United Kingdom or Ireland: where should you start a business?
The two share an index score of 63. Which suits you depends on where the owners live, what the company is for and how it will be run.
Pillar by pillar
Doing business, side by side
Tax
Profits of £50,000 or less are taxed at 19%, with marginal relief up to £250,000 and 25% above that. VAT is charged at 20%.
Trading income is taxed at 12.5% and non-trading income at 25%, according to PwC. VAT is 23%, and Budget 2027 left the 12.5% rate unchanged.
Set-up
Online registration costs £100, and Companies House usually registers a company within 24 hours. The annual confirmation statement costs £50.
Online incorporation costs €50 and the annual return €20. No standard time applies, and on 8 October 2026 the queue ran about eight working days behind.
On the ground
No director or secretary needs to live in the UK, but the registered office must be at an appropriate UK address. There is no minimum capital.
At least one director must be resident in the EEA unless the company lodges a €25,000 bond or certifies a real and continuous link.
Ownership
The register of people with significant control is public and free to search. Home addresses and full dates of birth are withheld.
Public access was suspended in November 2022, and access now depends on a legitimate interest or on being a designated person.
Residence
Owning a company gives no right to live in the UK. An owner from abroad needs a visa such as the Innovator Founder visa, which requires an endorsement.
The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme requires €50,000 in funding and a high-potential start-up. The Immigrant Investor Programme closed in February 2023.
Living and working
Currency
Pound sterling.
Euro.
Time zone
UTC+0, and UTC+1 in summer.
UTC+0, and UTC+1 in summer.
Personal tax
Income over £125,140 is taxed at 45% (2026/27, outside Scotland); inheritance tax is 40% above £325,000, and capital gains tax applies.
Income above €44,000 is taxed at 40% for a single person in 2026, plus a charge of up to 8%; gains are taxed at 31%, gifts at 33%.
Flights
From London, British Airways reaches New York in 8 hrs 10 mins, Dubai in 6 hrs 50 mins and Singapore in about 12 hrs 45 mins.
Language
English is used in practice, and Welsh can be spoken in legal proceedings in Wales.
Irish is the national and first official language, and English is the second official language under Article 8 of the Constitution.
United Kingdom vs Ireland: common questions
The United Kingdom: Profits of £50,000 or less are taxed at 19%, with marginal relief up to £250,000 and 25% above that. VAT is charged at 20%. Ireland: Trading income is taxed at 12.5% and non-trading income at 25%, according to PwC. VAT is 23%, and Budget 2027 left the 12.5% rate unchanged.
The United Kingdom: Online registration costs £100, and Companies House usually registers a company within 24 hours. The annual confirmation statement costs £50. Ireland: Online incorporation costs €50 and the annual return €20. No standard time applies, and on 8 October 2026 the queue ran about eight working days behind.
The United Kingdom: No director or secretary needs to live in the UK, but the registered office must be at an appropriate UK address. There is no minimum capital. Ireland: At least one director must be resident in the EEA unless the company lodges a €25,000 bond or certifies a real and continuous link.
The United Kingdom: The register of people with significant control is public and free to search. Home addresses and full dates of birth are withheld. Ireland: Public access was suspended in November 2022, and access now depends on a legitimate interest or on being a designated person.
The United Kingdom: Owning a company gives no right to live in the UK. An owner from abroad needs a visa such as the Innovator Founder visa, which requires an endorsement. Ireland: The Start-up Entrepreneur Programme requires €50,000 in funding and a high-potential start-up. The Immigrant Investor Programme closed in February 2023.
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Still weighing United Kingdom against Ireland?
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