To start the process of incorporation of company you should understand how to incorporate a company in Ireland. One of the best and fastest ways to incorporate is to use an agent who will go through the process with you and ensure that you are incorporated within three to five working days.
Firstly choose a name Your name must be unique to be registered on the company registrations office registrar. The name cannot be the same and sometimes not similar to another name on the register. If a company’s name sounds fanatically similar to another company is can also be rejected. The goal here is to find a unique word if there are other similar words to a limited company name already on the register. He will also have the option of registering a trading name so that you can trade with whatever name you wish. You can cheque the availability of names on the Irish Formation’s website and this will give you a good idea as to whether a name is already registered or not.
Officers of the company. Every company is required to have a minimum of one director and a separate person or entity to act as company secretary. You could have two directors and one of those people could be secretary. You could also engage anomaly secretary if you were on your own and did not want to involve anybody else on the company.
Shares Under a private limited company with shares you can have one 100 issued shares valued at €1 each. You can also have authorised shares. Issued shares are taken from authorised shares so if you were to allow more than 100 shares in the future the administrative process would be simplified.
Registered Office Every company is required to have a register to office within the state and many agencies offer the facility of a registered office which should include post handling and scanning if required. The registered office cannot be a P.O. Box.
A company formations agency will tell you the entire process of how to incorporate a company in Ireland and take you through all the costs involved.
With a full launch of the Google Wallet app due in the UK soon, many businesses are starting to consider how they might use the technology to attract new customers and make life more convenient for existing ones.
So what is it and how does it work? The technology essentially allows your smartphone to take the place not only of your credit card and/or debit card, but also selected loyalty cards, gift cards, coupons, and more. It has the potential to bring to an end pockets of overflowing loyalty cards that require lots of stamps that eventually allow you to have (for example) a free coffee.
Google Wallet has also been designed to allow users to buy things simply by tapping an NFC-equipped phone on a pay-station. However, with a limited number of manufacturers and shops offering this technology (and the fact that the iPhone doesn’t have NFC), it seems that most people aren’t familiar enough with its operation to make it attractive or worthwhile.
Online shopping is where Google Wallet is potentially going to take off. Using the new “Buy with Google” button, users can make purchases online without having to fill in card details and address information; it really is possible to place an order with a single click. Amazon pioneered this method with the appropriately named ‘1 Click’ and this concept is similar.
Google Wallet is therefore perfectly placed for busy customers targeted for impulse buys and repeat purchases. However few online retailers are using the required button, making it a relatively niche feature. It is clear that a lot of thought has gone into the design and implementation of Google Wallet. However, the success or failure of the service will be determined by the ability of Google to build relationships with online retailers, as well as getting more NFC pay points into large retail stores. Google certainly has the financial and technical capability to make this happen and if it does, businesses who adopt the technology should benefit.
Growing your business in the current economic climate is challenging to say the least. As such, businesses need to think of new, often more radical ways of growing their revenue and acquiring new clients.
Cost cutting is a quick and easy fix – less cost in a more efficient business generates a greater profit. This works, as long as you don’t cut too much. A more aggressive approach is to acquire a few new clients from your competitors.
No business, no matter how good their service has a 100% satisfied customer base. This means that, if targeted correctly, you can acquire some new clients from a competitor who fails to fully service their requirements.
In order to effectively acquire new clients, you will need to define the unique selling points of your business. Whether your products / services are faster, better, cheaper or come with better customer support and service levels – you must define what it is that sets you apart from the competition. Next you must communicate this message to your target market in an appealing and enticing manner.
Targeting your potential new clients is the difficult part. You must work out how to identify the least satisfied clients of your competitors and then reach out to them with an appropriate campaign. By studying your competitors and networking at relevant industry events, you can begin to profile their client base. Next, develop a campaign which can be placed in a manner which will be seen by the target clients.
You could develop a campaign which involves articles on relevant topics in the trade press, seminars and presentation slots at relevant industry conferences and a targeted advertising campaign including email marketing which defines the advantages of using your products / services. Highlighting your USPs will ensure that your targets are aware of what sets you apart and creating a level of interest in your products / services.
