Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009
I mbeagán focal
This law primarily allows certain parent companies to temporarily use internationally recognized accounting standards, specifically US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, instead of standard Irish accounting principles. It also makes several amendments to existing company law regarding stock exchanges and company share purchases.
Cad a rialaíonn sé
- The transitional use of specific international accounting standards for certain parent undertakings.
- Amendments to the Companies Act 1990 concerning recognized stock exchanges and share purchases.
- Amendments to the Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003.
- Amendments to the UCITS Regulations.
Cé dó a mbaineann sé
- Certain parent undertakings that do not have securities traded on a regulated market but are registered with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Companies involved in share purchases on recognized stock exchanges, both within and outside the State.
Príomhphointí
- A "relevant parent undertaking" can use US generally accepted accounting principles for its individual and group accounts for its first 4 financial years ending not later than December 31, 2015.
- The Minister can make regulations allowing other categories of parent undertakings to use specified internationally recognised accounting standards for up to 4 financial years, also ending not later than December 31, 2015.
- Companies making "overseas market purchases" of their shares must publish specific information on their website for at least 28 continuous days, starting the day after the purchase.
- The definition of a "recognised stock exchange" now includes exchanges or markets both within and outside the State, as prescribed by the Minister.
Legal text
Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 Skip to content Disclaimer Feedback Helpdesk Gaeilge Léim go dtí an t-ábhar Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach English Gaeilge English Produced by the Office of the Attorney General Táirgthe ag Oifig an Ard-Aighne Home Legislation Acts of the Oireachtas Statutory Instruments Pre-1922 Legislation Constitution External Resources Bills (Houses of the Oireachtas) Iris Oifigiúil / Official Gazette Revised Acts (LRC) Classified List of Legislation (LRC) Translations (acts.
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- ie)Aistriúcháin (Tithe an Oireachtais) Foilseacháin Rialtais ar Díol Dlí AE (EUR-Lex) CCanna (Ceisteanna Coitianta) Séanadh Aiseolas Deasc chabhrach Cuardach TitleTeideal Year(
- s)or rangeBliain nó blianta nó raon TypeCineál All Legislation Acts Statutory Instruments Advanced SearchCuardach Casta HomeBaile ActsAchtanna 2009 Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 Permanent Page URL View by SectionAmharc de réir Ailt View Full ActAmharc ar an Acht Iomlán Bill History Stair Bille Commencement, Amendments, SIs made under the Act Tosach Feidhme, Leasuithe, IRí arna ndéanamh faoin Acht Revised Act Acht Athbh… Open PDFOscail PDF Print Full ActPriontáil an tAcht Iomlán Number 45 of 2009 COMPANIES (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT 2009 ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS Section 1. Transitional accounting standards. 2. Regulations. 3. Amendment of Companies Act 1990. 4. Amendment of Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003. 5. Amendment of UCITS Regulations. 6. Short title, commencement and construction. Acts Referred to Companies Act 1990 1990, No. 33 Companies Acts Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Act 2003 2003, No. 44 Investment Funds, Companies and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2005 2005, No. 12 Number 45 of 2009 COMPANIES (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) ACT 2009 AN ACT TO PROVIDE, IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES, FOR THE TRANSITIONAL USE BY CERTAIN PARENT UNDERTAKINGS OF INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS OTHER THAN THOSE GENERALLY ACCEPTED ACCOUNTING PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES USED IN THE STATE, TO AMEND THE COMPANIES ACT 1990, THE COMPANIES (AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING) ACT 2003 AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (UNDERTAKINGS FOR COLLECTIVE INVESTMENT IN TRANSFERABLE SECURITIES) REGULATIONS 2003, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS. [23rd December, 2009] BE IT ENACTED BY THE OIREACHTAS AS FOLLOWS: Transitional accounting standards. 1.—
- a)which does not have securities admitted to trading on a regulated market, (
- b)whose securities (or whose receipts in respect of those securities) are registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of the United States of America, or which is otherwise subject to reporting to that Commission, under the laws of the United States of America, and (
- c)which, prior to the commencement of this section, has not made and was not required to make an annual return to the registrar of companies to which accounts were required to have been annexed; “ US generally accepted accounting principles” means the standards and interpretations, in relation to accounting and financial statements, issued by any of the following bodies constituted under the laws of the United States of America or of a territorial unit of the United States of America: (
- a)the Financial Accounting Standards Board; (
- b)the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants; (
- c)the Securities and Exchange Commission.
- a)a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of a relevant parent undertaking may be given by the use by that undertaking of those principles in the preparation of its Companies Act individual accounts, and (
- b)a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of a relevant parent undertaking and its subsidiary undertakings as a whole may be given by the use by that relevant parent undertaking of those principles in the preparation of its Companies Act group accounts.
- a)a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of a parent undertaking in such a category may be given by the preparation by it of its Companies Act individual accounts for a specified number, not to exceed 4, of its first financial years in accordance with specified accounting standards, and (
- b)a true and fair view of the state of affairs and profit or loss of a parent undertaking in such a category and its subsidiary undertakings as a whole may be given by the preparation by that parent undertaking of its Companies Act group accounts for a specified number, not to exceed 4, of its first financial years in accordance with specified accounting standards.
