership situations. In this article, we’ll walk you through the key steps to take when a shareholder won't coperate and, just as importantly, how to protect your business so you don't end up here again. 1. Start with the Shareholders’ Agreement (SHA) Your first stop should always be your Shareholders’ Agreement (SHA). This document exists precisely for moments like this. Most well-drafted Shareholders’ Agreements will outline what should happen if someone wants to sell their shares — or has to. In many cases, the agreement will give the company or other shareholders a clear process to follow, so that one person can’t hold things up unfairly. For example, it might say that: If most shareholders agree to sell the business, the others must go along with that decision, or If... For many Irish businesses, expanding into new markets is a big step. Whether you’re selling through online marketplaces, working with distributors, or using fulfilment centres, international growth opens new doors — and a few hidden risks. One common pitfall? VAT registration. If you’re storing goods in another country, even temporarily, you may need to register for VAT locally. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have staff or an office there. Simply holding stock overseas can create a VAT obligation. It’s easy to miss, but the consequences can be serious: penalties, backdated bills, and disrupted sales. Let’s break down what this means for Irish SMEs and how to stay compliant without the stress. Why Storing Goods Abroad Can Create a VAT Obligation VAT rules in the EU and beyond are designed to ensure that tax is collected where goods are physically located or consumed. That means when you store goods in another country, you’re effectively creating a “tax presence” there even if you have no employees or office space. The simple act of holding inventory in a local warehouse is often enough to require a local VAT registration. Here are some common examples: You use an Amazon or e-commerce fulfilment centre in Germany, France, or Spain to hold stock closer to EU customers. You work with a third-party logistics (3PL) provider who stores and ships your goods on your behalf. You drop-ship products stored in another country before delivering them to end customers. In all of these cases, the goods are... Adding a new shareholder to your business is a big moment. For many Irish SMEs, it’s a sign of growth, progress, and a future full of potential. Whether you’ve brought in an investor, given a team member equity, or reshaped your ownership structure, it’s worth pausing to celebrate this exciting milestone. However, before you return to business as usual, there’s something important to note: a signed shareholder agreement does not necessarily mean that all the legal and compliance work is complete. There are a few critical steps you’ll need to take behind the scenes to ensure your company records are accurate, your compliance is up to date, and your future business operations run smoothly. In this article, we’ll guide you through the key areas to focus on, explain why they matter, and demonstrate how Kinore can support you in ensuring everything is done correctly the first time. Why Proper Compliance Matters After a Shareholder Change When a new shareholder joins your company, your share structure changes. While this is a natural part of growing a business, it also creates several obligations under Irish company law. Failing to update your records or file the correct forms doesn’t just create extra admin; it can lead to: Penalties and late filing fees from the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Confusion or disputes down the line if shareholdings aren’t properly documented. Difficulties with future fundraising, exits, or sales may arise if the company’s records are incomplete. Compliance issues with the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership... For many Irish SMEs, trading beyond our shores is an exciting growth opportunity. Whether you’re selling to customers in the UK, across the EU, or further afield, international trade opens the door to new markets and more substantial revenues. But along with that opportunity comes a big challenge: VAT compliance. VAT is one of those areas of business where the rules look straightforward on the surface, but quickly get complicated once you cross a border or jurisdiction. Every country has its own reporting requirements, registration thresholds, and filing deadlines. What works in Ireland won’t necessarily work in France, Germany, or the US. And if VAT isn’t managed correctly? The risks can be significant: unexpected penalties, cashflow issues, reputational damage, and time lost to sorting out administrative headaches. The good news is that with the right approach, VAT doesn’t have to be a barrier to international growth. In this guide, we’ll share practical steps that Irish SMEs can take to manage VAT obligations across different tax jurisdictions, keeping your business compliant, cashflow steady, and your focus firmly on growth. Why VAT Gets Complicated Across Borders Let’s start with the basics. VAT (Value Added Tax) is a consumption tax applied to goods and services. In Ireland, most businesses are used to applying VAT at the standard rate (currently 23%) or one of the reduced rates, and filing bi-monthly returns with Revenue. However, once you sell goods or services to customers in another country, the VAT rules can change, sometimes dramatically. A few... As 2026 approaches, Ireland’s national minimum wage is set to rise by 65 cents to €14. 15 per hour from January. It might not sound like a huge jump, but even small changes can ripple through your business, affecting payroll, pricing, cash flow, and even team morale. For many SMEs already working with tight margins, this is a reminder to plan early and understand exactly how it could impact your bottom line. At Kinore, we work with business owners across Ireland every day, helping them balance rising costs, motivate their teams, and achieve sustainable growth. Here’s our guide to what the 2026 minimum wage increase means and how you can prepare your business to adapt and thrive. Understanding the New Minimum Wage From 1 January 2026, the minimum wage rises from €13. 50 to €14. 15 per hour. This increase is part of a longer-term plan toward Ireland’s Living Wage. For someone working full-time (39 hours a week), that works out at about €25 extra per week or roughly €1,300 more over the year. If you have several team members on or near the minimum wage, these costs can add up quickly. For employers, it’s not just about the extra pay: Higher payroll costs for minimum-wage employees Potential knock-on effects for other wage brackets Budgeting, cash flow forecasting, and pricing pressures across departments Planning early gives you the chance to make informed decisions before these changes start affecting your margins. Review Your Budgets Now, Not Later If you haven’t updated... Running a business is exciting, but keeping track of your finances can feel overwhelming. If you’ve ever wondered whether you need an accountant or a bookkeeper, you’re not alone! While both play important roles, they serve different purposes. What’s the Difference Between a Bookkeeper and an Accountant? What Does a Bookkeeper Do? A bookkeeper helps you stay organised by keeping track of everyday financial tasks. They handle things like: Recording income and expenses Managing invoices and payments Reconciling bank statements Preparing financial reports Processing payroll Think of a bookkeeper as the person who makes sure your financial records are neat and accurate, so you always have a clear picture of where your business stands. What Does an Accountant Do? An accountant takes things a step further by analysing your financial data and helping you make smarter business decisions. They handle: Preparing tax returns and ensuring compliance Offering financial advice and forecasting Conducting audits Helping with budgeting and cost analysis Providing insights for business growth While accountants can do some bookkeeping, their real value comes from their ability to help you save money, plan ahead, and grow your business. If you need expert financial guidance, Kinore’s accounting services are here to help with tax planning and business forecasting. Do You Need a Bookkeeper or an Accountant? It depends on your business needs! Here’s a simple way to decide: You Might Need a Bookkeeper If: You have lots of transactions and need help staying organised. You want to make sure invoices and... Free access to our Startup Masterclasses and Go Online Workshops Have you recently set up a new business in Ireland? Are there areas of managing a company you’re not sure of? We’re here to help. We host monthly Startup Masterclasses and workshops to support you on your Startup journey. Free for clients of Kinore and €29+VAT for non-clients. If you would like to know more about our Company Formation and Accountancy Services, talk to our Client Services Team. We’re happy to talk to you about your needs. Startup Masterclasses Hosted monthly by one of our Chartered Accountants. Topics Paying Yourself From Your Irish Limited Company Accounting Tips So You Never Miss A Deadline How To Charge VAT In Business Tips For Reducing Your Tax Bill How do I join? If you are a client, you will receive an invitation each month to register for free. Find Out More Go Online Workshops Practical training on how to take your business online. Free introduction webinar to Xero software Take Your Accounts Online With Xero Join For Free Free for clients Live Online Bookkeeping Workshop Find Out More Talk to us about our services Interested in outsourcing company formation or accounting and compliance duties? Talk to our Client Services Team about what services best suit your needs. Get a quotation today. Call us on +353 (0)1 905 9364, chat online or email hello@kinore. com. Latest Guides Understanding the VAT Treatment of Social Media Influencers 18th August 2025 Discover how to avoid costly mistakes... Managing the financial health of your business is critical, but not every company has the resources for a full-time Chief Financial Officer (CFO). That’s where a fractional CFO comes in. Whether you’re a growing Irish SME or an established business looking for strategic financial leadership, a fractional CFO provides experienced financial guidance on a part-time or project basis – giving you access to professional support without the expense of a full-time executive salary and benefits. If your Irish business could benefit from senior-level financial leadership without the full-time cost, we’re here to help. Get in touch today to see how a fractional CFO can support your business’s success. What is a fractional CFO? A fractional CFO is a highly experienced financial expert who provides strategic guidance to businesses on a part-time or project basis. Unlike a full-time Chief Financial Officer, a fractional CFO offers financial expertise without the high costs of a full-time salary and benefits. Hiring a full-time CFO isn’t always financially viable for many Irish SMEs and growing businesses. A fractional CFO fills this gap, offering expert support in cash flow management, funding strategies, compliance, and long-term financial planning – all tailored to your business’s unique needs. Whether you need help securing investment, optimising financial processes, or navigating complex financial decisions, a fractional CFO ensures you have the right financial strategy – without the overhead of a permanent hire. How a fractional CFO can benefit your business 1. Strategic Financial Planning & Guidance A fractional CFO can help... When your accountant announces their retirement, it can feel like a daunting challenge. After all, a great accountant is often more than just a number-cruncher—they’re a trusted advisor who understands your financial landscape. While it may seem overwhelming to find a new accountant, don’t worry! With a clear plan in place, you can transition smoothly to a new accountant while safeguarding your financial well-being. Here’s a guide to help you navigate the process. Start the transition early Time is your friend when dealing with an accountant’s retirement. By starting early, you can avoid last-minute surprises and ensure all necessary steps are completed on time. Meet with your accountant: Discuss their retirement timeline and any plans they have for a successor. Begin preparations: Start exploring your options to ensure a smooth handover. At Kinore, we offer free consultation calls with our friendly Client Services Team, who can help you plan for the transition. Whether via video call, live chat, or phone, we’re here to make the process as convenient and accessible as possible. Ask for recommendations Your retiring accountant is likely the best person to help you find a suitable replacement. They’ve spent years in the field and probably know someone who’s a great fit for your needs. Leverage their network: Ask your retiring accountant for a list of potential replacements. Request introductions: Professional referrals can save time and provide vetted options. Review your needs This is the perfect opportunity to think about what you need from your new accountant, both... Providing employee benefits is a crucial aspect of running a successful business. