Company Letterhead

An Irish company incorporated under the Companies Act is required to display clearly its name on the outside of every office or place in which it carries on business. The company name must also be shown in clear type on all notices, official publications, bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheques, orders for money or goods, invoices, receipts and letters of credit of the company.

The following particulars must be shown on all business letters of a company:

• The full name of the company
• The forenames and surnames and any former names of the directors, and their nationality, if not Irish

The following particulars must be also be shown on letters and are also required to appear on order forms of Irish-registered limited liability companies:

• The full name of the company
• The forenames and surnames and any former names of the directors, and their nationality, if not Irish

Limited Liability Company Particulars

The following particulars must be also be shown on letters and are also required to appear on order forms of Irish-registered limited liability companies:

• Legal form of the company
• Place of registration
• Registered number for the company from the company’s Certificate of Incorporation
• Registered office address
• If a company is being wound up it needs to be stated
• If the share capital of a company is mentioned on its letterheads or order forms, the reference must be to the paid-up share capital

The above publication and disclosure requirements apply to an Irish registered company, irrespective of whether it is carrying on business under a business name. The fact that a company may be carrying on business under a business name does not exempt it from any of the above requirements.

If a company carries out business in Ireland under a business name, the name of the company which is trading under that business name, must be shown on all business letters together with the additional particulars set out above.

The business name should also be registered with the CRO by the company which is carrying on business under that name, pursuant to the Business Names Act 1963

The following particulars must be appear on all business letters:

• The full name of the Company (note that the only permissible abbreviations are ‘Ltd’ for Limited, ‘Teo’ for Teoranta, PLC for Public Limited Company, CLG for Company Limited by Guarantee, DAC for Designated Activity Company).
• The names and any former names of the directors and their nationality if not Irish
• The place of registration e.g. Registered in Dublin, Ireland
• The registered number for the company from the certificate of incorporation
• The address of the Registered Office (where this is already shown, the fact that it is the registered office must be indicated)

If the share capital of a company is mentioned on business letters and order forms, the reference must be to paid up share capital.

If a company carries on business under a business name, the name of the proprietor of the business name i.e. the name of the company must be shown on all business letters. The business name should of course be registered in the Companies Registration Office if you are trading with a name other than your own personal name.

The company name, in legible characters, must be shown in all notices and other official publications of the company, and in all bills of exchange, promissory notes, endorsements, cheque’s and orders for money or goods purporting to be signed by or on behalf of the company and on all invoices, receipts and letters of credit of the company.

Every company is required to paint or affix, and keep painted or affixed, its name on the outside of every office or place in which its business is carried on, in a conspicuous position, in letters which are easy to read.

The above publication and disclosure requirements apply to all Irish registered companies, irrespective of whether they are carrying on business under a business name. The fact that a company may be carrying on business under a business name does not exempt it from any of the above requirements.