A business name is the trading name used by an individual, partnership or company when that name differs from the owner’s true legal name. Registering it creates a public CRO record connecting the trading name with its legal owner; it does not create a separate limited company or give the owner exclusive trademark rights.
StartCompany.ie offers a €200 business name registration service for founders who want the correct owner, form and trading particulars recorded without confusing a business-name certificate with company incorporation.
When a business name registration is needed
An individual trading as a branded enterprise, a partnership using a firm name or a limited company marketing under a name different from its CRO name may need to register that business name. The owner shown in the application must be the person, partners or body corporate actually carrying on the business.
A company called Example Holdings Limited that sells services as Example Studio would normally register Example Studio as a business name of the company. The company remains the contracting and tax entity, so invoices, terms and websites should make that relationship clear.
- RBN1 is used by an individual.
- RBN1A is used by a partnership.
- RBN1B is used by a body corporate.
- Changes and cessations use separate RBN2 or RBN3 forms.
What registration does and does not protect
The CRO certificate records the business name and its proprietor. It can support banking, invoicing and transparency, but it does not incorporate the business, limit liability or transfer contracts into a new legal person.
Registration also does not reserve the name against every later user. Search existing companies, business names, domains and the IPOI trademark register before investing in branding. A distinctive brand may need trademark advice in addition to the CRO filing.
Information StartCompany.ie needs
Prepare the proposed trading name, the legal owner’s details, the nature of business, the principal place of business and the date trading began or will begin. Where the owner is a company, its CRO number and exact registered name should match the register.
StartCompany.ie reviews the ownership route and prepares the registration using the details supplied. CRO acceptance remains subject to the filing being complete and the proposed name satisfying applicable restrictions.
Why use StartCompany.ie for the filing
The common mistake is not typing the name incorrectly; it is registering the wrong proprietor or assuming that a business name replaces a company. Our service keeps the legal owner, public trading identity and future company plans aligned.
Where a limited company would better fit the risk, ownership or investment plan, StartCompany.ie can explain the formation packages before the business name is filed. That avoids building contracts and banking around the wrong structure.
StartCompany.ie service
Business Name Registration
Current listed price: €200
Official information and next steps
StartCompany.ie provides preparation and filing support for the service described above. Final acceptance, registration, tax treatment or court approval remains with the relevant authority. Check the current official guidance before acting, particularly where a deadline, tax position, dispute or unusual transaction is involved.