- a)specify the accounting standards, which shall be— (
- i)internationally recognised, and (
- ii)generally accepted accounting principles or practice of a jurisdiction— (I) to which a majority of the subsidiaries of the parent undertaking have a substantial connection, or (II) in which the market on which the shares of the parent undertaking are primarily admitted to trading is situated, (
- b)specify the number of financial years in respect of which the regulations apply, and the date on which the latest of such financial years shall end, which shall be not later than 31 December 2015, and (
- c)provide that the preparation of such accounts shall not contravene any provision of the Companies Acts or of any regulations made thereunder.
- a)A recognised stock exchange for the purposes of any provision of the Companies Acts is an exchange or a market, whether within or outside the State, prescribed by the Minister for the purposes of that provision.”, (
- b)in section 7
- a)a copy, certified and authenticated in the prescribed manner, of the certificate of registration or equivalent certificate or document issued with respect to the migrating company under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction; (
- b)a copy, certified and authenticated in the prescribed manner, of the memorandum and articles of association of the migrating company or equivalent constitutive document of the migrating company; (
- c)a list setting out particulars in relation to the directors and secretary of the migrating company in accordance with the provisions of section 195 of the Principal Act; (
- d)a statutory declaration of a director of the migrating company made not more than 28 days prior to the date on which the application is made to the registrar to the effect that— (
- i)the migrating company is, as of the date of the declaration, established and registered in the relevant jurisdiction, no petition or other similar proceeding to wind up or liquidate the migrating company has been notified to it and remains outstanding in any place, and no order has been notified to the migrating company or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the migrating company in any place, (
- ii)the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, examiner or other similar person has not been notified to the migrating company and, at the date of the declaration, no such person is acting in that capacity in any place with respect to the migrating company or its property or any part thereof, (iii) the migrating company is not, at the date of the declaration, operating or carrying on business under any scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement entered into or made by the migrating company with creditors in any place, (
- iv)at the date of the declaration the migrating company has served notice of the proposed registration on the creditors of the migrating company, (
- v)any consent or approval to the proposed registration in the State required by any contract entered into or undertaking given by the migrating company has been obtained or waived, as the case may be, and (
- vi)the registration is permitted by and has been approved in accordance with the memorandum and articles of association or equivalent constitutive document of the migrating company; (
- e)a declaration of solvency prepared in accordance with section 256H; (
- f)a schedule of the charges or security interests created or granted by the migrating company that would, if such charges or security interests had been created or granted by a company incorporated under the Companies Acts, have been registrable under Part IV of the Principal Act and such particulars of those security interests and charges as are specified in section 103 of the Principal Act; (
- g)notification of the proposed name of the migrating company if different from its existing name; and (
- h)a copy of the memorandum and articles of association of the migrating company which the migrating company has resolved to adopt, which shall be in the Irish language or the English language, which shall take effect on registration under this section and which the migrating company undertakes not to amend before registration without the prior authorisation of the registrar; ‘relevant jurisdiction’ means the prescribed place outside the State where the migrating company is established and registered at the time of its application under this section.
- a)the migrating company has delivered to the registrar an application for the purpose, in the prescribed form and signed by a director of the migrating company, together with the registration documents, (
- b)the name or, if relevant, the proposed new name of the migrating company has not been determined to be undesirable pursuant to section 21 of the Principal Act, (
- c)the migrating company has paid to the registrar such fee as may be specified from time to time pursuant to section 369 of the Principal Act, (
- d)the migrating company has filed with the registrar notice of the address of its proposed registered office in the State, (
- e)the migrating company has applied to the Central Bank to be authorised to carry on business as a company under section 256
- a)may issue a certificate of registration of the migrating company by way of continuation of the migrating company as a body corporate under the laws of the State, and (
- b)if he or she issues such a certificate, shall enter in the register maintained for the purpose of section 103 of the Principal Act, in relation to charges and security interests of the migrating company specified in paragraph (
- f)of the definition of ‘ regis tration documents ’ in subsection
- a)the date of the registration of the migrating company under this section; (
- b)the relevant jurisdiction; and (
- c)the previous name of the migrating company if different from the name under which it is being registered.
- a)to create a new legal entity, (
- b)to prejudice or affect the identity or continuity of the migrating company as previously established and registered under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction for the period that the migrating company was established and registered in the relevant jurisdiction, (
- c)to affect any contract made, resolution passed or any other act or thing done in relation to the migrating company during the period that the migrating company was so established and registered, (
- d)to affect the rights, powers, authorities, functions and liabilities or obligations of the migrating company or any other person, or (
- e)to render defective any legal proceedings by or against the migrating company.
