Sole trader and business name?

Hi,

All you need to do I believe is tell the Inland Revenue so that you receive a self-assesment form and they will, if you state that you are going self-employed, ask for some NI contributions - payable via direct debit.

I don't think there is a need to register the name anywhere - just be careful not to use one that you cannot register later at companies house should you need to. Could undo some of your previous marketing effort.

Hope that helps.
Steve
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SteveR

When you say a "business name" I am not quite sure what you mean as this term is often used to cover quite different things.

If you mean a "trading name" then yes many businesses have a different trading name, eg if you want to trade as "Bloggs Beer" you can. You simply need to show your name on your headed paper and contracts, eg "Joe Blogs t/a Bloggs Beer".

There is no process other than checking no-one else is using the name that would be in competition to you, and registering your sole trade in the normal way.

If by a "business name" you are talking about opening a limited company with companies house then no, having a limited company is a completely different legal identity to a sole trade and you cant muddle the two things.

hope that makes sense.

Regards,

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James Smith
Chartered Accountant
www.jamesesmith.co.uk
01235 536 773

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Your indispensable guide to Small Business Bookkeeping, Self-Assessment & VAT

Thanks SteveR and James for making the distinction.

I've always been led to believe that when trading as a sole trader but with a trading name you need to have your own name on all stationery, your letterheads etc - just somewhere saying 'Proprietor: J Bloggs' or similair. Is this correct?
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If everything in life is a success, you aren't taking enough risks.

Yes I beleive it is - but not sure why I think that!

I certainly intend to put on all my letters and invoices my name and address. It's a bit like being obliged to enter you name and address on the WHOIS list for a internet top level domain if you intend to use the domain for any commerical activity. Basically, everyone you deal with needs to know who to contact and who is the point of liability - the individual entity or a limited entity.

If I am talking cr*p then someone will put me right - but I think I am not far off the mark.

Regards
Steve
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SteveR