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland, understanding the regulatory landscape and offering attractive benefits can help attract and retain top talent, boost employee morale, and enhance overall productivity. Here’s a comprehensive guide on what Irish SMEs need to know about employee benefits. Understanding employee benefits Employee benefits are non-wage compensations provided to employees in addition to their regular salaries. These benefits can range from statutory entitlements, such as annual leave and public holidays, to voluntary benefits like health insurance and retirement plans. Offering a well-rounded benefits package can significantly impact employee satisfaction and loyalty. Statutory benefits in Ireland Irish employment law mandates several benefits that employers must provide. Understanding these statutory benefits is essential for compliance and ensuring fair treatment of employees. Annual leave: Employees in Ireland are entitled to a minimum of four weeks of paid annual leave per year. The exact entitlement may vary based on the number of hours worked and length of service. Public holidays: Ireland recognises nine public holidays. Employees are entitled to a paid day off on these holidays or an additional day’s pay if they are required to work. Maternity and paternity leave: Maternity leave – Female employees are entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave, with the option to take an additional 16 weeks of unpaid leave. Paternity leave – Fathers are entitled to two weeks of paternity leave, which must be taken within the first six months... Managing debt effectively is crucial for the financial health and sustainability of small businesses in Ireland. Proper debt management helps businesses maintain cash flow, reduce financial stress, and position themselves for growth. At Kinore, we can provide support to help businesses implement effective debt management strategies and achieve long-term financial stability. Importance of debt management for small businesses Debt management involves planning and executing strategies to handle debt responsibly. Effective debt management ensures that your business can meet its financial obligations, avoid unnecessary interest payments, and improve its creditworthiness. Benefits of effective debt management: Financial stability: Ensures timely repayment of debts, maintaining business operations smoothly. Cost savings: Reduces interest costs and penalties, improving profitability. Improved credit rating: Enhances your business’s credit rating, making it easier to access future funding. Stress reduction: Minimises financial stress, allowing you to focus on core business activities. Key debt management strategies for Irish SMEs Here are some key strategies to help small businesses in Ireland manage their debt effectively: Understand your debt Assess debt levels: Compile a list of all your debts, including loans, credit cards, and other liabilities. Evaluate terms: Understand the interest rates, repayment terms, and conditions associated with each debt. Prioritise debt repayment High-interest debts: Focus on paying off high-interest debts first to minimise interest costs. Minimum payments: Ensure that you meet the minimum payment requirements for all debts to avoid penalties. Create a debt repayment plan Budgeting: Develop a detailed budget that allocates funds for debt repayment while covering essential business... Accountants play a pivotal role in supporting business strategy. Beyond number-crunching, they provide crucial insights and strategic advice that drive business success. In today’s dynamic business environment, the role of accountants has evolved significantly. At Kinore, we recognise the importance of accountants in shaping and executing effective business strategies. Here’s how they contribute to the strategic planning and execution of businesses. Strategic planning and analysis Accountants are integral to the strategic planning process. They help businesses set realistic goals by providing a clear picture of the financial landscape. Their expertise in financial analysis allows them to interpret data and identify trends, which is essential for making informed strategic decisions. Key contributions: Financial forecasting: Accountants create financial forecasts that predict future revenues, expenses, and profits. These forecasts help businesses plan for growth and manage resources effectively. Budgeting: By developing detailed budgets, accountants ensure that business strategies are financially viable and aligned with the company’s goals. Risk management: Accountants identify financial risks and develop strategies to mitigate them, ensuring that businesses can navigate uncertainties. Performance measurement Accountants play a crucial role in measuring business performance. They provide metrics and reports that help businesses track their progress towards strategic goals. This performance measurement is vital for making adjustments to strategies as needed. Key contributions: Key performance indicators (KPIs): Accountants identify and monitor KPIs, providing insights into various aspects of business performance. Financial reporting: Through regular financial reports, accountants offer a transparent view of the business’s financial health. Variance analysis: Accountants analyse variances between... For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland, understanding and adhering to financial compliance requirements is essential. Compliance not only ensures legal integrity but also fosters trust with stakeholders and aids in the smooth operation of the business. At Kinore, we offer guidance & services to help SMEs navigate the complex landscape of financial compliance. Here’s what you need to know about your legal obligations. Importance of financial compliance Financial compliance involves adhering to the laws and regulations governing financial reporting, tax obligations, and corporate governance. Compliance helps maintain the credibility and reputation of your business, avoiding legal penalties and fostering trust with customers, investors, and regulators. Benefits of financial compliance: Legal protection: Ensures your business operates within the law, avoiding fines and legal actions. Transparency: Builds trust with stakeholders through transparent financial practices. Operational efficiency: Promotes structured and efficient financial management. Access to funding: Enhances your business’s attractiveness to investors and lenders. Key financial compliance requirements for Irish SMEs Here are the key financial compliance requirements that SMEs in Ireland must adhere to: Corporate governance Good corporate governance is essential for compliance and involves ensuring that your business is managed effectively and ethically. Company registration: Ensure your business is correctly registered with the Companies Registration Office (CRO). Keep company details up-to-date, including changes in directors, registered office, and share capital. Ensure that legal documents requiring validation, such as company law forms or share certificates, are authenticated using the appropriate tools. For example, the company seal is commonly used for... For small business owners in Ireland, making informed investment decisions is crucial for growth and long-term success. By strategically investing profits, businesses can enhance their financial stability, expand operations, and increase competitiveness. At Kinore, we provide expert advice to help small business owners navigate the investment landscape. Here are some key investment strategies tailored to the Irish market and regulatory environment. Understanding investment options Before diving into specific strategies, it’s essential to understand the various investment options available to small business owners in Ireland. Each option has its benefits and risks, and the right choice depends on your business goals and risk tolerance. Common investment options: Reinvestment in your business: Using profits to fund business expansion, upgrade equipment, or enhance operations. Stocks and bonds: Investing in equities or fixed-income securities to diversify income streams. Property investment: Purchasing commercial or residential property for rental income or capital appreciation. If considering property investment in Ireland, it’s important to understand landlord tax in Ireland, as rental income is subject to various tax obligations including income tax, PRSI, and USC Pension funds: Contributing to a pension fund to secure long-term financial stability. Government bonds: Investing in Irish government bonds, which offer relatively low risk and stable returns. Reinvesting in your business One of the most straightforward and impactful investment strategies is to reinvest profits back into your business. This approach can drive growth, improve efficiency, and increase profitability. Key areas for reinvestment: Expansion: Open new locations, enter new markets, or diversify your product or... Exiting a business is a significant milestone for any entrepreneur, especially for owners of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ireland. Whether you’re planning to sell, merge, or pass your business to the next generation, a well-thought-out exit strategy is essential to maximise value and ensure a smooth transition. At Kinore, we are here to guide you through the complexities of planning your business exit with expert strategies tailored to your needs. The importance of having an exit strategy An exit strategy is a plan for transitioning the ownership of your business. It helps you prepare for the future, ensuring that you can exit your business on your terms while achieving your financial and personal goals. Benefits of an exit strategy: Maximises value: Enhances the value of your business and ensures you get the best possible return. Ensures continuity: Facilitates a smooth transition for employees, customers, and stakeholders. Reduces uncertainty: Provides a clear roadmap for the future, reducing stress and uncertainty. Types of exit strategies There are several exit strategies available to business owners, each with its own advantages and considerations. Understanding your options can help you choose the best strategy for your situation. Common exit strategies: Selling the business: Transferring ownership to a new buyer. Mergers and acquisitions: Combining with another company to enhance value. Management buyouts: Selling the business to your management team. Family succession: Passing the business to the next generation. Liquidation: Selling off assets and closing the business. Planning your exit: key considerations Effective exit planning... When the impact of Covid-19 slowly began to ease, it wasn’t long before the news of war in Ukraine, and we were faced with new challenges. During this time of uncertainty, we ran a survey on our website to fully understand the biggest concerns of business owners in Ireland. Rising business costs was the biggest concern, closely followed by access to funding and cash flow. In this guide, we highlight some of the supports available to help mitigate the rise in energy costs in Ireland. The supports you will find here have been collated with the business owner in mind and summarised to help tackle concerns around costs, funding, and cash flow. If you need more information about a particular support, we recommend you reach out to the supplier of the support directly or talk to your accountant about how they can help. 01. Small Firms Investment in Energy Efficiency Scheme The Small Firms Investment in Energy Efficiency Scheme aims to provide grants through the Local Enterprise Office (LEO) network to companies to encourage investment in energy efficiency technologies or processes that reduce carbon emissions and overall energy costs. The scheme will follow on from the LEO Green for Micro Scheme which currently provides advice and technical support to firms on energy efficiency and reducing their carbon footprint. 