The cost of an Irish company annual return is not always the number you see beside Form B1. The official filing fee is one item. Preparing the return, checking company records, arranging signatures and preparing financial statements can involve separate work. A first six-month return and a later return with accounts also need different preparation.
This guide separates the CRO fee from professional services, explains what StartCompany.ie's listed filing service covers and shows how lateness can change the budget. It is for founders planning their first compliance year and directors comparing an annual-return quote. Published prices, deadlines and CRO guidance were checked on 2 October 2026.
Annual return costs at a glance
Compare the deliverable, not just the price. A CRO payment buys registration of the filing. A professional filing engagement adds agreed preparation and submission work. An accounting engagement produces the financial statements or other records needed for the company; it should not be assumed from a reference to attaching accounts.
If a service includes the official fee, do not add it again in your budget. Likewise, do not assume a filing price includes bookkeeping, historic corrections, an audit or overdue-return recovery unless the written terms say so.
| Cost item | Published fee or basis | Important distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic CRO Form B1 | €20 official filing fee | Applies to an on-time filing; preparation work is separate |
| StartCompany.ie annual return service | €160 total listed service price | Published scope includes Form B1 work and the CRO filing fee |
| Financial statements preparation | Company-specific accounting quote | Not the same as uploading prepared financial statements |
| CRO late filing penalty | €100 initially, then €3 per further day | Late fees capped at €1,200 per return, in addition to the €20 filing fee |
| Audit or overdue-records work | Professional quote where needed | Depends on the company's history and actual requirements |
The first annual return is different from later returns
The first annual return is made up to a date six months after incorporation and has no financial statements attached. The CRO filing fee remains €20 if you file it yourself on time. Professional support is a separate choice or may already be part of the formation package you purchased.
Later returns usually require financial statements, subject to the applicable rules. The information and preparation needed can therefore be more extensive than for the first return. Do not use a price for a first-return service as evidence that future accounts and filings will be provided indefinitely at the same price.
When asking for a quote, identify whether this is the six-month first return, a later annual return, or a backlog of missed returns. Supply the incorporation date, CRO number, annual return date and available records. Those details help a provider price the real task rather than a generic form.
What the €160 filing service covers
StartCompany.ie's service page describes preparation and filing of Form B1, verification of company details, attachment of financial statements where required, payment of the CRO filing fee and filing confirmation. It lists the service at €160. On that published basis, the €20 CRO fee should not be added a second time to the listed service price.
Attaching financial statements is not the same as creating them from invoices and bank records. Before ordering, confirm who prepares the statements, what format is needed and whether any additional accounting or correction work is required. Late penalties and unusual remedial work are not ordinary on-time filing tasks.
Give the team enough time to obtain the relevant information and signatures. Paying for a service close to the deadline does not remove the company's filing obligations or guarantee that missing documents can be produced immediately. Ask for a preparation timetable and retain the final submission confirmation.
Form B1 filing is not financial statements preparation
A filing provider needs reliable underlying records. If an accountant has already prepared the required financial statements and the company information is current, the return may be a straightforward submission project. If books are incomplete, bank entries are unreconciled or ownership records are inconsistent, extra work may be needed first.
An accounting quote can depend on transaction volume, payroll, assets, loans, multiple currencies, overseas activity and the condition of the records. There is no responsible universal accounts-preparation price for every Irish company. Share your actual records and business activity before choosing a provider solely on a headline fee.
Ask for separate descriptions of bookkeeping, year-end statements, annual return filing and any tax-return work. This allows you to see whether an existing accountant already handles the CRO return and avoids purchasing a second filing engagement for the same job.
The filing deadline matters more than the reminder date
An annual return date is the date to which the return is made up, not simply the final day to upload it. CRO guidance provides a 56-day filing period. Where financial statements are required, the relevant deadline also depends on the financial year-end; the CRO describes the earlier of the applicable ARD-based and financial-year-end limits.
