Are you a self-employed person that wants to register a business name? Are you a director of a Limited Company that wants a “trading as” name?

Our Register A Business Name service costs €109+VAT and we’ll take care of all the paperwork involved with registering your business name.

Purchase this service online now and we’ll start the process of registering your business name. We have helped hundreds of clients register a business name in Ireland and our Client Services Team is here to help you each step of the way. Check out our other accounting services as well.

Who can register a business name?

A Sole Trader registers a business name under their own name. Limited Companies register a business name through the company.

Here are some things you should know:

Sole Trader

  1. Sole Traders that don't want to trade under their own true name, can register a business name with the CRO.
  2. For Example, Mary O'Brien can trade as Mary O'Brien or O'Brien. But if Mary wants to trade as anything other than that, she will need to register a Business Name.
  3. Sole Traders can have any business name as long as it complies with CRO business name guidelines.
  4. This process of business name registration does not constitute business registration. That is a separate process.

Limited Company

  1. As a Limited Company, you already have a company name but you can register a business name/'trading as (T/A)' name if you want to operate under a different name.
  2. For example, Mega Bites Food Technology Limited trading as MegaBite. This longer version must be shown on all legal documentation, like correspondence with Revenue.
  3. If you’re switching from Sole Trader to Limited Company and you have a business name already, you need to de-register your business name as a Sole Trader and register it again as a Limited Company.

Why register a business name?

  • Sole Traders generally use business names because they don’t want to trade under their own name. If you are building a brand, with scalable opportunities, it may hinder your growth if you don’t have a brand name.
  • Limited Companies often use business names if the company name they want is not available with the CRO. Sometimes, a company may want multiple businesses within the same company and therefore, will register a business name for the different divisions.

Information required

  1. Business name. Your chosen business name must comply with the CRO business name guidelines.
  2. Nature of business. 
  3. Principal place of business. You need to have an Irish business address before you can register a business name in Ireland.
  4. Date of adoption of the business name. 
  5. Other business name(s).

It’s important to note that registering a business name is not the same as business registration. If you want to register as a Sole Trader, you need to register as self-employed with Revenue before you invoice any clients (check out our post on how to register as self-employed for more information)

How long does it take?

Business name registration can take up to 3 weeks and sometimes longer during peak times. The process is done online and requires the business name holder to sign the paperwork before it is submitted to the CRO.

If you outsource to a professional firm, like Accountant Online, we look after all the paperwork for you. All you need to do is complete your client profile and sign the paperwork.

Once your business name is approved, the CRO will issue your digital Business Name Certificate by email and then, you’re ready to start using your business name on invoices, your website, and letters.

Purchase Business Name Registration Service For €109+VAT.

Ready to outsource this responsibility to a trusted, professional firm? We’re here to help.

Purchase Business Name Registration service directly on our website for €109+VAT.

If you need help with business registration, talk to our Client Services team. Tell us about your needs and we will recommend the best services for you.

You may also be interested in