02. Energy audits The SEAI Energy Support Fund is a €2,000 voucher that can be used by SMEs to undertake a bespoke energy audit of their business. The SEAI energy audit helps... Preparing for a financial audit can be a daunting task for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). A well-organised audit process ensures compliance, identifies potential issues, and provides valuable insights into your business’s financial health. At Kinore, we help SMEs navigate the complexities of preparing for financial audits. Here is a comprehensive preparation checklist that gives an overview of what to expect when you are subject to an audit. Why financial audits are important Financial audits are critical for verifying the accuracy of financial statements, ensuring regulatory compliance, and building stakeholder confidence. Regular audits help businesses maintain transparency, identify inefficiencies, and implement improvements. Benefits of financial audits: Accuracy verification: Ensures financial statements are accurate and reliable. Compliance: Confirms adherence to regulatory requirements and standards. Risk management: Identifies financial discrepancies and potential fraud. Stakeholder trust: Enhances credibility with investors, creditors, and stakeholders. Key steps to prepare for a financial audit Effective preparation is key to a smooth and successful audit. Here’s a detailed checklist to help you get ready: Understand the audit requirements Scope of audit: Clarify the scope and objectives of the audit with your auditor. Documentation: Understand the specific documents and records required for the audit. Gather financial records Financial statements: Prepare accurate income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements. Transaction records: Compile all transaction records, including invoices, receipts, and bank statements. Supporting documents: Gather supporting documents such as contracts, agreements, and purchase orders. Organise financial data Categorise documents: Organise documents by category (e. g. , expenses, revenues, assets).... Managing cash flow effectively is essential for the sustainability and growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Poor cash flow management can lead to financial difficulties, even if a business is profitable. At Kinore, we understand the importance of maintaining a healthy cash flow, and we are here to provide you with practical techniques to keep your business solvent and thriving. Understanding cash flow Cash flow refers to the movement of money into and out of your business. It includes cash received from sales, investments, and loans, as well as cash spent on expenses such as salaries, rent, and supplies. Positive cash flow means your business is generating more cash than it is spending, while negative cash flow indicates the opposite. Key points: Cash inflows: Money coming into your business from sales, loans, or investments. Cash outflows: Money going out of your business for expenses, salaries, and other costs. Net cash flow: The difference between cash inflows and outflows. Importance of cash flow management Effective cash flow management ensures that your business can meet its obligations, invest in growth opportunities, and avoid financial crises. Here are some key reasons why managing cash flow is crucial for SMEs: Benefits of cash flow management: Avoiding insolvency: Ensuring that you have enough cash to pay your bills on time. Funding growth: Having the cash available to invest in new opportunities and expand your business. Maintaining relationships: Building trust with suppliers, employees, and creditors by paying them on time. Planning for the future: Making... Deciding how much to pay yourself from your business is crucial to managing your finances as an entrepreneur. As an owner or director of a company, you can choose how to pay yourself from a Limited Company, whether through a salary, director dividends, or a combination of both. However, striking the right balance between a modest personal income and maintaining the financial health of your business can be challenging. This decision can become complex if you’re concurrently running a business and working a full-time job. Your full-time salary can support your personal needs while allowing more business profits to be reinvested for growth. However, a clear record of all income sources is vital for accurate tax calculations. This comprehensive guide helps you determine how much to pay yourself by providing valuable insights and practical strategies to make informed decisions. We’ll explore the factors you should consider, such as industry standards, financial sustainability, personal needs, and legal requirements. Contact our Client Services Team for advice on our services to help your business. How to decide how much to pay yourself? 1. Evaluate the financial performance of your business Examine your current cash flow situation and assess whether there is enough money after paying your bills to pay yourself. When doing this, it’s also a good idea to set aside some money as a cushion for a rainy day in case of sudden unexpected expenses. Cash flow management can ensure enough money to cover all your bills as they come due. 2.... Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Your Limited Company Considering opening a company in Ireland? Our essential checklist ensures you navigate the incorporation process smoothly, from initial setup to legal compliance. To set up a company, you need stakeholders (director, company secretary and shareholders), an address in Ireland, share capital, and a unique company name. Our guide will walk you through these requirements to ensure you clearly understand the process of setting up a Limited Company in Ireland. Once you have these, you must prepare Form A1 and a constitution and submit them to the Companies Registration Office (CRO) in Ireland. It’s worth noting that there are also associated costs with setting up a company a company. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to prepare these; we are here to help. What is a Limited Company? Private Company Limited by Shares A Limited Company (LTD) is sometimes called ‘A Private Company Limited by Shares and is one of Ireland’s most common types of business structure. Limited liability Company directors/shareholders are generally only liable for the amount invested in the business. Separate legal entity A company is a separate legal entity, allowing them to take out loans, enter contracts, and face legal action. Different types of companies in Ireland Private limited companies are the most common. They have limited liability, can have one or more owners and their shares are not publicly traded. Public limited companies are for larger businesses. They can offer shares to the public and have more regulations... Establishing solid bookkeeping practices is crucial for the success of any startup or small business. By implementing our expert tips, you can streamline your bookkeeping tasks, making them easier to manage and more efficient. What is bookkeeping? 01. Recording - keep records of business expenses Bookkeeping involves keeping track of financial statements & financial records, such as receipts, expenses, invoices, and bank statements. 02. Reconciliation - compare and match financial records You need to check transactions against bank statements to ensure accuracy and identify discrepancies. 03. Tracking - monitor accounts receivable & payable Track money owed to the business (accounts receivable) and amounts owed by the business to suppliers (accounts payable). Why do businesses need bookkeeping? Financial management Accurate records help business owners make informed decisions, monitor profitability, comply with tax obligations, and assess the business's health. Make better decisions You can forecast your business' finances by keeping on top of your business' bookkeeping, helping you understand your business and learn how to grow. Tax planning By maintaining detailed records of income and expenses, companies can identify tax-deductible expenses and take advantage of tax credits and incentives. Five essential bookkeeping tips tailored for startups & sole traders 1. Schedule time for bookkeeping Dedicate specific time slots for bookkeeping. This proactive strategy saves you from scrambling to organise your books when the Income Tax Deadline approaches. You’ll be able to tackle your bookkeeping tasks consistently and efficiently, resulting in time savings and a stress-free experience during the financial year-end or tax... ## Industries ## Podcasts ## Services Annual Accounts & Corporation Tax Return Dublin Ireland Kinore prepares your year-end accounts and corporation tax returns, filing everything with Revenue and the CRO on time. Service Type: Annual Accounts & Corporation Tax Return Company Secretary Maintenance Service Dublin Ireland | Kinore Kinore provides professional company secretarial support to keep your business compliant with Irish company law. Service Type: Company Secretary Maintenance Xero Conversion & Training Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Kinore moves your accounts into Xero and trains your team to use it confidently, giving you the benefits of cloud accounting without disruption. Service Type: Xero Conversion & Training Outsourced Payroll Services Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Kinore's outsourced payroll services handles payroll accurately and on time, deductions, payslips, and Revenue filings, so you can focus on your business. Service Type: Outsourced Payroll Services Online Bookkeeping Services Dublin Ireland - Kinore Accountants Kinore provides expert online bookkeeping in Ireland. Accurate records, real-time reports, and scalable support so you can focus on growing your business. Service Type: Online Bookkeeping Services Company Formation Ireland Dublin Ireland | Register Your Limited Company Kinore provides a fast, reliable company formation service that takes care of every detail. We handle the paperwork, CRO filings, and official documents so you can start trading with confidence. Service Type: Company Formation Ireland Management Accounts & Financial Reporting Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Stay on top of business performance with Kinore’s management accounts. Clear reports, expert analysis, and timely insights to guide smarter decisions. Service Type: Company Management Accounts Choosing the right software or technology partner is a major decision and often a risky one. Kinore’s Technical Vendor Selection service helps you evaluate your options objectively and select the vendor that fits your business. We research a range of potential solutions, then narrow this down to a maximum of three viable options, which we score and compare in detail. This keeps the process focused, structured, and manageable, so you can make a confident, informed choice. Kinore develops custom integrations that connect your systems, streamline processes, and eliminate manual work. Whether you’re using Xero, payroll software, CRMs, e-commerce platforms, or industry-specific tools, we design solutions that allow your data to flow seamlessly across your business. Our team ensures your systems work together, not against each other. A structured, forward-looking technology plan that outlines what your business should implement, improve, or replace over the next 12–36 months with clear priorities and timelines aligned to your business goals. VAT Returns & Filing Services Dublin Ireland - Kinore Kinore handles VAT registration, calculations, and filing so your business stays compliant, avoids penalties, and frees you to focus on growth. Service Type: VAT Returns & Filing Virtual Office Service Dublin - Business Address & Mail Handling Get a Dublin 2 virtual office with Kinore. Use a professional business address, protect your privacy, and enjoy secure mail scanning, forwarding, and storage. Service Type: Virtual Office Professional Minute Taking Service Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Kinore provides professional minute-taking services for AGMs and board meetings, ensuring your discussions and decisions are recorded accurately and securely. Service Type: Professional Minute Taking Voluntary Company Strike off Services Dublin Ireland - Kinore Kinore manages voluntary strike off for Irish companies. We handle all CRO filings and legal steps, making company closure simple, compliant, and stress-free. Service Type: Voluntary Strike-Off Form VIF & Verified Identity Number Services Dublin Ireland - Kinore Kinore files Form VIF for non-resident directors to obtain a Verified Identity Number, ensuring accurate CRO compliance quickly and without hassle. Service Type: Form VIF & Verified Identity Number Register of Beneficial Ownership Service Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Kinore ensures your company meets Irish legal requirements by registering its beneficial owners with the Central Register of Beneficial Ownership (RBO). Service Type: Register of Beneficial Ownership Named Company Secretary Service Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Kinore can act as your company’s official named secretary, ensuring you meet the legal requirement under Irish company law. Service Type: Named Company Secretary Registered Office Address Service Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Kinore provides a professional registered office address in Dublin for your company. Service Type: Registered Office Address Professional Dublin Business Address | Kinore Gain a prestigious Dublin 2 address with Kinore. Protect your privacy, manage mail securely and give your business a credible professional presence. Service Type: Professional Dublin Business Address Directors Tax Returns Dublin Ireland - Kinore Chartered Accountants Kinore prepares and files directors’ tax returns in Ireland. Accurate, compliant, and stress-free filing with all credits and reliefs applied on your behalf. Service Type: Directors Tax Returns Company Seal for Irish Businesses - Kinore Order a compliant company seal from Kinore. Ensure your documents are valid, embossed professionally, and delivered quickly to your business address. Service Type: Company Seal for Irish Businesses Irish Branch Registration Dublin Ireland | Kinore Accountants Kinore helps overseas companies establish an official branch in Ireland by handling all required CRO filings and documentation. Service Type: Irish Branch Registration ## Solutions ## Testimonials "Kinore has allowed a space in our finance manager's role to provide the higher value add, the strategic commercial advice that