Two Irish suppliers offer the same service at different prices. One is older, one has more cash in its last accounts, and both appear on the CRO register. Which deserves the contract? A useful company-report comparison does not pick whichever business has the biggest number. It aligns the legal entities, reporting dates and evidence gaps, then connects those findings to the deposit, delivery and credit risk of your actual purchase.
Direct answer
Compare the exact contracting companies using the same checklist: identity, current status, filing dates, available accounts, relevant changes and unresolved questions. Separate company accounts from group accounts, and label missing information as unknown—not zero. Use the comparison to decide what further evidence and payment controls you need, not as an automatic guarantee of supplier reliability.
Define the purchase risk before opening the reports
Start with the decision you need to make. A small order paid after delivery, a substantial deposit for bespoke equipment and a business-critical multi-year service have different consequences if the supplier fails. Write down the amount at risk, payment stages, delivery timetable, replacement options and any dependency on the supplier's systems or staff. These determine how much investigation is proportionate.
A report should help answer those questions. It should not become a distraction from missing insurance, unclear deliverables or unverified bank instructions. Use our Irish supplier due-diligence checklist for onboarding one business; the method here is for comparing a shortlist consistently.
1. Compare the entities that will actually sign
Obtain the legal name and CRO number from each proposed contract. Search them using Businesses.ie and confirm the company record on CRO CORE. Ask whether a parent, subsidiary or different group company will invoice you. A strong parent's accounts do not automatically describe the subsidiary that owes your delivery obligation.
Keep company-only and consolidated information in separate columns. If the supplier relies on group support, ask what enforceable support is actually offered and obtain advice where material. Do not put a parent's turnover next to another supplier's standalone turnover and call them equivalent. Our parent and subsidiary research guide helps trace that distinction.
2. Build a like-for-like supplier comparison sheet
Use the same fields for every candidate and record the source beside each answer. The following is a working template, not a proprietary credit score. Do not award arbitrary points for age, address or the mere presence of a director change. A useful comparison explains the significance of the evidence for the contract under review.
| Comparison field | Record for each supplier | Question it supports |
|---|---|---|
| Legal identity | Name, CRO number and contracting entity | Who is responsible for performance? |
| Register position | Status, search date and relevant recent filings | Is a current event relevant to the purchase? |
| Accounts scope | Company or group; full or abridged | Are the figures genuinely comparable? |
| Accounts timing | Period end, period length and filing date | How old is the financial evidence? |
| Balance-sheet evidence | Available cash, liabilities and equity, with notes | What financial questions need an explanation? |
| Operational evidence | References, capacity, relevant permits and insurance | Can the supplier deliver this specific work? |
| Exposure controls | Deposit, milestones, acceptance and replacement plan | What happens if delivery fails? |
| Unknowns | Missing information and requested clarification | What must be resolved before approval? |
3. Align financial dates before comparing amounts
Separate the accounts' period end from their filing or download date. A PDF acquired today can describe a much earlier balance sheet. Where suppliers report different year ends, state the gap rather than suggesting the figures reflect the same day. Also check whether one reporting period covers more months than another before comparing any disclosed revenue or profit.
Do not silently annualise unusual periods or combine figures from different years. Label any calculation and its assumptions explicitly. Historical accounts can identify a question worth asking; current management information, available capacity and contract terms are separate evidence. Ask for appropriate up-to-date information when historical filings leave a material uncertainty.
4. Treat missing turnover or profit as unknown
The CRO describes an abridgement exemption under which eligible small companies file abridged financial statements rather than the full set. Public documents may therefore not disclose every figure you want for a comparison. A blank turnover field in a report is not evidence of no trading, and it should not be converted into zero in your spreadsheet.
Distinguish three cases: the figure is disclosed in the source accounts; the source does not disclose it; or your report has not extracted it. Read the underlying document to establish which applies. Do not infer turnover from cash, debtors, share capital or a website's headcount. See how to check turnover and profit in Irish accounts for the limits of those comparisons.
5. Interpret cash, liabilities and equity together
A larger reported cash balance is not automatically a better supplier. Look at the date, related liabilities and notes, as well as the scale of the proposed obligation. Cash at a historical year end is not today's available bank balance. Similarly, total assets may include items that are not quickly realisable or useful for completing your contract.
If you calculate a current ratio, state the inputs and period and examine what the current assets contain. Receivables and stock are different from cash; creditor timing and financing arrangements also matter. Our working-capital guide explains the calculation. Use ratios as prompts for clarification, not a universal threshold that approves every business model.
6. Review filing changes without inventing a risk story
Compare recent filings and officer or address changes in their actual sequence. A new director, shared registered office or registered charge can have an ordinary explanation. Ask what changed and whether it affects authority, financing or continuity. Do not publish allegations based on those facts alone. If an insolvency-related appointment appears, inspect the underlying document and later developments.
For rescue-process evidence, follow our SCARP checking guide. Document references and verified current information matter more than an old screenshot. Give both suppliers the same opportunity to explain material discrepancies, and record the evidence resolving them.
A worked example: the cheaper supplier is not the whole decision
Consider two fictional candidates for a €20,000 equipment order. Supplier A quotes €18,500 with half payable upfront. Supplier B quotes €20,000 with a smaller deposit and an agreed inspection milestone. A has a longer company history, but its latest available accounts are older. B's public accounts are abridged and omit turnover. Neither fact alone tells you which will deliver.
For A, investigate current capacity and the evidence supporting the large advance payment. For B, ask for proportionate financial and operational clarification instead of marking missing turnover as zero. For both, check the actual contracting company, lead times, references and independently verified beneficiary details. Then compare price, unresolved risk and enforceable payment terms together. The example is an illustration, not a recommendation to choose one payment structure without legal review.
What a company report cannot decide for you
A report can organise available registry information and financial evidence. It does not inspect inventory, confirm live liquidity, verify bank-account ownership or guarantee workmanship. It also is not automatically a credit report containing a bureau's score, payment experiences or recommended limit. Read company report versus credit report before ordering the wrong product for your decision.
For regulated services, check the relevant official permission separately. For critical purchases, test references and contingency plans. Confirm insurance scope and expiry where applicable. Keep the final approval note explicit: what was checked, what remains uncertain, why the exposure is acceptable and when the assessment needs updating. This makes the report part of a defensible decision rather than a decorative attachment.
Sources and editorial review
Reviewed by the Businesses.ie Editorial Team on 2 October 2026. Registry sources: CRO search services and CRO small-company abridgement guidance. The comparison template, worked example and procurement workflow are original editorial explanations, not a credit-rating methodology. This is general information, not financial, procurement or legal advice. See our editorial policy.