Next, you will have to close the deal. Follow up is crucial. If you speak at a seminar or conference, make sure to get a copy of the attendee list. Next, you can send a follow up email to all attendees and this can be followed up further with a phone call.
Finally, ask for the business. The conversation should focus on the value that the client gains from working with you rather than your competitor. Finish up with a discussion about how “we have plenty of business but we are always looking for more”.
The situation surrounding COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, causing a lot of uncertainty and challenges in our daily lives, we hope you are doing well and taking good care of yourselves and your families.
We have been updating our Social Media Channels on supports available for business as they have been issuing. In the past week there have been many updates with further clarifications issuing within a matter of hours in some cases. I have prepared the below summary of the various supports as of 21st March 2020. We are continuing to monitor information being released and will post the notifications on our Social Media Channels accordingly.
We are still open and operational. If you need any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us.
This payment is available to all employees and the self-employed who have lost employment due to a downturn in economic activity caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The payment has a one-page application form and will be paid for a period of 6 weeks at a flat rate payment of €203 per week for jobseekers. It is designed to deliver a social welfare payment to the unemployed and provide income security during the pandemic.
Individuals applying for the payment will be required to apply for the normal jobseeker’s payments within this 6-week period. Once this normal jobseeker claim is subsequently received, the department will process these claims and make payments at that time. This will involve backdating increased payments for certain customers.
Former employees and self-employed people can apply for the new COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.
You can apply for the payment if you are aged between 18 and 66 years and you have lost employment due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic or you are a non-EU/EEA worker over 18 who has lost employment or you are a student over 18 who has lost employment or you are a non-EU/EEA student over 18 who has lost employment or you are a part time worker over 18, earn less than € 203 per week and have lost employment due to pandemic.
CREDIT GUARANTEE SCHEME: Supports loans up to €1 million for periods of up to 7 years. Applications can be made to AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. Eligibility criteria apply.
MICROENTERPRISES can access COVID-19 loans of up to €50,000 from MicroFinance Ireland. Loans are available at an interest rate of between 6.8% and 7.8%. Businesses can apply through their Local Enterprise Office or directly at microfinanceireland.ie. Eligibility criteria apply.
€200m SBCI COVID-19 Working Capital Scheme for eligible businesses will be available within the next week. Maximum loan size will be €1.5 million (first €500,000 unsecured) and the maximum interest rate will be 4%. Applications can be made through the SBCI website at sbci.gov.ie. Eligibility criteria apply.
A €200m Package for Enterprise Supports including a Rescue and Restructuring Scheme is available through Enterprise Ireland for vulnerable but viable firms that need to restructure or transform their business.
If you have concerns about your ability to pay your tax liabilities speak to the Revenue Commissioners, who have advised:
“On an on-going basis, Revenue engages with viable businesses experiencing temporary cash flow or trading difficulties that affect the timely payment of tax. Revenue works very successfully with businesses that engage early to resolve their tax payment difficulties. Revenue will engage with any viable business experiencing temporary cashflow difficulties, including difficulties arising from exceptional circumstances such as the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.”
VAT and PAYE returns and payments due on 23rd March 2020
Revenue issued guidance last week regarding tax payment difficulties at this time.
Revenue have advised:
: businesses experiencing temporary cash flow difficulties should continue to send in tax returns on time.
the application of interest on late payments is suspended for
Debt Enforcement: All debt enforcement activity is suspended until further notice.
current tax clearance status will remain in place for all businesses over the coming months.
The Registrar of Companies has also decided that all annual returns due to be filed by companies between now and 30th June, 2020 will be deemed to have been filed on time if all elements of the annual return are completed and filed by that date. This will enable businesses and their financial advisers to focus on the more pressing and immediate financial challenges. The situation will be kept under review and the date of 30th June may be extended depending on the situation at that time. Companies should check the CRO website www.cro.ie for more details
#5 IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT
Please refer regularly to these web sites as Government support is changing daily.
The full range of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, Local Enterprise Office and Údarás na Gaeltachta grant supports will be available to firms to help with strategies to innovate, diversify markets and supply chains and to improve competitiveness.
Contact us if you need help in applying for a Grant.