we need. " "A pleasure to deal with. Very informative when in the need of help. Removes the stress of carrying out all the bookkeeping and returns and I never need to worry about missing deadlines. Highly recommended. " "Nexus Inclusion has been very happy working with Kinore. Kinore offer a range of accounting services which meant they understood and could meet all our needs. They were also upfront about costs, allowing us to plan our budgets. " "After frustrating experiences with slow Xero posting, high fees and poor communication from previous firms, the difference with Kinore has been night and day. APIs run smoothly, support is fast, and we can now make confident decisions and manage cash flow easily. " "Kinore has been a trusted partner since we were founded in 2022. As a small limited company without an in-house finance team, their accounting and company secretarial support is invaluable. The team is reliable and allows us to focus fully on growing the business. " “Our partnership with Kinore has been excellent. The team are professional and approachable, and they always deliver to a very high standard. We value the relationship and the support they provide to us. ” ## Webinars REGISTER NOW The Startup Playbook: Avoid the Financial Mistakes Every Founder Makes Already set up your business, or about to? This session covers what comes next: the reliefs, obligations, and practical advice from a chartered accountant most founders don't hear about until it's too late. Why Join? Pay yourself the smart way: Avoid the common traps founders fall into around payroll, dividends, and director's loans. Claim expenses that hold up to Revenue: Get the truth on what you can, and can't claim, and the tax-free perks most companies overlook. Turn old PAYE tax into start-up capital: See how SURE relief can turn tax you've already paid into funding for your new company. Find out if you qualify for R&D Tax Credits: This valuable credit applies far more broadly than "labs and tech" and there's a strict deadline that can disqualify a genuine claim. Know your legal duties as a director: What you're personally on the hook for under the Companies Act, and how to stay on the right side of it. Meet The Expert Jamie McHugh Assistant Accounting Manager, Kinore Jamie manages and improves processes, quality, and delivery of work, with a strong focus on building genuine partnerships with clients. With over 10 years of experience in the field, Jamie is passionate about empowering the team to achieve and exceed targets, bringing deep technical expertise in accounting and taxation. A Chartered Accountant with a proven track record working across multinationals, SMEs, and tech startups, Jamie is skilled in accounts preparation... REGISTER NOW Knowing Your Numbers & Cashflow: From Compliance to Decision-Making Having money in the bank is not the same as running a profitable business. SME directors need real-time financial information to make good decisions, and most don't have it. Why Join? The gap between cash and profitability. Why cash in the bank isn't a measure of business performance, and why without current management information you can't truly assess margin, profitability, or financial position. Why management accounts matter. For businesses above €1m turnover, monthly or quarterly management accounts are standard practice, yet many still don't have them, and what that gap costs you. How to stay on top of pricing and margin. Cost pressures are rising, and businesses not actively monitoring margin are absorbing increases without even realising it. Moving from compliance to advisory. Why a once-a-year accountant relationship isn't enough for a growing business, and how regular bookkeeping review plus timely management information enables real-time decision-making. Meet The Expert Tom Francis Head of Accounting and Small Business, Kinore Tom is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) and is Head of Accounting and Small Business at Kinore. Areas of expertise include Accounting, Compliance, and Taxation relating to small business and company directors. Tom oversees a team of accountants who work closely with high-potential start-ups and SMEs, providing expert business advice and guidance and ensuring their statutory requirements are taken care of. He has built great client relationships and has experience providing technical support in accounting,... REGISTER NOW eCommerce Insights: The Hidden Cost of Growth, Shipping, Returns & Fulfilment with Fiachra Murphy from Autofulfil Scaling an eCommerce business feels like success — until the numbers tell a different story. Fulfilment, shipping and returns are three of the biggest margin killers in eCommerce, and most businesses don't get a handle on them until they're already doing damage. Why Join? Do you actually know where your money is going? Understand your true bottom line and why growth without financial visibility is one of the biggest risks in eCommerce today. Is your fulfilment model working for you or against you? Explore the real pros and cons of keeping fulfilment in-house versus outsourcing it, and how to build a process that grows with your business rather than holds it back. Is free shipping costing you more than you think? Customers expect it, but offering it without a strategy can quietly destroy your margins. Explore practical approaches to building free shipping into your offering while staying competitive without giving away your profits. Are returns quietly devastating your margins? A small returns rate can have an outsized impact on profitability. Understand the real cost of returns, how to minimise their impact, and what a smarter returns process looks like for a growing eCommerce business. Meet The Expert Speaker Fiachra Murphy Sales Manager at Autofulfil Fiachra works closely with a wide range of growing online retailers to help them scale through smarter logistics. With hands-on experience in the third-party logistics space, he brings... REGISTER NOW How AI Helps eCommerce Brands Increase Profit with Thomas Gleeson from StoreHero Pricing decisions shape the future of your business, but without the right data, most are made on gut feeling. That's where AI is changing everything. Why Join? How can AI help you protect your margins? A look at how businesses are using AI to identify where they're losing money and mitigate the risks. How can AI help you improve your margins? Practical ways AI can help you find opportunities to grow profitability. How to leverage AI for smarter pricing decisions. How tools like Claude can help businesses make better, faster pricing decisions. Where do you start? Key takeaways for businesses looking to bring AI into their pricing and margin strategy. Meet The Expert Thomas Gleeson Co-Founder at StoreHero Thomas has spent the last 10+ years in the e-commerce industry, having started his first e-commerce store at 19 years old. Thomas spent the last 3. 5 years working at Shopify, most recently as Senior Merchant Success Manager, consulting with the largest brands on the platform. Through this work, Thomas brings a unique perspective on growing brands of all sizes and understands the challenges and constraints of these businesses. REGISTER NOW Director Pensions: The Tax Opportunities Most Irish Directors Are Missing Payroll errors and missed pension planning are costing Irish directors significantly and many do not realise it until the damage is done. Why Join? Are you classifying PRSI correctly? Understand why S-Class PRSI does not automatically apply to all directors and what the liability looks like when it is applied incorrectly. Is auto-enrolment enough? Find out why auto-enrolment is not a pension strategy and what a properly structured plan looks like by comparison. Are you missing tax relief? Discover how company pension contributions can be one of the most tax-efficient mechanisms available and why timing is everything. Could you be leaving retirement wealth behind? Learn how the pension fund limits work and why early, structured planning makes a significant difference. Meet the expert speaker Tom Francis Head of Accounting at Kinore Tom is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) and is Head of Accounting at Kinore. Areas of expertise include Accounting, Compliance, and Taxation relating to small business and company directors. Tom oversees a team of accountants who work closely with high-potential start-ups and SMEs, providing expert business advice and guidance and ensuring their statutory requirements are taken care of. He has built great client relationships and has experience providing technical support in accounting, compliance, and taxation to business owners so they can grow and scale their businesses. Meet the host Christina McGreevy Head of Business Support Services at Kinore Christina has over... WATCH NOW E-Invoicing: What Is Coming, When, and What to Do Now E-invoicing is coming to Ireland whether businesses are ready or not. Those still using Excel, or manual methods to invoice have less time to prepare than they think. Why Watch? What exactly is e-invoicing? Understand why sending a PDF by email doesn't qualify and what the structured digital exchange of invoice data actually means for your business. When does this affect you? Get clarity on Ireland's phased rollout, mandatory for large VAT registered corporate entities for domestic B2B transactions from 2028 and mandatory all VAT registered businesses engaged in intra-EU trade by 2030 Is your software actually compliant? Find out why using Xero or similar tools doesn't automatically mean you're ready - specific configuration is required. Are you leaving yourself exposed? Discover why the transition requires system changes, staff training, and financial planning - and why waiting is a risk. Could acting early save you a last-minute scramble? Learn how early movers will be far better positioned when the deadlines arrive. Meet The Expert Speaker Kiera McFeely Head of Cloud Services, Kinore As Head of Cloud Services, Kiera is a specialist in leveraging lean principles to transform business finance functions. With over 20 years of experience in the accounting industry, she has led numerous projects that streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and drive significant cost savings for businesses. Passionate about helping businesses unlock their full potential, Kiera ensures founders and leadership teams can dedicate more time to strategic growth... Finance + Tech Alignment: Making Data Work for Better Decisions Tue 16 Jun 10:30am · 30 min When finance and technology operate in silos, opportunities are missed and momentum stalls. This session shows how integrating your financial and tech systems unlocks real-time insights and turns data into a driver of growth. Make better decisions faster with connected, real-time data Spot where disconnected processes are costing you time and clarity Align finance and digital strategies for long-term growth Session with: Rick Williams & Tom Francis Scaling Without Chaos: Building a 12–36 Month Tech Roadmap Tue 14 Jul 10:30am · 30 min Without a clear technology plan, scaling quickly turns chaotic. This session walks through how to build a structured roadmap that keeps your business agile, compliant, and cost-effective no matter how fast you grow. Plan tech investments that scale with your business Anticipate integration needs and compliance changes ahead of time Stay flexible without losing control Session with: Rick Williams Eliminating Manual Processes with Smart Integrations Tue 11 Aug 10:30am · 30 min Hours spent re-entering data and reconciling mismatched systems is time your business can't afford to lose. This session shows how smart integrations replace manual work with connected, automated workflows. Automate repetitive admin and reclaim focus for strategic work Improve accuracy by connecting data across your tools Build processes that scale with the business, not against it Session with: Rick Williams Choosing Tools That Grow With You: Vendor Selection Done Right Tue 15 Sep 10:30am · 30 min With... WATCH NOW Smart Tax Strategies for Irish Business Owners Discover how to legally minimise your tax bill and extract profits from your company as efficiently as possible. From salary structuring and pension planning to navigating the close company surcharge, we'll cut through the complexity — and explain why the window to act is shorter than most directors realise. Why Watch? Does your company structure actually work in your favour? Understand how it impacts profit extraction and tax planning. Are you leaving money on the table? Learn how to optimise salary, bonus, and pension contributions for maximum tax efficiency. Could the close company surcharge catch you out? Discover what it is, who it applies to, and how to avoid it. Is your year-end planning too little, too late? Find out why acting early makes all the difference. Could a pension be your most powerful tax tool? Discover what it's costing you not to have one in place as an Irish director. Meet the expert speaker Tom Francis Head of Accounting at Kinore Tom is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) and is Head of Accounting at Kinore. Areas of expertise include Accounting, Compliance, and Taxation relating to small business and company directors. Tom oversees a team of accountants who work