Starting out.

[Falcone]

Couple of questions needing answered.

1) I know I have to register self employed within 3 months of starting out. Is there any benefit in waiting til the end of the 3 months or should I just register now so its one less thing to have to worry about?

2) Can I dish out business cards before I register self employed? they just arrived today and I don't wanna dish them out if I'm not supposed to unless I'm registered.

3) Do I have to register my company name or if I know its not being used by anyone in my area is it fine not to? I'll only be a sole trader and thought it was limited companies that had to register their name.

4) Logo's - those who have logos, where did you get them? did you make them yourself or did you have someone do it for you at a cost?

thanks

 

[tysfoot]

one for grumpy that one mate

 

[grumpygrouter]

Couple of questions needing answered.

1) I know I have to register self employed within 3 months of starting out. Is there any benefit in waiting til the end of the 3 months or should I just register now so its one less thing to have to worry about?

2) Can I dish out business cards before I register self employed? they just arrived today and I don't wanna dish them out if I'm not supposed to unless I'm registered.

3) Do I have to register my company name or if I know its not being used by anyone in my area is it fine not to? I'll only be a sole trader and thought it was limited companies that had to register their name.

4) Logo's - those who have logos, where did you get them? did you make them yourself or did you have someone do it for you at a cost?

thanks

Hi Falcone,
2) Quicker you get your cards out the quicker the first work comes in.
1) If you intend starting to work straight away, get registered. There is no benefit in waiting 3 months.
3) Limited Companies need to register at Companies House; as a sole trader all you do is register with HM Revenue and Customs. What name you trade under is up to you as long as don't stand on anyones toes in your local area.
4) Logos - this is a very personal thing. Some people create their own, some people pay someone to create one along with a full business image. I did my own for instance, though another company i am involved with paid someone several thousand pound to come up with a "corporate Image".

Grumpy

 

[CLAYS TILES]

Hi Falcone,
2) Quicker you get your cards out the quicker the first work comes in.
1) If you intend starting to work straight away, get registered. There is no benefit in waiting 3 months.
3) Limited Companies need to register at Companies House; as a sole trader all you do is register with HM Revenue and Customs. What name you trade under is up to you as long as don't stand on anyones toes in your local area.
4) Logos - this is a very personal thing. Some people create their own, some people pay someone to create one along with a full business image. I did my own for instance, though another company i am involved with paid someone several thousand pound to come up with a "corporate Image".

Grumpy

i registered up straight away, 3 wks later they sent me a bill for previous 3 months work i haven't done!
i rang them up,they told me i shouldn't of registered up till i've done 12 months then they can work out my income for the year,then know how much i owe them!
hope this helps m8!!

 

[grumpygrouter]

i registered up straight away, 3 wks later they sent me a bill for previous 3 months work i haven't done!
i rang them up,they told me i shouldn't of registered up till i've done 12 months then they can work out my income for the year,then know how much i owe them!
hope this helps m8!!

Who sent you a bill for previous 3 month work?

Grumpy

 

[CLAYS TILES]

Who sent you a bill for previous 3 month work?

Grumpy

INLAND REVENUE, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE!

 

[grumpygrouter]

INLAND REVENUE, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE!

You talking about Class 2 NI contributions then? They should only have started from the date you gave them for starting. I hope you wrote to them appealing and told them the correct start date. If they told you that you should have waited 12 months to notify them they are wrong. You would have been breaking the law under the Incomes and Corporation Taxes Act 1988 and you could have been prosecuted.

Grumpy

 

[tysfoot]

This one is for Clays. Im not registered yet but will do when im busy and in about 2 months. ive had only a few jobs since i started out and the jobs ive done have been for family and freinds and not charged alot.

So your advice is not to register and keep every recipt or shall i register.

Not sure now. just dont want to get stung

 

[grumpygrouter]

This one is for Clays. Im not registered yet but will do when im busy and in about 2 months. ive had only a few jobs since i started out and the jobs ive done have been for family and freinds and not charged alot.

So your advice is not to register and keep every recipt or shall i register.

Not sure now. just dont want to get stung

Tysfoot mate, think back to a PM I sent you a while a go about content of the posts on here.

Grumpy

 

[tysfoot]

i know, ive not been going 3 months yet. just wanted to know what other people are doing. i hear different sories.

I dont want to do anything illeal just want to make it easier for me.

Grumpy told me off

 

[Falcone]

Thanks Grumpy mate

 

[versatilene]

Your legally 'self employed' from your very first advert wether that's a card dished out or a newspaper advert or whatever.

 

[grumpygrouter]

Your legally 'self employed' from your very first advert wether that's a card dished out or a newspaper advert or whatever.

Just placing an advert promoting your services doesn't mean you are self employed from that point on. If you have made no sales, then there are no costs you can offset against it under historical cost accounting conventions. therefore by definition, you have not "traded" and have nothing to declare to HM revenue and Customs.

Grumpy

 

[tops111]

Contacted tax office in november and they said for registering purposes i had to give date of first advert placed in paper which was august .Just recvd bill yesterday for ni contributions for 52.00 for 6 mths so not too bad. Tax office advised wouldnt need to sort tax till next year as only been trading 6 mths.