For Startups & New Businesses
The starter stack for Irish startups
A curated set of software for founders launching a business in Ireland. Fast onboarding, Irish IBAN banking, Revenue-integrated accounting, GDPR-ready tooling, and room to grow as you move from CRO incorporation through your first VAT3 return.
What startups need from software in Ireland
Five priorities that shape the right starter stack for an Irish founder launching in 2026.
An Irish IBAN
Revenue Direct Debits, SEPA Direct Debit creditor setups, and payroll are smoother with an IE IBAN. A non-IE account can still run VAT payments via ROS card, but it adds friction at every renewal. Revolut Business issues an Irish IBAN at onboarding; AIB Business and Bank of Ireland Business take longer but give you a branch relationship for credit.
Revenue-integrated accounting
Your accounting tool should file VAT3 returns to ROS, handle all four Irish VAT rates (23%, 13.5%, 9%, 0%), and support Irish bank feeds for reconciliation. Big Red Cloud, Xero, and Surf Accounts all confirm Revenue integration in their vendor data; Big Red Cloud is Dublin-built and priced from €15/month.
Fast invoicing and payments
Stripe Invoicing lets you accept cards and SEPA from day one without the delays of a merchant services application and handles EUR invoicing with Irish VAT line items. Zoho Invoice offers a free tier for founders under the VAT threshold who still want branded invoices and payment reminders.
Light, free-tier CRM
HubSpot Free gives you a contact database, deal tracking, and email integration without a contract. EU data centre option is available at account creation for GDPR alignment. Upgrade only when sales discipline demands it - most pre-seed Irish founders stay on the free tier through year one.
Payroll readiness
The minute you hire your first employee - or pay yourself a director salary from a limited company - you are inside PAYE Modernisation. Every payroll run must file a Payroll Submission Request to Revenue on or before the pay date. BrightPay (from €229/year) and Collsoft (from €199/year) both confirm PAYE Modernisation and Revenue integration in their vendor data.
Minimal-viable docs stack
Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 covers email, documents, and contracts under a Data Processing Agreement you can point your first customer at. Notion handles wiki, product docs, and client-facing proposals at startup cost. Skip enterprise collaboration tools until headcount crosses ten.
The Irish launch sequence most founders actually follow
Your software timeline is downstream of your registration timeline. Get the order right and the stack falls into place.
- Incorporate or register as a sole trader. Limited companies file through CORE at cro.ie/registration/company, typically 5-10 working days. Sole traders register a business name on CORE if trading under anything other than their legal name.
- Register for tax with Revenue. Sole traders complete a TR1 via ROS; companies a TR2. Revenue's central starting-a-business hub at revenue.ie/en/starting-a-business walks through both.
- Open business banking with an Irish IBAN. Needed before you can set Revenue Direct Debits, SEPA mandates, or run payroll cleanly. Revolut Business is the fastest path; AIB and Bank of Ireland are slower but accept company formation docs directly.
- Stand up accounting before your first invoice. Retrospectively rebuilding books from bank statements costs more than the software. Start on a Revenue-integrated tool from day one.
- Check if VAT registration applies. The current thresholds are €42,500 for services and €85,000 for goods over any 12-month rolling period. Many founders register voluntarily below that to reclaim input VAT on tooling and subcontractors - see Revenue's guidance on who should register for VAT.
- Add payroll the moment you pay a salary. That includes a director paying themselves from a single-member limited company. PAYE Modernisation means Revenue expects a submission on or before every pay date.
Founder-side tax reliefs worth flagging to your accountant
Two Revenue reliefs that specifically target first-time founders, plus the Enterprise Ireland equity track for HPSU candidates.
SURE (Start-Up Relief for Entrepreneurs)
A refund of income tax paid in the previous six years for PAYE employees who leave employment to start their own new company and invest equity into it. Conditions around shareholding, trading activity, and holding period are strict. Revenue's guidance sits at revenue.ie - Start-Up Relief for Entrepreneurs. Talk to a tax adviser before relying on it.
Section 486C - three-year Corporation Tax relief for new start-ups
A reduction or full relief on Corporation Tax for the first three years where liability is below €40,000, tapered up to €60,000. Based on employer PRSI paid, so it rewards companies that actually hire. Details at revenue.ie - tax relief for new start-up companies.
Enterprise Ireland HPSU Pre-Seed Start Fund
For export-focused innovative start-ups targeting at least ten jobs and €1m in export sales within three years. Typical investment is an equity stake, not a grant. The HPSU Feasibility Study Grant at enterprise-ireland.com/en/supports/hpsu-feasibility-study-grant often precedes a full HPSU application.
A tested starter stack
Six tools that cover banking, accounting, invoicing, CRM, payroll, and day-to-day work for a typical Irish startup.
business-banking
Revolut Business
EU-licensed business banking with Irish IBANs, SEPA Instant, and multi-currency accounts
accounting
Xero
Cloud accounting with direct AIB, BOI, and PTSB bank feeds for Irish SMEs
invoicing
Stripe Invoicing
Developer-friendly invoicing built on Stripe with SEPA support and per-invoice pricing
crm
HubSpot CRM
Free CRM with marketing automation, widely adopted by Irish tech and services firms
payroll
BrightPay
Award-winning Irish payroll with full PAYE Modernisation and Revenue integration
ai-tools
Notion AI
AI writing and knowledge management built into the Notion workspace platform
Irish startup grants and supports
Before paying for software, check which of these apply to your business.
- Enterprise Ireland Digital Discovery supports
Funding towards digital strategy, process mapping, and AI readiness. Many Irish startups use this to part-fund their initial software rollout.
- Local Enterprise Office Trading Online Voucher
Grants up to €2,500 towards building or upgrading an online trading capability. Applicable to many early-stage Irish businesses.
- Microfinance Ireland
Unsecured loans up to €50,000 for businesses unable to access bank credit, including funding for software and equipment.
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