closely with high-potential start-ups and SMEs, providing expert business advice and guidance and ensuring their statutory requirements are taken care of. He has built great client relationships and has experience providing technical support in accounting, compliance,... WATCH NOW The Bookkeeping Fixes Every Growing Business Needs Discover how to move beyond year-end accounting and use bookkeeping as an active business tool. Through real business journeys, from tangled, disconnected systems to building solid foundations from scratch, we'll cut through the noise and show you what good bookkeeping actually looks like in practice. Why Watch? Are your systems working together? See how businesses end up with disconnected tools like Xero, HubDoc, and Dext — and what it takes to get them properly integrated. Is poor setup quietly costing you? Understand why adopting cloud software without the right configuration can create more problems than it solves. Is your accountant retiring and leaving you exposed? Find out how to get the right systems and foundations in place before it's too late. Are you scaling fast but your bookkeeping isn't keeping up? Discover what happens when growth outpaces your processes — and how to get back in control. Do you know what your books are actually telling you? Learn why properly structured, accountant-reviewed records are the difference between reacting and planning ahead. Meet The Expert Kiera McFeely Head of Cloud Services, Kinore As Head of Cloud Services, Kiera is a specialist in leveraging lean principles to transform business finance functions. With over 20 years of experience in the accounting industry, she has led numerous projects that streamline operations, enhance efficiency, and drive significant cost savings for businesses. Passionate about helping businesses unlock their full potential, Kiera ensures founders and leadership teams can... WATCH NOW Growing a business in Ireland takes grit. But at a certain point, grit alone isn't enough. You need capital, and you need it to be the right kind. The problem? Most business owners default to two options: the bank (slow, selective, asset-focused) or equity (which means handing over a piece of what you've worked hard to build). Neither is always the right fit. The good news is there's more out there than most founders realise. Kinore has joined forces with the team at Financefair for a practical webinar on the Irish funding gap. We walk through what the funding landscape in Ireland actually looks like in 2026, what options are available to growing businesses, and what you need to have in place to access them quickly. This is a straight-talking session with useful information to help you make better decisions about how you fund your next stage of growth. Why Watch? In this session you'll learn: Why traditional bank funding often doesn't work for high-growth Irish businesses What the full Irish funding landscape looks like in 2026, from traditional lenders to alternative funders How revenue-based finance, lines of credit, and selective invoice funding actually work in practice The eligibility criteria most funders look for and how to make sure you qualify What financial information you need to have ready before approaching any funder How to structure your funding strategy to support growth without unnecessary risk This webinar is ideal for: Irish business owners and founders Companies experiencing strong... REGISTER NOW Pension Options Unpacked: Real Perspectives from Financial Advisors As Auto Enrolment approaches, business owners must choose how they will support their employees’ retirement planning. This webinar delivers the clarity you need. Hosted by Larissa Feeney, CEO of Kinore, the session brings together two experienced financial advisors who will outline the real differences between MyFutureFund and independent pension solutions, and explain where each option genuinely fits for employers and their teams. Expect straight answers, practical examples, and insight grounded in real advisory experience. If you want to make informed decisions before Auto Enrolment goes live, this discussion is for you. Why Watch? Understand how Auto Enrolment will impact your obligations as an employer Get a clear comparison between State-backed and advisor-led pension options Learn what each route offers and who it’s best suited to Hear honest, practical perspectives from seasoned financial advisors Leave with clarity so you can support your employees confidently Meet The Panel Larissa Feeney (Host) CEO & Founder of Kinore Larissa Feeney is a chartered accountant and the CEO and Founder of Kinore, a multi-award-winning online accountancy firm that specialises in delivering a complete suite of finance and business services to startups and SMEs across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK. Larissa proudly dedicates her time to overseeing the growth of her digital-first company and giving back to the local community by contributing to numerous entrepreneurial programmes and boards that help to empower ambitious businesses. David Crowley (Financial Advisor) CEO of IFC Finance David Crowley is... WATCH NOW Auto-Enrolment 2025: Turning Compliance into Opportunity Major changes are coming for Irish employers. With auto-enrolment on the horizon and updates to gender pay gap reporting, this will bring a new set of compliance and communication challenges for businesses of all sizes. Join Kinore and our expert guest Caroline Reidy, Managing Director of The HR Suite and a HR and Employment Law Expert for a practical, insight-led discussion on how to prepare your business, protect compliance, and plan your next steps with confidence. Why Watch? Auto-Enrolment & Employee Pension Obligations In this session you’ll learn: When auto-enrolment is being introduced and which employees will be included How contributions will work and what it means for your business costs What you need to do now to stay compliant, set up your systems and communicate with your workforce Practical actions you can take immediately to prepare your business Gender Pay Gap Reporting – What Employers Must Know With evolving requirements in Ireland, this is no longer just a “nice-to-have” exercise – it’s a compliance and reputational imperative. We’ll cover: What’s changing in reporting thresholds and deadlines How to gather, verify, and communicate your gender pay data What regulators and employees will expect from your reports How transparency can strengthen your employer brand and compliance position Meet The Experts Kiera McFeely Head of Cloud Services at Kinore As Head of Cloud Services, Kiera is a specialist in leveraging lean principles to transform business finance functions. With over 20 years of experience in... WATCH NOW Finance + Tech Alignment: Making Data Work for Better Decisions In fast-moving businesses, decisions are only as good as the data behind them. When finance and technology operate in silos, opportunities are missed — and momentum stalls. In this 30-minute live session, Kinore’s experts will show how integrating your financial and tech systems unlocks real-time insights, improves decision-making, and turns data into a driver of growth. Why Watch? Make better decisions faster: Learn how to use connected systems to access real-time data. Spot growth barriers early: Identify where disconnected processes are costing you time and clarity. Build a finance-tech partnership: Align your finance and digital strategies to support long-term growth. See it in action: Get inspired by client stories of businesses transforming their operations with smarter tech. Meet The Experts Rick Williams Head of Digital Transformation, Kinore Richard is the Head of Digital Transformation and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Kinore Finance & Business Services, where he leads the firm’s technology-driven growth strategy. Focused on scalability, automation, and AI-driven innovation, Rick oversees initiatives that enhance both top and bottom-line margins. He also manages Kinore’s technology portfolio and cybersecurity strategy, ensuring compliance with industry standards. Tom Francis Head of Accounting and Small Business, Kinore Tom is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) and Chartered Tax Advisor (CTA) and is Head of Accounting and Small Business at Kinore. Areas of expertise include Accounting, Compliance, and Taxation relating to small business and company directors. Tom oversees a team of accountants who... WATCH NOW From Surviving to Scaling – Rethinking Your Growth Strategy for 2026 As businesses move into a more competitive and fast-moving landscape, growth can become a double-edged sword. Scaling too quickly without structure creates chaos; scaling too slowly holds you back. This session breaks down what sustainable growth really looks like in 2026 and how business leaders can strike the right balance between agility, strategy, and operational readiness for the new year. Join Larissa Feeney, CEO and Founder of Kinore, as she shares grounded, real-world guidance on recognising when your business is ready for its next stage, how to step back from the day-to-day without losing control, and what it takes to build a company that can scale confidently. Why Watch? Spot the signs your business has outgrown its original model and understand your next steps. Learn how to scale with intention instead of reacting to fast or unexpected growth. Get clear, actionable advice on moving from hands-on leadership to a structure that empowers your team. Understand where to reinvest, where to step back, and how to future-proof your strategy for 2026. Hear grounded insight from Larissa Feeney on aligning your goals, leadership mindset, and operational readiness. Meet the expert Larissa Feeney CEO & Founder of Kinore Larissa Feeney is a chartered accountant and the CEO and Founder of Kinore, a multi-award-winning online accountancy firm that specialises in delivering a complete suite of finance and business services to startups and SMEs across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK. Larissa... WATCH NOW How budget 2026 impacts your business The Irish Budget 2026 was be announced on the 7th of October and outlined the government’s spending and revenues. These decisions may have significant implications for businesses across Ireland. As a business owner, staying ahead of these changes is critical to ensuring your company’s success and growth in the coming years. Watch this exclusive, business-focused breakdown of the key outcomes of Budget 2026. This debrief is designed specifically for business owners who want to understand how the latest announcements will affect their bottom line, tax obligations, investment opportunities, and overall strategy. Our panel of experienced chartered accountants and financial experts will take you through the highlights, provide actionable insights, and answer your most pressing questions. Why Watch? Business-Focused Analysis Unlike general budget reviews, this debrief is tailor-made for business owners. We’ll dive deep into what matters most to you. Actionable Insights Learn how to adjust your business strategies to align with new fiscal policies and leverage opportunities for growth in 2026. Meet the panel Larissa Feeney CEO & Founder of Kinore Larissa Feeney is a chartered accountant and the CEO and Founder of Kinore, a multi-award-winning online accountancy firm that specialises in delivering a complete suite of finance and business services to startups and SMEs across Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK. Larissa proudly dedicates her time to overseeing the growth of her digital-first company and giving back to the local community by contributing to numerous entrepreneurial programmes and boards that help... WATCH NOW Hiring for Growth: How to Bring on the Right People at the Right Time Date: 16th October 2025Time: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Join Kinore for the fifth session of our exclusive 5-part webinar series designed for SME owners and decision-makers. In just 30 minutes, gain practical, actionable insights from experts in an open Ask Me Anything (AMA) style conversation — your questions will help drive the discussion. Agenda This session is based around your questions. We understand how important privacy is, so any questions you submit will be kept anonymous and confidential. You can also submit a question anonymously during the live session. Revenue Projections, Cash Flow & Workforce Planning Understand how hiring decisions impact cash flow and how revenue forecasts guide workforce needs. Timing Hires with Growth Stages Learn to identify critical roles and align recruitment with each phase of business expansion. Building a Scalable Hiring Process Design a hiring approach that strengthens company culture, boosts productivity, and scales with growth. Expert Insight: Hiring Pitfalls to Avoid Gain lessons from leaders who’ve experienced the consequences of hiring too quickly — or too late. Why Join? 01. Limited Series This session on Hiring for Growth is part of a limited series and only runs twice a year — don’t miss your chance to get live, expert advice when it matters most. 02. Smarter Hiring for Growth Learn how to hire the right people at the right time to support growth, protect cash flow, and avoid costly hiring... WATCH NOW