1. Types of Business Entities Commonly Used, Their Residence
and Their Basic Tax Treatment
1.1 Corporate Structures and Tax Treatment
Businesses in Ireland tend to incorporate in order to take
advantage of the benefits of separate legal entity status and
limitation of liability. Ireland enacted amended and consolidated
company law legislation in 2014 (the Companies Acts 2014), which
provides for the following forms of incorporated entity:
- private company limited by shares (LTD);
- designated activity company (DAC);
- public limited company (PLC);
- company limited by guarantee (CLG);
- unlimited company; and
- investment company.
The limited company has traditionally been, and is likely to
remain, the most popular form for incorporated trading business.
Companies involved in the issuance of listed debt securities are
formed as DACs. Investment funds are incorporated as investment
companies or as an Irish Collective Asset Management Vehicle
(ICAV).