Irish beneficial ownership register vs the Italian titolare effettivo
Updated to
In short: Ireland and Italy both implement the EU rules on beneficial ownership, but through different texts. Ireland keeps a Central Register of Beneficial Ownership of Companies and Industrial and Provident Societies under its 2019 Regulations; in Italy, art. 20 of D.Lgs. 231/2007 sets the criteria, with more than 25 per cent of the capital as an indicator. You cannot read the Irish register for an Italian company.
Part of the guide Checking an Italian company: a guide for Irish businesses. All guides: Guides.
The Irish rule
- The 2019 Regulations give effect to Article 30 of Directive (EU) 2015/849, as amended (Irish Statute Book: S.I. 110/2019, Beneficial Ownership of Corporate Entities Regulations 2019 (as made)).
- Reg. 15: a relevant entity must keep and maintain a beneficial ownership register; failing to do so is an offence.
- Reg. 19: a Central Register of Beneficial Ownership of Companies and Industrial and Provident Societies is established and maintained by the Registrar (same source).
The Italian rule
Art. 20 of D.Lgs. 231/2007: the beneficial owner is the natural person or persons who ultimately own or control the entity. For a company with share capital, more than 25 per cent of the capital held by a natural person indicates direct ownership, and the same percentage held through controlled companies, trust companies or nominees indicates indirect ownership. Where ownership does not point to one person, control criteria apply, such as a majority of votes in the ordinary meeting or enough votes for dominant influence (Normattiva: D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 20).
| Ireland | Italy | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal source | S.I. 110/2019 | D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 20 |
| Ownership marker | Defined by reference to Article 3(6)(a) of the Directive | More than 25% of capital is an indicator |
What to do before you sign
Ask the Italian company for its ownership chain and compare it with Italian official sources, starting from Registro Imprese (Registro Imprese, the Italian business register portal). Titolare effettivo (€9.90) reports who controls the company; Verifica (€19) includes it with shareholders and directors.
Every company product comes with a free Check anti-truffa (anti-scam check): it looks at the VAT number in the EU VIES register, free webmail or disposable email, domain age, domains flagged for malware or phishing, SPF and DMARC protection, the VAT number shown on the website, data breaches affecting the site, and whether the IBAN is correctly written and from a country consistent with the company.
The service and the report are in Italian, and they come from Italian official sources: company names, offices and procedures keep their original Italian wording. Veryfy does not offer a translated report, and checkout is in Italian for now.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search the Irish register for an Italian company?
No. The Irish central register covers Irish companies and Industrial and Provident Societies. For an Italian company, use Italian official sources and ask the company for its ownership chain.
Is the Irish and Italian test the same?
They implement the same EU directive but through different texts. Italy uses art. 20 of D.Lgs. 231/2007, with more than 25 per cent of capital as an indicator and control tests as a fallback.
How much does a beneficial owner check on an Italian company cost?
Titolare effettivo costs €9.90 and Verifica costs €19, which includes it. Prices are one-off and the report is in Italian.
More in this cluster
- Italian supplier VAT number and VIES: a guide for Irish traders
- Recovering a debt from an Italian debtor: a guide for Irish creditors
- Italian company report glossary for Irish readers
Sources
Official sources opened and read on 2026-10-24.
- Irish Statute Book: S.I. 110/2019, Beneficial Ownership of Corporate Entities Regulations 2019 (as made)
- Normattiva: D.Lgs. 231/2007, art. 20
- Registro Imprese, the Italian business register portal
General information, not legal advice. Sources verified on 2026-10-24.
Frequently asked questions
Can I search the Irish register for an Italian company?
No. The Irish central register covers Irish companies and Industrial and Provident Societies. For an Italian company, use Italian official sources and ask the company for its ownership chain.
Is the Irish and Italian test the same?
They implement the same EU directive but through different texts. Italy uses art. 20 of D.Lgs. 231/2007, with more than 25 per cent of capital as an indicator and control tests as a fallback.
How much does a beneficial owner check on an Italian company cost?
Titolare effettivo costs €9.90 and Verifica costs €19, which includes it. Prices are one-off and the report is in Italian.
Want to check a specific company?
Credit limit, beneficial owner and warning signs, in minutes.
Find who controls the company