Companies Registration Office (Ireland)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Companies Registration Office (CRO; Irish: An Oifig um Chlárú Cuideachtaí) registers and incorporates companies in Ireland and files their annual returns.[1] It is an office of the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment.[2]
Gloucester Street Lower
PO Box 12858
Dublin 1
| Formation | 7 August 1862 |
|---|---|
| Type | Government office |
| Headquarters | Bloom House Gloucester Street Lower PO Box 12858 Dublin 1 |
| Website | cro |
The CRO has a number of core functions:[3]
- The incorporation of companies.
- The receipt and registration of post incorporation documents.
- The enforcement of the Companies Acts in relation to the filing obligations of companies.
- Making information on companies available to the public.
It also registers the names of businesses which are non-limited trading entities such as sole traders and partnerships.
It also has the Office of the Registry of Friendly Societies which registers Industrial & Provident Societies, Friendly Societies and trade unions.
In 2019, the Register of Beneficial Ownership was introduced into Ireland. That was implemented on the back of the EU’s Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive, which essentially requires all member states to hold adequate, accurate and current information of all beneficial owners. A beneficial owner is someone who owns more than 25% of a company.[4]
As of 2026, the CRO has offices on the corner of Gloucester Place Lower and Railway Street, Dublin and in Carlow.