1. Form and register
UK Ltd incorporated in 24–48 hours, London registered office, Corporation Tax registration, year end aligned to your group. Company formation
Ireland
Setting up a UK company from Ireland
Britain is Ireland’s largest export market for most SMEs and, since Brexit, a third country for customs and VAT. Most Irish clients want a GB entity so that British customers buy from a British company, with UK VAT on the invoice and no paperwork at Holyhead.
45UK investment projects from Ireland in 2025–26, creating 1,531 jobs — DBT inward investment results.
24–48 hrsTo incorporate once directors have verified identity. No UK-resident director is required.
0%UK withholding tax on dividends paid to a Irish parent. The UK–Ireland treaty and the Irish participation exemption usually leave the dividend untaxed in Ireland.
What changes for Irish businesses
Five things we handle differently for you
01
Goods: GB is a customs border, Northern Ireland is not
Goods moving from Ireland to Great Britain need an export declaration, a GB import declaration and either import VAT or postponed accounting. A GB company with its own EORI can be importer of record and hold stock in England. Sales to Northern Ireland remain within the EU VAT area for goods under the Windsor Framework — the UK company is for GB.
02
VAT: register from the first sale
An Irish company with no GB fixed establishment has no VAT threshold and must register before its first taxable GB sale. A GB subsidiary run from Dublin is usually also non-established for this purpose. We register it from day one and reconcile the postponed import VAT statements.
03
Tax: the treaty and the participation exemption
UK corporation tax is 25% (19% on small profits, diluted by group size). No UK withholding on dividends to the Irish parent; Ireland’s participation exemption for foreign dividends (from 2025) or credit relief generally removes Irish tax on them. A GB subsidiary is often tax-neutral-to-positive compared with trading directly and creating a UK permanent establishment of the Irish company.
04
People: the Common Travel Area
Irish citizens can live and work in the UK without a visa. Social security for staff posted from Ireland stays Irish for up to 24 months under the UK–Ireland arrangements with a certificate from the DSP; UK hires go on UK payroll with auto-enrolment. UK employment law differs from Irish in notice, unfair dismissal qualifying periods and holiday calculation.
05
Reporting: same language, different GAAP
Filings in English, FRS 102 on both sides of the Irish Sea, so your Irish accountant can read the UK numbers without translation. We set the year end to match the Irish parent and provide an intercompany reconciliation each month.
The route
What we do, in order
2. Bank and VAT
Revolut Business account set-up, VAT and EORI where needed, intercompany agreement in writing. Bank account · VAT
3. Run and report
Monthly Xero bookkeeping, payroll, quarterly VAT, annual accounts and CT600, every deadline tracked. Packages from £750 a month
The full sequence, with timings: how it works.
Common questions from Ireland
Your FAQs answered
Do we need a UK company or can the Irish company just register for UK VAT?
You can register the Irish company for UK VAT and trade directly. But if staff or agents in GB conclude contracts, the Irish company acquires a UK permanent establishment and pays UK corporation tax anyway, with the added complexity of branch attribution. A UK subsidiary is cleaner once there are people or stock in GB.
Can an Irish director run the UK company?
Yes. No UK residency is required. Identity verification with Companies House is online.
What about Northern Ireland?
A company selling only into Northern Ireland faces different goods rules under the Windsor Framework and may not need a GB entity. We work through it on the first call.
Which bank?
Revolut Business is our default route and opens in days for an Irish-owned UK company; Irish banks’ UK arms are slower. Subject to eligibility.
Fixed quote
Get a fixed quote for your Irish group’s UK company
Tell us where the parent company is and what the UK operation has to do. You’ll get a written fixed fee — set-up and the first year’s running costs — within one UK working day.
No obligationAnswered by an accountantFee agreed before work starts
Peter Allen — Director, City SolutionAnswers these personally. More than a decade running UK books for founders who aren’t in the UK.
General information about UK company law and tax for businesses based in Ireland; not advice for your circumstances. Home-country tax and regulatory points are outlined so you can brief your local advisers — they, not we, confirm them. Bank account opening is subject to eligibility; approval cannot be guaranteed. FDI figures: Department for Business and Trade, inward investment results 2025 to 2026.