Free bookkeeping webinar for business owners This session is ideal for SME owners and directors who want to move beyond year-end accounting and use bookkeeping as an active business tool. Whether you're still on spreadsheets, struggling with a poorly configured system, or considering a full cloud tech stack, this webinar will give you practical, actionable guidance. What you’ll learn What online accounting software is used for Getting your software set up right Why cloud software alone doesn't fix poor bookkeeping and what proper setup and configuration actually looks like. The case for regular bookkeeping Track bills, manage expenses and keep a clear view of accounts payable and cash flow. Time-saving through automation See how automating recurring invoices, bank feeds, and document capture via tools like Dext can save hours of manual entry every month. Pitfalls of software without proper setup Common mistakes businesses make when adopting Xero, from missing supplier defaults to unconfigured tax codes and how to set it up correctly from day one. Building a full tech stack Compare manual bookkeeping against a fully integrated cloud stack (Xero + Dext + A2X + HubDoc) and understand the material time savings at higher transaction volumes. Accountant-reviewed bookkeeping Why having an accountant review your records regularly catches what in-house bookkeeping misses, misclassified transactions, VAT triggers, foreign supplier treatment, and more. Why watch this webinar Understand the real cost of poor bookkeeping Late or inaccurate records don't just cause admin headaches, they lead to missed deadlines, compliance risk, and... WATCH NOW How Do Compliance, Finance, and Admin Demands Change as a Business Grows? Date: 24th September 2025Time: 10:30 AM – 11:00 AM Join Kinore for the fourth session of our exclusive 5-part webinar series designed for SME owners and decision-makers. In just 30 minutes, gain practical, actionable insights from experts in an open Ask Me Anything (AMA) style conversation — your questions will help drive the discussion. Agenda This session is based around your questions. We understand how important privacy is, so any questions you submit will be kept anonymous and confidential. You can also submit a question anonymously during the live session. It’s all up to you: whatever you ask about scaling and outsourcing, we’ll cover. Some areas that may come up in the discussion include: Scaling Challenges Explore the common hurdles SMEs face as they grow — from increased admin to shifting compliance demands. Outsourcing vs. In-House Understand when it makes sense to outsource, and how to weigh the costs against hiring internally. Freeing Up Leadership Learn how outsourcing can help business leaders focus on strategy, growth, and innovation rather than day-to-day admin. Maximising Impact Find out which areas of your business benefit most from outsourcing during the growth phase. Why Join? 01. Limited Series This compliance session is part of a 5-part series built for growing SMEs and runs only once this year. Don’t miss your chance to get live, expert advice when it matters most. 02. Stay Compliant and Focused on Growth Learn how to... WATCH NOW Is Your Fulfilment Strategy Helping or Hindering Your eCommerce Growth? Join Kinore and Autofulfil for an expert webinar where we explore the critical role fulfilment plays in driving eCommerce growth. Is your current fulfilment strategy setting you up for scalable success — or holding you back? From deciding when to outsource to a 3PL, to knowing what to expect from the right partner, this session will cover key strategies for optimising operations, avoiding common pitfalls, and expanding into new markets. Agenda The Role of Fulfilment in eCommerce Growth Effective fulfilment enhances customer experience and supports scalable growth by meeting expectations around speed, accuracy, and returns. In-House vs. 3PL: When & Why to Outsource Outsourcing to a 3PL becomes essential when in-house operations become inefficient, costly, or limit business growth. What to Expect from a Good 3PL Partner A strong 3PL partner offers transparent pricing, seamless tech integrations, and reliable service with full operational visibility. Avoiding Common Pitfalls Avoid issues by understanding true fulfilment costs, setting clear agreements, and aligning your 3PL strategy with your business model. Strategic Use Cases: Scaling Channels & Markets 3PLs enable international expansion and multichannel growth through platform integrations and regional logistics expertise. About Autofulfil Autofulfil is an Irish eCommerce fulfilment centre supporting online direct-to-consumer retail brands from around the world. Our mission is to enable eCommerce companies to easily grow and scale their businesses in Ireland, Europe, and beyond with quick, flexible, and reliable order fulfilment services. Why Join? 01. Optimise Your Fulfilment... WATCH NOW Unlock the Growth Potential of Your Business with the Right Financial Strategy Join Kinore and for an expert webinar Are you a CEO or Founder ready to take your business to the next level? Whether you’ve outgrown bootstrapping or secured seed funding and are now looking to scale, having the right financial strategy is critical. Join us for this exclusive webinar, where industry experts from FinanceFair will share actionable insights on securing the right funding, managing cash flow, and aligning financial strategies with long-term business success. Agenda Importance of strategic financial planning for scaling businesses Different types of funding options available (equity, debt, grants, revenue-based financing, etc. ) How to determine the best funding structure for your business Common funding challenges and how to overcome them Aligning funding with long-term business goals Managing cash flow and working capital effectively Scaling sustainably while maintaining financial control About FinanceFair Financefair is redefining how ambitious companies secure funding and scale strategically. They believe in a smarter way to grow—one that saves founders time, reduces costs, maintains control, and ultimately increases company value. Rather than relying solely on traditional fundraising, which isn’t built for every business to succeed, Financefair offers non-dilutive, revenue-aligned funding solutions. As your revenue grows, so does your access to funding—ensuring sustainable, scalable growth. Financefair has successfully helped businesses like Greyscout, Otonomee, and the Corporate Governance Institute secure the right financial solutions to expand without sacrificing equity. Their tailored approach goes beyond capital, providing strategic financial support that empowers... Watch Now Are You Exploring Ways to Attract Investors and Fuel Your Company’s Growth? Expert Webinar with Kinore and Quintas Capital Watch our insightful webinar designed for growing businesses looking to secure third-party investment. Discover how to attract investors and fuel your company’s growth through strategic funding opportunities. This session is tailored for businesses interested in the Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS) — a valuable tax relief initiative that supports SMEs seeking external investment. Agenda Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS) Learn about EIIS, a tax relief incentive designed to encourage investment in SMEs in Ireland. Common Pitfalls Understand the main pitfalls of EIIS and how to avoid them. Types of EIIS Discover the different types of EIIS available, including equity vs. debt. Ways to Raise EIIS Explore methods such as crowdfunding, advisor assistance, and EIIS funds. Insights from EIIS Funds Learn what EIIS funds look for in investee companies and how Enterprise Ireland grants interact with EIIS. The Role of Solicitors Understand the solicitor’s involvement in the EIIS process and how to navigate this complex area. Networking Opportunity Connect with other like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs. About Quintas Capital Quintas Capital is a premier investment firm based in Ireland. We specialise in providing bespoke private market investment opportunities tailored for private investors, family offices, and institutional investors. Why Join? 01. Expert Advice on EIIS Investments Gain valuable information and strategies to help grow your business through debt or equity. 02. Live Q&A Ask questions and get real-time answers... WATCH NOW Join Kinore for an expert Ask Me Anything session Date: 13th May 2025 Time: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM Join us for the first session of our exclusive 5-part Ask Me Anything series designed for SME owners and decision-makers. In just 30 minutes, get practical, actionable insights directly from Larissa Feeney, CEO of Kinore. This session is all about open conversation. We’ll cover things like choosing the right funding (loans, grants, investors), the pros and cons of debt vs. equity, and how to get your business ready for outside capital — but most of all, we’re here to answer your questions Here’s what we’ll likely dig into: Choosing the Right Funding: Compare loans, grants, and investment options based on your business stage, goals, and risk tolerance. Debt vs Equity: Get expert insight into the pros and cons of borrowing versus bringing in investors — and how to choose wisely. Steps to prepare for external funding: Financial analysis, projections, and clear business planning. Why Join? Limited Series This session on Funding Your Expansion is part of a limited series and only runs twice a year — don’t miss your chance to get live, expert advice when it matters most. Get Real Answers, Fast In just 30 minutes, you’ll gain practical insights and funding strategies you can apply immediately — no fluff, no slides, just real talk. Ask Your Questions, Live This is your chance to ask the experts anything in an open AMA format. Whether you’re exploring funding for... WATCH NOW Free, live webinar for business owners Are you a business owner looking for the right funding to grow or sustain your business? Whether you're a startup or an established company struggling to secure a loan from traditional lenders, understanding your financial options is key. Join us for this informative webinar, where you will be guided through the loan application process, eligibility criteria, and real-life success stories of businesses. Agenda Overview of Microfinance Ireland’s loan offerings, ranging from €2,000 to €50,000. The types of businesses eligible for loans, including startups and established companies. Who can apply for loans: sole traders, limited companies, and partnerships. Discussion on how the loans can help businesses grow or sustain operations. Step-by-step guidance through the loan application process. Explanation of eligibility requirements and what makes a business suitable for funding. Examples of businesses Microfinance Ireland has supported in the past, showcasing various industries. About Microfiance Ireland Microfinance Ireland is a not-for-profit lender, established to deliver the Government’s Microenterprise Loan Fund. Supported by the Irish government, Microfinance Ireland assists businesses struggling to secure a business loan from a traditional lender. Microfinace Ireland is a small Dublin-based team supported by an external panel of experienced Credit Assessors around the country, who meet locally with you to assess your loan application and business proposal. They provide small loans, with the purpose of helping start-ups and established businesses get the finance they need for their business. Why join? 01. Funding Support Learn how Microfinance Ireland supports businesses. 