Types of company

Types of companies not formed under the Companies Acts

• Chartered companies

• Companies incorporated by statue

• Bodies with special objects

• Semi-state bodies which are not companies

• A corporation sole

Types of registered companies

• Private companies limited by share

• Designated activity companies (DAC)

• Public limited companies (PLC)

• Guarantee companies without a share capital (CLG)

• Unlimited companies

• External companies

• Investment companies

Charted companies

Professional bodies that were incorporated by charters or grants of letters patent from the British Crown.
- The incorporated law society and the royal Irish academy

Companies incorporated by statute

Companies incorporated by stature to carry out functions of national importance.

• Aer Lingus and An Post

Bodies with special objects

Formed under other statues than the Companies Acts. Their primary objects is not normally the making of profits for their members

• Friendly societies

• Building societies

• Trade unions

• Trustee savings banks

Semi-state bodies which are not companies

These bodies have many corporate features, but they have no shared capital or shareholders. Instead they are founded or guaranteed by the State.

• ESB, Central Bank and CIE

A corporation sole

The name given to a particular office, held for the time in being by a particular person

• The Attorney General

• Bishops

• The Lord Mayor of Dublin

• Government Ministers

Private companies limited by share

The members/shareholders own the company by their ownership of shared capital. The shares are not publicly available and are thus not on the stock market. Limited liability applies. Maximum 150 members.

Designed activity companies (DAC)

Private company limited with an objectives clause that indicate the objectives of the company, so that the investors and creditors of the company know what their money can be used for.

DAC

Designed activity companies

Public limited companies (PLC)

A PLC may issue shares to the public and is required to have a minimum share capital of €25,000.

PLC

Public limited companies

Guarantee Companies Without a Share Capital (CLG) 

A CLG is a company limited by guarantee. It does not have a share capital and its members are liable for the amount specified in its memorandum in the event that the company is wound up.

• Charities, sporting organizations and social clubs

CLG

Guarantee Companies Without a Share Capital

Unlimited companies

If the company is wound up then the members are fully liable for the debts and liabilities of the company. The liability of the members is therefore unlimited. The primary reason for this type of company is secrecy.

External companies

A company that is registered in another state but has a branch established in Ireland. These branches must be registered in the State.

Investment companies

A special type of PLC, the object to which in the memorandum is stated to be the collective investment of funds in property with the aim of spreading investment risk and giving members the benefit of the result of the management of its funds.