The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation will provide a joint First Responder support service through the Intreo Offices and development agencies, Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland in each region to provide tailored supports for impacted firms, with objective of avoiding mass lay-offs and buying time for firms to work through the short-term disruptions.
The Department has updated its checklist on Business Continuity Planning which provides a checklist of preparatory actions for businesses in responding to COVID-19.
Updated Covid-19 Temporary Employer Wage Subsidy Scheme changes from 4 May
As you are aware, the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) has had many changes and updates following its initial announcement in March 2020. Updated Covid-19 Temporary Employer Wage Subsidy Scheme changes from 4 May. Anyone processing payroll from 4th May 2020 can now apply these updates and changes where applicable.
Eligibility for the Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme Revision:
The criteria for eligibility remains the same and so the scheme continues to be open to employers who self-declare to Revenue that they have experienced significant negative economic disruption due to Covid-19.
It should be noted that previously one of the conditions of the scheme was that all payroll submissions for February 2020 should have been made to Revenue on or before 15th March 2020. Where the payroll submission had not been filed by this date, the employer was not eligible for the TWSS.
Changes to this were announced on 24th April 2020 to permit an employer who made the payroll submission after 15th March 2020 and before 1st April 2020 in relation to pay dates in February 2020 (all previous months submissions were to be submitted before 15th March 2020) will be eligible for the scheme for payroll submissions and pay dates after 24th April 2020. So, if you were not previously eligible as a result of late filing of the February 2020 payroll submission, then you should consider the revised condition now.
All other eligibility criteria remains the same as previous.
Key Changes to the Scheme effective from 4th May 2020:
With effect from 4th May 2020, the changes are as follows:
Employees with a net pay of €412 or less
An 85% subsidy for employees up to a maximum payment of €350 per week. The employer can pay a top up exceeded 15% to bring the total net payment of €350 per week (i.e. subsidy plus gross ‘top up’ pay) to €350 net.
Employees with a net pay between €412 and €500
A flat rate subsidy of up to €350 will be payable to employees.
Employees with a net pay between €501 and €586
Employees can get up to 70% of their previous average net pay., up to a maximum of €410 per week.
Employees with a net pay between €586 per week and less than €960 per week
A tiered approach will apply if an employer has reduced the salary of the employee post Covid-19 as follows:
Where the employer pays 60% of net salary, a subsidy of €350 is payable.
Where the employer pay between 60% and 80% of the net salary, a subsidy of €205 is payable.
Where the employer pays between 80% and 100% of the net salary, no subsidy is payable.
Employees with a pre-Covid salary greater than €960 and post-Covid less than €960
It should be noted that this change became effective from 16th April 2020 and remains effective under the new changes from 4th May 2020.
The wage subsidy is available to support employees where their pre-Covid salary was greater than
€960 net per week, and their post-Covid salary has fallen below €960 per week. Tiered arrangements apply as follows:
Where an employees salary has been reduced less than 20%, no subsidy is payable.
Where the employee salary is reduced between 20% and 40%, a subsidy of €205 is payable.
Where the employee salary is reduced more than 40%, a subsidy of up to €350 would be payable.
The total of the net pay of the employee cannot exceed €960 per week after applying the subsidy plus the top up from the employer.
Taxation of the subsidy payment
As was previously outlined, the wage subsidy is not taxable by the employer through the payroll system, but rather it is a taxable payment for the employee. The individual’s taxes will be reviewed by Revenue at the end of the year and any liability will be collected. We would advise that if you are operating the Employer Wages Subsidy Scheme, then you should ensure that you inform your employees of this. Revenue have confirmed that individual employees may contact Revenue through “My Account” and request that their tax credits be changed to a Week1/Month 1 basis. This will help to reduce and minimise their any potential tax liability at the end of the year.
There have been so many changes to this scheme since it was first introduced, it is important to ensure that you continue to review salaries, qualifying criteria and amendments and effective dates of each of the changes introduced. We will continue to review and monitor the scheme for any updates, clarifications and further changes. However, in the meantime, if you have any queries or requires assistance, we are happy to help.