02.... REGISTER NOW Scaling Without Chaos: Building a 12–36 Month Tech Roadmap Scaling is exciting — but without a clear technology plan, it can quickly turn chaotic. From disconnected tools to duplicated costs, poor planning often leaves businesses fighting inefficiency instead of driving progress. In this live 30-minute session, Rick Williams, Kinore’s Head of Digital Transformation, will walk you through how to create a structured 12–36 month technology roadmap that supports long-term growth. Drawing on real client examples, Rick will show how strategic planning helps companies stay agile, compliant, and cost-effective — no matter how fast they grow. Why Join? Bring order to growth: Learn how to plan tech investments that scale with your business. Stay ahead of challenges: Anticipate integration needs, compliance changes, and future demands. Avoid costly mistakes: Focus on the tools and systems that truly support your strategy. Think long-term: Understand how a roadmap helps you stay flexible while keeping control. Meet The Expert Rick Williams Head of Digital Transformation, Kinore Richard is the Head of Digital Transformation and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Kinore Finance & Business Services, where he leads the firm’s technology-driven growth strategy. Focused on scalability, automation, and AI-driven innovation, Rick oversees initiatives that enhance both top and bottom-line margins. He also manages Kinore’s technology portfolio and cybersecurity strategy, ensuring compliance with industry standards. WATCH NOW Unlock the Growth Potential of Your Business with the Right Financial Strategy Join Kinore and for an expert webinar Are you a CEO or Founder ready to take your business to the next level? Whether you’ve outgrown bootstrapping or secured seed funding and are now looking to scale, having the right financial strategy is critical. Join us for this exclusive webinar, where industry experts from FinanceFair will share actionable insights on securing the right funding, managing cash flow, and aligning financial strategies with long-term business success. Agenda Importance of strategic financial planning for scaling businesses Different types of funding options available (equity, debt, grants, revenue-based financing, etc. ) How to determine the best funding structure for your business Common funding challenges and how to overcome them Aligning funding with long-term business goals Managing cash flow and working capital effectively Scaling sustainably while maintaining financial control About FinanceFair Financefair is redefining how ambitious companies secure funding and scale strategically. They believe in a smarter way to grow—one that saves founders time, reduces costs, maintains control, and ultimately increases company value. Rather than relying solely on traditional fundraising, which isn’t built for every business to succeed, Financefair offers non-dilutive, revenue-aligned funding solutions. As your revenue grows, so does your access to funding—ensuring sustainable, scalable growth. Financefair has successfully helped businesses like Greyscout, Otonomee, and the Corporate Governance Institute secure the right financial solutions to expand without sacrificing equity. Their tailored approach goes beyond capital, providing strategic financial support that empowers... WATCH NOW Startup Webinar and Q&A Watch this free session designed for new Irish business owners and entrepreneurs, whether you've started a business in the last 18 months or are planning to take the leap in Ireland. Why Watch? Choose the right structure: Understand the real trade-offs between a sole trader and a limited company, including liability protection, setup costs, and how profits are taxed, before you register with the CRO. Stay ahead of your deadlines: Learn the key Annual Return, Corporation Tax, and RBO filing dates, and why missing even one return in a five-year period can mean losing your audit exemption. Pay yourself the smart way: Find out whether salary, dividends, or pension contributions are the most tax-efficient way to take money out of your business, and how each is treated by Revenue. REGISTER NOW Eliminating Manual Processes with Smart Integrations If your team spends hours re-entering data or reconciling mismatched systems, you’re not alone — and it’s holding you back. In this 30-minute webinar, Rick Williams, Kinore’s Head of Digital Transformation, will show how smart integrations can replace manual processes with connected, automated workflows. You’ll see how businesses are linking finance, operations, and reporting systems to save time, reduce errors, and create the headspace needed to focus on strategic growth. Why Watch? Reclaim your time: Automate repetitive admin and focus on growth. Reduce errors: Improve accuracy by connecting data across your tools. Scale with ease: Build processes that grow with your business, not against it. Learn from real examples: See how Kinore clients use integrations to drive efficiency and insight. Meet The Expert Rick Williams Head of Digital Transformation, Kinore Richard is the Head of Digital Transformation and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Kinore Finance & Business Services, where he leads the firm’s technology-driven growth strategy. Focused on scalability, automation, and AI-driven innovation, Rick oversees initiatives that enhance both top and bottom-line margins. He also manages Kinore’s technology portfolio and cybersecurity strategy, ensuring compliance with industry standards. WATCH NOW Making Financial Decisions That Drive Real Growth This interactive AMA-style session is designed for SME owners who want to move beyond reactive financial management and start making confident, informed decisions that drive real, profitable growth in 2026. This is Session 2, Part 2 of our Navigating Growth series and focuses on real questions, real scenarios, and real decisions that directly impact profitability. Too many growing businesses rely on backward-looking reports and gut instinct. This session focuses on what actually matters. Understanding your numbers, managing cash flow with intent, and knowing when to act are what separate sustainable growth from constant pressure. You will have the opportunity to ask real questions, challenge assumptions, and get practical insight you can apply immediately. Why Watch? If you are serious about scaling your business in 2026, financial clarity is non-negotiable. You set the direction. The conversation is shaped by the questions SME owners are actually asking right now, from cash flow pressure to growth decisions and reinvestment timing. You will gain: Clear, practical insight into what financially strong SMEs look like in 2026 A better understanding of how to move from financial reporting to real decision-making Straight answers on when to reinvest for growth and when to hold back A clearer view of the cost of delayed or reactive financial decisions Submit your questions when you register to shape the conversation. Meet The Expert Tom Francis Head of Accounting and Small Business, Kinore Tom is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant (FCCA) and... REGISTER NOW With so many platforms promising to “transform your business,” it’s easy to waste time and money on the wrong technology. But choosing the right tools doesn’t have to be a guessing game. In this 30-minute session, Rick Williams, Kinore’s Head of Digital Transformation, will break down how to evaluate vendors with confidence. You’ll learn how to identify what your business really needs, avoid the traps of flashy features, and select systems that deliver genuine, measurable ROI. Drawing on real client experiences, Rick will show how Kinore helps SMEs cut through the noise and make informed, future-proof decisions about their tech investments. Why Join? Choose confidently: Learn how to spot scalable, value-driven software. Save money: Avoid overpaying for tools that don’t deliver long-term ROI. Plan ahead: Build a software stack that grows with your business goals. Leverage expert insight: See how Kinore supports SMEs in selecting and implementing the right systems for sustainable success. Get your free cheat sheet: Everyone who registers receives our Vendor Selection Cheat Sheet - a practical do's and don'ts guide and checklist for choosing technology that actually works for your business. Meet The Expert Rick Williams Head of Digital Transformation, Kinore Richard is the Head of Digital Transformation and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Kinore Finance & Business Services, where he leads the firm’s technology-driven growth strategy. Focused on scalability, automation, and AI-driven innovation, Rick oversees initiatives that enhance both top and bottom-line margins. He also manages Kinore’s technology portfolio and cybersecurity strategy, ensuring... WATCH NOW Want to find out if you can access Corporate Finance? Join Kinore and for an expert webinar Join us for an engaging webinar on the fundamentals of corporate finance, where we'll address all your key questions. We'll explore who can access corporate finance, what funders are looking for, and how to navigate the process successfully. Whether you're looking to deepen your understanding or just starting out, this webinar is ideal for anyone in that space. Agenda Understand the ways to grow your business Learn the importance of strategic planning Explore the different funding options to support growth Learn about processes involved to secure funding Ongoing management and measurement of the strategic plan About O'Doherty Advisory O’Doherty Advisory is a specialist Business, Transaction and Advisory firm founded by experienced professional Rory O’ Doherty. We provide strategic financial advice and support to business owners and shareholders, guiding them through all stages of a company’s life cycle. A bespoke & tailored approach for each client engagement is required because we understand that each individual and situation is unique. We seek to build genuine long-term relationships with our clients where we can make an enduring positive impact along the pathway to success. O’Doherty Advisory provide capital & funding solutions, transaction advisory services, business advisory and support services. Why Join? 01. Understand Corporate Finance Discover who can access corporate finance, what funders are looking for, and how to navigate the process successfully. 02. Strategic financial planning: Gain tools for future-proofing your business with... WATCH NOW Want to ensure your marketing investments are delivering real financial returns? Join Kinore and for an expert webinar Join us for an insightful webinar where we delve into the evolving landscape of marketing performance measurement and profitability. Has the traditional metric of Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) lost its relevance? Is it time you adopted new strategies to ensure your marketing efforts are truly profitable? We're excited to be joined by Thomas Gleeson of StoreHero who will share his expert knowledge on the subject. Agenda The Old Way of Measuring Marketing Performance: Understand why the conventional ROAS metric is becoming outdated and what this means for your marketing strategy. How to Understand if Your Marketing is Actually Profitable: Learn advanced methods to accurately assess the profitability of your marketing campaigns, going beyond traditional metrics. Goal Setting When Building for Profit First: Discover how to set strategic marketing goals with a profit-first approach, ensuring everything spent contributes to your bottom line. Top Tips & Tricks Ahead of Q4: Get expert insights and actionable tips to optimise your marketing efforts as we approach the crucial Q4 period, maximising your ROI and ensuring a successful end to the year. About StoreHero StoreHero unifies your sales and marketing data, and costs to give you a real-time view of your profits at the store, product, and order levels. As a user-friendly e-commerce management platform, StoreHero is dedicated to helping online businesses optimise their operations and enhance profitability. By bringing together all your sales... WATCH NOW Ready to grow your business? Join Kinore and for an expert webinar In today’s fast-paced startup ecosystem, being prepared for funding rounds is crucial to success. Join us for this must-attend webinar where we’ll walk you through the key essentials that every business owner and founder needs to know to confidently navigate venture capital and investments. This session is packed with practical insights and actionable tips to help you set your business up for long-term growth. Agenda 1) Building Your Investor-Ready Dataroom: Learn what critical data and information should be in place from day one to impress potential investors. Discover why having an organised dataroom is essential for companies planning multiple venture rounds. Actionable tips on maintaining up-to-date documents to avoid delays during fundraising. 2) Cap Table Management Essentials: Get the complete guide on managing your cap table, ensuring accuracy from the start. Understand why setting up a share option pool before seeking investment can increase your company’s appeal. Avoid common cap table mistakes that can complicate future funding rounds. 