Fractional CFO Services in Ireland

Senior fractional CFO day rates in Ireland typically run €900-€2,000/day for 10+ year executives, with PE-backed portfolio and pre-exit fundraise mandates commanding the top of the band. Monthly retainers for 2-3 days per week run €4,500-€12,000/month. Cork pharma CFOs with transfer-pricing and KDB experience carry a 10-15% sector premium. By comparison, a full-time CFO in Ireland costs €120,000-€200,000 in base salary plus 11.05% employer PRSI, pension contributions, and benefits, totalling €160,000-€280,000 fully loaded annually (Morgan McKinley 2026 Ireland Executive Salary Guide, Marks Sattin Ireland 2025). A 2-day-per-week fractional engagement therefore represents 40-65% savings in Year 1.

Irish companies engaging fractional CFOs pay invoices as standard B2B services (deductible against corporation tax). Qualifying R&D finance work performed by the fractional CFO can be claimed under the R&D tax credit at 30% (rising to 35% per Budget 2025 proposals). No employer PRSI applies when the engagement is a genuine contract for service under the Karshan framework: the fractional CFO operates through their own Limited company, retains autonomy over how the work is performed, can substitute other qualified professionals, and bears commercial risk. VAT applies at 23% on Irish-resident provider invoices. KDB-eligible IP profits benefit from the 10% effective corporation tax rate, an area where fractional CFOs structure claims for SaaS and biopharma clients.

The Supreme Court's 2023 Karshan ruling established a five-step framework for Revenue to determine whether a worker is genuinely self-employed: (1) is there a wage-work bargain, (2) is there personal service, (3) is there a sufficient degree of control by the engager, (4) does the worker bear commercial risk, (5) is the worker integrated into the business. From 2024, all fractional CFO engagements should be designed so the contract is clearly for service, not of service. Practical safeguards: contract through the CFO's Limited company, document scope and deliverables, avoid exclusive client relationships, allow substitution where feasible, ensure the CFO bears project commercial risk. Engaging through a regulated network (CFO Centre Ireland, CAIM, Agile Executives) further reduces classification risk because the network operates as the contracting entity.

Yes, this is one of the highest-value functions of a fractional CFO in Ireland. The 30% R&D tax credit (rising to 35% per Budget 2025 proposals) applies to qualifying scientific or technological R&D activities, with most claims requiring rigorous technical narrative and finance documentation. The Knowledge Development Box provides a 10% effective corporation tax rate on qualifying IP profits and demands separate streaming of R&D-derived income. Fractional CFOs scope qualifying activities with the engineering team, structure cost capture (timesheets, payroll splits, qualifying-spend caps), coordinate with chartered accountants or specialist R&D advisors who file the claim, and prepare Revenue audit defence files. For SaaS and pharma companies, R&D credit plus KDB stacking can compress effective tax burden substantially.

Fractional CFOs play a critical role in Series A through C fundraising for Irish SaaS, fintech, and medtech scale-ups. Specifically: financial model build (3-statement projections, ARR cohort analysis, unit economics), data room preparation, term sheet negotiation, due diligence response, and post-funding investor reporting cadence (monthly KPI dashboards, board pack finance section, covenant tracking for debt instruments). For Enterprise Ireland HPSU funding or IDA-backed grants, the fractional CFO frames the financial narrative required for grant scoring. Cork life sciences companies raised a record €491 million in 2024, and fractional CFOs with biotech fundraising experience are concentrated in the Dublin-Cork axis. Post-funding, fractional CFOs typically retain a 6-18 month engagement to build the finance function before a full-time CFO is hired at Series B or C.

Irish fractional CFO demand is concentrated in three clusters. First, Dublin fintech and SaaS scale-ups (Wayflyer, TransferMate, Fenergo, Nomupay, the wider Silicon Docks ecosystem) drive the largest share, typically for fundraising, DORA Jan 2025 compliance, IFRS 15 revenue recognition, and PCI-DSS readiness. Second, Cork pharma and biotech companies (€491M funding in 2024) hire CFOs for transfer pricing, R&D tax credit structuring, and KDB claims. Third, Galway medtech (14 of top 15 global MedTech firms) and Limerick mid-west manufacturing hire CFOs for working capital optimisation, multi-site cost accounting, and EU MDR commercialisation finance. IDA-attracted multinationals establishing Dublin EMEA HQ generate sustained demand for fractional CFOs with international consolidation and transfer-pricing expertise.

The Knowledge Development Box (KDB) provides a reduced effective corporation tax rate of 10% on qualifying profits derived from qualifying intellectual property (patents, copyrighted software, plant breeders rights). The KDB rate rose from 6.25% to 10% after 1 October 2023 in line with OECD Pillar Two reforms, and has been extended to accounting periods commencing before 1 January 2027. The relief requires separate streaming of qualifying income from non-qualifying income, calculated under the OECD modified nexus approach. Fractional CFOs structure the chart of accounts to enable streaming, coordinate with patent attorneys to maintain qualifying IP registrations, and prepare the supporting financial documentation. For SaaS scale-ups with copyrighted software and biopharma companies with patented compounds, KDB stacking with the 30% R&D credit creates a meaningful effective-rate advantage.

Irish fractional CFO engagements typically run 9-18 months, with monthly renewal options. Initial contracts often span 3-6 months tied to specific deliverables (fundraise close, ERP implementation, M&A due diligence, audit readiness, DORA compliance build-out). The Karshan framework favours fixed-term, deliverable-anchored engagements over open-ended retainers that look like disguised employment. Many Irish SaaS scale-ups use a 6-month foundation period (building the finance function, hiring a Financial Controller, installing FP&A processes) followed by a steady-state 2 days/week retainer for ongoing strategic leadership through to Series B or full-time hire. PE-backed portfolio CFOs often span 12-24 months across the hold period, working across 2-4 portfolio companies simultaneously.