Re-Opening Ireland New Business Supports have been announced
Re-Opening Ireland New Business Supports have been announced. It was a welcome to hear the details of the plan to reopen Ireland over the coming months. There is no question that that the slow phased re-opening is necessary for everyone’s ongoing health and welfare, but there is also no doubt that this will continue to have a huge impact on all business as we adapt and change to a new normal.
The Government introduced a number of additional measures to aid the economy as the Covid-19 restrictions start to be lifted which include the following:
A €6 billon support package for farmers, small, medium and larger businesses has been agreed by Cabinet. It includes the following:
A €10,000 restart grant for micro and small businesses based on a rates/waiver rebate from 2019;
A three-month commercial rates waiver for impacted businesses;
A €2 billon Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund within the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund (ISIF), which will make capital available to medium and large enterprises on commercial terms;
A €2 billon COVID-19 Credit Guarantee Scheme to support lending to SMEs for terms ranging from three months to six years, which will be below market interest rates;
The ‘warehousing’ of tax liabilities for a period of 12 months after recommencement of trading during which time there will be no debt enforcement action taken by Revenue and no interest charge accruing in respect of the warehoused debt;
For earlier supports announced, please refer to our previous newsletter HERE
Revenue confirms ‘warehousing’ of COVID-19 related tax debt for businesses
Following this announcement, Revenue has assured businesses severely impacted by COVID-19 that it will continue to work with them to agree payment arrangements that support both the capacity of the business to resume trading as well as the national recovery, post COVID-19.
While the finer details of the ‘warehousing’ measures have still to be worked out, Revenue has confirmed the following:
COVID-19 related VAT and Payroll tax debts, due from 1 March 2020 to the date when sectoral restrictions are lifted, will be parked for a period of 12 months
no interest will accrue on the tax debts during the 12 month period
thereafter, the COVID-19 related tax debts will carry a reduced interest rate of 3% (down from 10%), until the debt is paid
the timeframe allowed to pay the ‘warehoused’ debt will be flexible and determined by the ability of the business to pay both COVID-19 related debts as well as meeting its ongoing tax liabilities as they arise in the normal course
for the warehousing arrangement to apply, all returns must be filed in accordance with the Revenue guidance that has applied since the start of the current pandemic.
Contributions to an exempt approved scheme are allowable as an expense in assessing an employee’s liability to tax under Schedule E. This is only an income tax relief and does not apply to the Universal Social Charge (USC) and Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI). The following are the applicable pension plans:
In today’s fast-paced business world, here are some tips to help you to be more effective at multi tasking.
Over the past 10 years or so businesses have become leaner by reducing employee numbers, focusing on efficiency and increasing the demands on their staff. An increased workload forces us to multitask, which may be effective for a short period of time, but over the long term, can cause stress.
Multitasking is not about “piling on the work” to the point of exhaustion. It’s about training the brain to channel energy in an efficient and effective manner so you can accomplish more in less time. One of the keys to learning how to multitask effectively is actually to slow down, in order to accomplish more.
You may claim income tax relief on nursing home expenses paid by you. You can claim this relief at your highest rate of tax if the nursing home provides 24-hour on-site nursing care.
Nursing Homes Support (Fair Deal) Scheme
The Health Service Executive (HSE) can provide you with assistance for the cost of your nursing home care. The HSE will review your income and assets to calculate the amount you should pay towards the cost of your care. You can claim health expenses relief on the amount you pay yourself.
The HSE pay the balance of the costs of the nursing home. You cannot claim health expenses relief on this amount.
Understanding what your customers really value can help you to market your products and services more effectively.
Customer value is the perception of what a product or service is worth to the customer. Customers don’t buy features – they buy benefits. Your customers will buy your product or service because of the benefits that they get. If you take the time to understand what your customers value and what they are willing to pay for, you will be able to market your business more effectively. You may also be able to win new customers from your competitors.
Most businesses make the mistake of thinking about value purely in terms of money. They create special offers to promote their products and services, but all they are doing is cutting their profit margin in a race to the bottom. Sure, there is a place in most markets for a lowest priced competitor but this doesn’t work for everyone. Take the airline industry – there isn’t room for more than a handful of low cost airlines and that is why many of them are in financial difficulty – their costs have gone up, but there is downward pressure on pricing.
