Legal form

The legal form decides who is liable for a company's obligations, what it has to file, and what the register publishes about it. In Ireland the most common is the one to 149 shareholders, whose liability is limited to what they subscribed (private company limited by shares, LTD), where the owners' liability is limited to what they put in.

The forms the register records, most common first: LTD — private company limited by shares, one to 149 shareholders, whose liability is limited to what they subscribed. The default form, and most of the register.; DAC — designated activity company, a limited company whose constitution states what it may do. Used where a lender, a regulator or a joint-venture agreement wants the objects fixed.; CLG — company limited by guarantee, no share capital; members guarantee a sum on winding up. The usual form for charities, clubs and management companies.; PLC — public limited company, may offer its shares to the public and be listed; ULC — private unlimited company, members are liable without limit if it is wound up; PUC — public unlimited company, an unlimited company with share capital that may offer shares publicly; LP — limited partnership, a partnership registered with the CRO, not a company. Registered with the CRO but not incorporated: it files differently from the forms above.; SE — Societas Europaea, a European public company registered in Ireland.