Saturday 7 July 2012

MAJOR NEWS: Ancestry.com to move to Ireland?

So here's a turn up for the books - a rumour a few months back that Ancestry.com was seeking to relocate to Ireland appears to be true. The Independent newspaper in Ireland is reporting that the company is relocating its world headquarters from Utah to Dublin to avail of a better corporation tax rate, with the creation of 100 jobs. The full story is at www.independent.ie/business/irish/worlds-largest-genealogy-website-moves-to-dublin-3161152.html

From the story:

The firm is currently fitting out its new headquarters over two floors at the former DDDA offices at Sir John Rogerson's Quay, where the vast bulk of the staff are to be located.

However, the company is remaining tightlipped about its Irish plans, with executive director of finance John Slyne stating that the company was "not yet ready" to reveal the extent of its new operations here.

"We are thrilled to be bringing ancestry.com to Ireland, an obvious place of importance for those tracing their ancestors. We will be making a full announcement of the total worth of this investment and further details about our plans in the months ahead."


(With thanks to the heads up from Eileen Munnelly @Irish Lives from Irish Lives Remembered in Dundalk)

UPDATE 12.22: Ancestry.co.uk has just issued the following tweet denying that Ancestry.com is moving from Provo in Utah:

Contrary to some reports, our World HQ is not moving to Dublin and will stay in Provo. More details on our Dublin International HQ to follow

UPDATE 12.30: The Independent newspaper in Ireland has now pulled its story from the above quoted link.

Watch this space...!

Chris

Check out my Scotland's Greatest Story research service www.ScotlandsGreatestStory.co.uk
New book: It's Perthshire 1866 - there's been a murder... www.thehistorypress.co.uk/products/The-Mount-Stewart-Murder.aspx (from June 12th 2012)

4 comments:

  1. I did think that was unlikely, surely they wouldn't move far from the huge LDS resources in Salt Lake City? Although, with more LDS records becoming available online, in the future there will be less reason to be physically near the SLC library. I don't know where the UK arm is located, is it in London? That could be moved for tax reasons I suppose?

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  2. It did seem a bit optimistic! Ancestry is describing it as an International HQ though - quite how that differs from a World HQ is something they will announce in their own good time! :)

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  3. What are the tax consequences? This is a publicly traded company so could it be that they want to be on a different exchange? If there is an International HQ, I would that take care of all record acquisitions except US, and that would be handled by World HQ? I've heard of other companies doing that. This stuff is way beyond me. I just know that a lot has changed since it became public. Ads are everywhere, and there is a whole lot more emphasis on user-submitted trees.

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  4. hmmm - here in Australia when I call Com.Au guess what accent the help desk has?

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