3) Navigating Term Sheets: Key Dos, Don’ts, and Red Flags: A breakdown of the most important clauses founders need to understand in term sheets. Learn the red flags and pitfalls to watch out for when negotiating with investors. Strategies for ensuring fair and founder-friendly term sheet agreements. About SeedLegals SeedLegals is a platform for startups and growing companies to seamlessly raise investment, offer share options to incentivise teams, manage SEIS/EIS filings, and maintain cap tables. Trusted by one... On-demand webinar for employers and business owners Are you managing talent across borders and uncertain about the best employment strategies? The options may seem numerous, but only a few are truly viable. Your choice will affect your company's risk exposure, your employees' experience, and your retention rates. This decision is crucial. We're proud to be joined by Join Dee Coakley, CEO & Co-Founder of Boundless, a global Employer of Record, in this webinar to make informed global employment decisions. Agenda Compliant and non-compliant options for employing overseas workers The implications of managing global employment in-house versus outsourcing A decision framework to guide your choice How to select the most suitable employment partner for your needs Meet the Host Christina McGreevy Client Services Manager Christina is the Client Services Team Manager at Kinore. Christina has an extensive background sales and marketing in the hospitality sector and has been an experienced manager for over 14 years. Christina is passionate about ensuring small business owners and new entrepreneurs feel supported throughout their journey - from your first enquiry through to being accepted as a client of Kinore. Meet the Expert Guest Dee Coakley CEO of Boundless Dee Coakley, CEO of Boundless, is a seasoned executive that brings a wealth of expertise to international employment. With a background as a three-time COO, she deeply understands the operational challenges of cross-border employment and paying people across borders. Dee founded Boundless, a premium Employer of Record, as a strategic solution to streamline global employment, bringing together... Expert insights on funding success for business owners With Kinore & Fitzgerald Power Join us for an insightful webinar on preparing your business for funding and understanding the various funding options available. Our webinar will provide valuable insight into the funding process, and you will be given practical advice from someone with firsthand experience raising finance. Whether you own or manage a small or medium-sized company, this webinar meets your needs. What will be discussed? Getting your business ready for funding Understand the key steps to preparing your business for funding. Learn how to assess your financial position and identify areas for improvement. Discover strategies to enhance your business’ appeal to potential investors Funding options Gain a comprehensive understanding of the different types of funding available. Explore the pros and cons of each funding option, and identify which one suits your business’s needs. Learn about alternative funding sources beyond traditional avenues. Insights on raising finance Hear a firsthand account of the speaker’s personal experience raising funds Gain valuable insights from someone who has worked within companies, understanding owner/manager challenges. Learn from real-life examples and practical tips to navigate the funding landscape successfully. About Fitzgerald Power Fitzgerald Power is a renowned and esteemed professional services firm dedicated to providing accounting and business advisory services in Ireland. Fitzgerald Power offers a wide range of services across including accounting, business advisory, audit, and corporate finance. Their team of experienced professionals combines deep expertise with a thorough understanding of the local business landscape, enabling... On-Demand Webinar For Business Owners Maximise your ecommerce potential During this webinar, you will hear from StoreHero founders Karl O’Brien and Thomas Gleeson who’ll provide you with the tools and strategies you need to profitability grow your online store. Gain valuable insights on how to increase revenue, reduce costs, and improve customer retention over the next 12 months. Why Join? 01. Learn from experts Learn from professionals in the ecommerce industry and gain insight into topics such as inventory management, order processing, and marketing. 02. Discover new strategies Attending this webinar can help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends and strategies. You'll be better equipped to grow your business and stay ahead of the competition. 03. Live Q&A During the live webinar, we opened up the floor for questions so attendees could share their questions and receive expert insights. About StoreHero StoreHero is an ecommerce management platform that helps online businesses optimise their operations and improve their profitability. The platform offers a range of features designed to unify sales and marketing and businesses can gain valuable insights into their operations, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions that lead to increased sales and profitability. Meet the guests and host Karl O'Brien Co-Founder at StoreHero Karl O’Brien is an experienced entrepreneur having previously founded a web and digital marketing agency based in Dublin with a team of 12. Through this work, the agency has managed millions of euros in advertising spend and built over 400 websites including over 100... On-demand webinar to help grow your business Are you searching for ways to secure investment for your business? Our on-demand Business Growth Webinar is tailored for companies seeking third-party investment and considering taking advantage of the Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS) - a tax relief incentive aimed at supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Agenda Learn about the Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (EIIS), a tax relief incentive designed to encourage investment in SMEs in Ireland Understand the main pitfalls of EIIS and how to avoid them Discover the different types of EIIS available, including equity vs. debt Learn about ways to raise EIIS, such as crowdfunding, advisor assistance, and EIIS funds Gain insights into what EIIS funds target for investee companies and how Enterprise Ireland grants interact with EIIS Understand the solicitor’s involvement in the EIIS process and how to navigate this complex area Have the opportunity to network with other like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs Why Join? 01. Expert advice on EIIS investments Join us and gain access to valuable information and strategies to help grow your business through debt or equity. 02. Live Q&A We offer a live Q&A session where you can ask questions and get answers in real time. You can interact with our experts and learn from their years of experience. 03. Free recording of webinar We understand that it may not always be possible to attend the live webinar, which is why we offer a free recording of the webinar afterwards. Meet... On-demand Business Growth Webinar Are you a business owner, looking for a form of employee compensation to retain key staff as your company grows? Share options allow employees to purchase company shares at a discounted price or at a specified price in the future. During this expert legal webinar, we will discuss the various share option schemes in Ireland and the rules and requirements of setting up. This is the ideal time for you to seek guidance from a legal professional and it will bring to closer to determining which scheme is best for your company and your employees. Why Join? Learn about the different types of share options in Ireland There are a variety of share option schemes available in Ireland, including the Employee Share Option Scheme (ESOS) and the Key Employee Engagement Programme (KEEP). Learn if your company would benefit from offering this type of employee incentive to retain key staff. Find out the steps involved with setting up employee options You may be wondering how to get started with share options and how to set it up. This webinar will provide you with an overview of the rules and requirements around share options so when you are ready to set one up, you have an understanding of what's needed. Discover the company benefits of offering share options Share options is often used to attract and retain top talent, as employees have the opportunity to benefit financially. Share options can also help to align the interests of employees... Free, live on-demand webinar with Mason Hayes & Curran Are you in the process of trying to secure funding from a VC or angel investor and unsure where to start? This webinar is for you. We'll talk about the various stages of a deal, what documents are involved, and what a corporate investment round looks like. Agenda Categories of corporate investment Different types of corporate investors Stages of a deal Deal documents Key negotiating points Timelines Live Q&A About Mason Hayes & Curran Mason Hayes & Curran provide expert legal advice that moves your business forward in Ireland. They assist clients in meeting their ongoing legal and commercial imperatives through every business life cycle. Their services are tailored advice to their clients’ business and strategic objectives, giving them clear recommendations. This allows clients to make good, informed decisions and to anticipate and successfully navigate even the most complex matters. Their areas of expertise include: Energy; Technology; Financial Services, Built Environment and Healthcare & Life Sciences. Why Join? 01. Expert legal advice This comprehensive webinar will provide you with insight into the stages of an invesment deal for your business. 02. Live Q&A In need of legal advice? Mason Hayes & Curran can provide expert legal advice to move your business forward in Ireland. 03. Free recording of webinar We send a recording of our webinar to everyone who registers. If you can’t attend the live webinar, register now and receive your recording after the live event. Meet the hosts Robert... Free webinar for employers Our free HR webinar is for anyone looking for a basic refresher covering the essentials of employment law and best practice. You will learn about the basics of good recruitment processes, employment contracts, probation periods, goal setting, feedback, and building sustainable working relationships with staff. Agenda 01. Employment Law Updates in 2023 02. HR news 03. The demand for talent 04. Hiring options 05. Types of contracts 06. Working models 07. Live Q&A About Voltedge Voltedge provide outsourced HR services tailored to the needs of your organisation. They work with you to instil sustainable practices that resolve challenges and positively impact your culture and bottom line. Their help is carefully matched to what you need; whether it’s an extra pair of hands, expert opinion, project support or a dedicated or interim resource. Voltedge expertly assess your needs and design a plan that’s right for you. Why Join? 01. Expert HR advice We bring you up to speed on the legislative updates so you can have peace of mind that your human resources are above board and compliant. 02. Live Q&A This is a live online event so ask questions using the Q&A and chatbox function. These will be answered live by HR experts, Voltedge. 03. Free recording of webinar We send a recording of our webinar to everyone who registers. If you can’t attend the live webinar, register now and receive your recording after the live event. Meet the hosts Fredericka Sheppard Managing Director and Co-Founder... What You Should Know About Accounting and Compliance Deadlines Date: Thursday, 11th November 2021Time: 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM Whether you have an accountant or take care of your own accounting, it’s important to know the deadlines your company has for filing accounts and tax returns in Ireland. If you’re not aware of your deadlines, you may miss one and face fines or your company could be subject to audits. Join Chartered Accountant Tom Francis for an exclusive Startup Masterclass to learn how to keep track of your corporate deadlines. Ensure your company stays compliant with accounting and financial regulations in Ireland. What You’ll Learn Companies Registration Office Deadlines Including Annual Return (Form B1) and financial statements. Revenue Commissioner Returns and Filing Dates Covering Corporation Tax, Personal Income Tax, Capital Gains Tax, Value Added Tax, and Employer Income Tax. Consequences for Non-Compliance with Corporate Deadlines Understand the penalties for missing deadlines. These can include fines, late filing surcharges, and interest charged on top of your tax liability. Your Host Tom Francis FCCA – Chartered Accountant Tom will guide you through the most common questions about important deadlines for companies in Ireland. You’ll also have the chance to ask your own questions using the chatbox and Q&A function. About Our Startup Masterclasses Our Masterclasses are free for clients of Kinore. They’re designed to give business owners clear, practical guidance on essential areas of running a company in Ireland. If you’d like to join as a non-client, you can book your place... Business Growth Webinar with Gerard O’Reilly, Partner at Crowe Do you have questions about how to conduct a company valuation? If you’re growing and scaling a business, you might be considering selling in the future. This could form part of your retirement plan or overall business strategy — but it’s important to start planning sooner rather than later. Watch our Business Growth webinar with Gerard O’Reilly, Partner at Crowe, to learn more about how to calculate the value of your business and how to prepare for selling your company. Why Join? Do you have questions about how to conduct a company valuation? If you’re growing and scaling a business, you might be thinking about selling it in the future. This could be part of your retirement plan or overall business strategy — but it’s important that you consider it sooner rather than later. Join our #BusinessGrowth webinar with Gerard O’Reilly, Partner at Crowe, to learn how to calculate the value of your business and how to prepare for selling your company. What Will Be Covered? 1) Why Building Value Should Be Your Core Purpose 2) What Is a Valuable Business? 3) Steps for Creating Value 4) How to Complete the Value Generation Journey 5) Tax Pitfalls and Opportunities Meet Your Hosts Gerard O’Reilly – Partner at Crowe Gerard is a qualified accountant who has worked in Ireland, the UK, and Canada. He is currently a Partner at Crowe, part of the 7th largest accounting network worldwide. With over 30 years... > For fees or to engage Kinore, use the contact page to book a discovery call. Content is © Kinore and is general information, not a substitute for tailored professional accounting or tax advice.