- a)the failure of a migrating company to send to the registrar the particulars of a charge or security interest created prior to the date of registration shall not prejudice any rights which any person in whose favour the charge was made or security interest created may have thereunder, and (
- b)any legal proceedings that could have been continued or commenced by or against the migrating company before its registration under this section may, notwithstanding the registration, be continued or commenced by or against the migrating company after registration.
- a)a statutory declaration of a director of the applicant made not more than 28 days prior to the date on which the application is made to the registrar to the effect that— (
- i)the applicant will, upon registration, continue as a body corporate under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction, (
- ii)no petition or other similar proceeding to wind up or liquidate the applicant has been notified to the applicant and remains outstanding in any place, and no order has been notified to the applicant or resolution adopted to wind up or liquidate the applicant in any place, (iii) the appointment of a receiver, liquidator, examiner or other similar person has not been notified to the applicant and, at the date of the declaration, no such person is acting in that capacity in any place with respect to the applicant or its property or any part thereof, (
- iv)the applicant is not, at the date of the declaration, operating or carrying on business under any scheme, order, compromise or other similar arrangement entered into or made by the applicant with creditors in any place, (
- v)the application for de-registration is not intended to defraud persons who are, at the date of the declaration, creditors of the applicant, (
- vi)any consent or approval to the proposed de-registration required by any contract entered into or undertaking given by the applicant has been obtained or waived, as the case may be, and (vii) the de-registration is permitted by the memorandum and articles of association of the applicant; (
- b)a declaration of solvency prepared in accordance with the provisions of section 256H; and (
- c)a copy of a special resolution of the applicant that approves the proposed de-registration and the transfer of the applicant to the relevant jurisdiction.
- a)the applicant has delivered to the registrar an application for the purpose, in the prescribed form and signed by a director of the applicant, together with the transfer documents, (
- b)the applicant has paid to the registrar such fee as may be specified from time to time pursuant to section 369 of the Principal Act, (
- c)the applicant has informed the Central Bank of its intention to be de-registered and the Central Bank has notified the registrar that it has no objection to the de-registration, so long as the applicant complies with any conditions that the Central Bank may impose on the applicant, and (
- d)the applicant has filed with the registrar notice of any proposed change in its name and of its proposed registered office or agent for service of process in the relevant jurisdiction.
- b)The following persons may apply for an order under this subsection: (
- i)the holders of not less than 5 per cent of the issued share capital of the applicant and who have not voted in favour of the resolution, or (
- ii)any creditor of the applicant. (
- c)Notice of an application for an order under this subsection may be given to the creditors concerned by publication in at least one national newspaper in the State. (
- d)The Central Bank and the applicant concerned shall be entitled to make representations to the High Court before an order under this subsection is made.
- a)the proposed de-registration of the applicant would contravene the terms of an agreement or arrangement between the applicant and any shareholder or creditor of the applicant; or (
- b)the proposed de-registration would be materially prejudicial to any shareholder or creditor of the applicant and the interests of shareholders and creditors or both taken as a whole would be materially prejudiced.
- a)where the application or all the applications to the High Court are withdrawn— (
- i)the day on which the resolution is passed, (
- ii)the day next following the day on which the last outstanding application is withdrawn, or (iii) the 31st day following the publication of the notice on the creditors under subsection
- b)where all applications to the High Court are not withdrawn— (
- i)the day on which the resolution is passed, (
- ii)the day specified in the order or, if no date is specified in the order, the day next following the day on which the period for which the order is specified to remain in force expires or otherwise ceases to be in force, or (iii) the day next following the decision of the High Court, whichever is the latest.
- a)the date of the de-registration of the applicant under this section; (
- b)the relevant jurisdiction; and (
- c)the new name of the applicant if different from the name under which it was registered.
- a)to create a new legal entity, (
- b)to prejudice or affect the identity or continuity of the applicant as previously constituted under the laws of the State for the period that the applicant was so constituted, (
- c)to affect any contract made, resolution passed or any other act or thing done in relation to the applicant during the period that the applicant was constituted under the laws of the State, (
- d)to affect the rights, powers, authorities, functions and liabilities or obligations of the applicant or any other person, or (
- e)to render defective any legal proceedings by or against the applicant.
- a)it is made not more than 28 days prior to the date on which the application is made to the registrar, (
- b)it contains a statement of the migrating company’s or applicant’s assets and liabilities as at the latest practicable date before the making of the declaration, and, in any case as at a date that is not more than 3 months before the making of the declaration, and (
- c)a report made by an independent person under subsection
- a)in the case of an application under section 256F, under the laws of the relevant jurisdiction, and (
- b)in the case of an application under section 256G, under the laws of the State.
- a)on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding €5,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months, or to both, or (
- b)on conviction on indictment to a fine not exceeding €50,000, or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years, or to both.
- a)persons who are, at the time the committee is established, directors of the Authority, (
- b)other persons that the Authority considers appropriate.”, and (
- b)by inserting in subsection
- a)to (
- h)of section 3 , and section 4 ) shall come into operation on such day or days as may be appointed by order or orders of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, either generally or with reference to a particular purpose or provision, and different days may be so appointed for different purposes and different provisions.