Use the actual company dates rather than a general calendar assumption. Check the ARD on CORE, establish when the accounts will be ready and work backwards to allow for review and signatures. If a provider sends reminders, confirm the contact details and who is expected to respond.
For example, a company incorporated on 2 October 2026 has its first six-month return made up to 2 April 2027. The example illustrates the six-month interval, not permission to wait until the last possible day. Verify the company's own recorded dates and submission requirements before planning the filing.
How much does a late annual return cost?
CRO late fees start at €100 when the filing deadline has passed, with an additional €3 for each further day, up to €1,200 in late fees for that return. The normal €20 filing fee is separate. A company should check the actual amount due in CORE rather than estimate it from the date a reminder was received.
As a simple illustration, the initial €100 penalty plus ten further daily increments of €3 would be €130 in late fees. Adding the ordinary €20 filing fee gives €150 in official fees, before any professional services or accounts work. This is an arithmetic example, not the fee for every return described as ten days late.
Lateness can also create additional administration and enforcement risk. Recovering several overdue returns is not the same as a single routine filing. Give an adviser the full filing history and do not assume paying a penalty alone resolves missing financial statements or other compliance issues.
Audit exemption: use the current rule, not old advice
Older guides sometimes state that any single late return automatically causes two years of audit requirements. CRO guidance changed with the commencement of Section 22 on 16 July 2025. Under the current lateness rule, filing late more than once within a five-year period causes loss of audit exemption for the following two years.
That does not mean every company is automatically audit-exempt until a second late return. The other qualifying conditions still matter, and older filing history may need to be considered under the transition rules. CRO's commencement notice explains the treatment of lateness before the change. Ask an accountant to assess your company's actual position.
If an audit is required, the cost is not a standard CRO penalty. It is a professional engagement depending on the company and the work needed. Treat it as a potentially material additional budget item rather than trying to infer a universal audit price from the annual-return filing fee.
Check formation and secretary inclusions before paying twice
Some formation packages include support for the first annual return. Check your order and ask which return, filing fee and preparation work are covered. An included first return does not automatically include later accounts or all future annual filings.
Similarly, a company secretary service can provide reminders without preparing Form B1. StartCompany.ie's published nominee secretary terms distinguish its annual appointment from annual return preparation and filing. Make sure your calendar identifies a person responsible for the actual submission, not only someone who sends a reminder.
If an accountant already provides annual compliance services, ask whether the CRO filing is included in their engagement. Comparing total scope avoids duplicate fees and also reveals gaps, such as financial statements being prepared while nobody is instructed to submit the return.
A practical budget and document checklist
For a routine filing through the currently listed StartCompany.ie service, put €160 against the agreed filing work rather than adding a second €20 government fee. Keep accounts preparation, any statutory penalties and unusual work as separate lines until the scope is confirmed. Your company's total annual administration cost may include other services, but they are not all annual-return charges.
A tidy handover can reduce avoidable preparation time. Provide one consistent set of company details and identify any changes since the previous return. Ask the provider to confirm the required documents, signing process and the point at which the filing will be treated as complete.
If the deadline is near or already missed, contact the team with the actual dates rather than ordering a routine service and hoping it will cover everything. We can explain the filing support and identify when you also need accounting or specialist professional advice.
- CRO number, incorporation date and recorded ARD.
- Current registered office, director and secretary details.
- Current shareholder and share-capital information.
- The required financial statements, where applicable.
- Details of previous late filings or outstanding returns.
- A named person to approve information and arrange signatures.
- Written confirmation of the total price, inclusions and completion evidence.
StartCompany.ie service
Irish Annual Return Preparation and Filing
Current listed price: €160 total for the listed filing service
Official information and next steps
General information, not accounting or legal advice. Fees and CRO guidance were checked on 2 October 2026. Confirm the actual company deadline, accounting requirements, audit eligibility and current service scope with the relevant professional.