Mobile Business Question

RE: Mobile Business Question

Hi Sass,
You need to register as self employed within 3 months and you should operate via a business bank account, tax office is getting quite strict with people running business from private accounts. Yuo should also include details to your motor insurers because premiums are different for business/SDP if you fail to notify them it could invalidate your insurance
Also it my help to contact your local businesslink because they run free advice seminars or 121 sessions.
Tax office HMRC run free courses for help with taxation issues and free advice meetings to help fill in tax returns.
depending on your age there are grants available for new businesses from enterprise and princes trust.
You should also qualify for free banking.
Hope this helps
Gaz

RE: Mobile Business Question

Forgot to say, are you going to be sole trader, because if you give advice as opposed to manual treatment you might be better being "limited company" as advice based business' can be very costly if anyone takes you to court, so seek specialist advice on that ok
Gaz

RE: Mobile Business Question

Hi Gaz

When you say 'give advice' what sort of advice do you mean? The only advice I would really be giving is general aftercare advice I think......

Sass

RE: Mobile Business Question

Hi Sass

I am going to disagree with Gaz, I have been running my business from an ordinary bank account for many years with no problems, if the tax man does not like it then that is tuff, I have enough expenses without bank charges on top

RE: Mobile Business Question

Sorry but I would say that as a moderator you should not be giving advice that goes against advice given by HMRC to suggest that it is ok and that it is "tuff" might be tempting fate.
Sass as Ive said previously go to your local tax office and seek their advice, and follow it, I came unstuck and after a 4 year investigation into my "personal account" I had to prove purchase dates for everything in my house, this was all because a random check showed I was running a business thr' a personal account.
You can get free banking with most brances or banks so shop around and dont take Paul Cricks advice. I stand by all my comments and speak from years of experience of owning and running business'
Regards
Gaz

RE: Mobile Business Question

I agree Gaz, you cant afford to mess around with financial affairs. Tax investigations can be costly. Also there are 2 tax inspectors that I know of, who use this forum to see who is practicing etc. I think Paul should be wary of making comments like that when Big Brother is watching.......

RE: Mobile Business Question

Thanks guys. Sorry it got into a big debate!!!

RE: Mobile Business Question

I remember well when I first went into business many many years ago and was advised to open a business account which I did, they charged me to put money in and to take it out and lots of money to discuss my business with the bank manager etc, yes I could put it down to a tax right off, but the money would have been better spent on other things.

For the last decade I have been running though our personal joint account, I don't need to borrow any money from the bank nor do I need an overdraft so I don't need a business account, if I didn't have toput cheques in and out I would not need a bank at all to run my business which would suit me down to the ground

RE: Mobile Business Question

At the moment I run my business through a personal account as the transactions are small and infrequent and would not warrant operating a business account. I will at some stage have to open a business account as the business gets busier, mainly because the bank manager would prefer it because it costs them time and money to operate the frequent transactions that go through business accounts.

AFAIK as long as you keep your "personal" accounts separate from your business transactions and can show HMRC records of your transactions you should be OK - but the advice would to be to check with the experts.

Oops the bank manager has just come in - he'll be wanting his tea then - see I have to pay in other ways;)

FBx

RE: Mobile Business Question

The personal/business account was a bit of dilemma when I started up. What I did was set up a savings account with the bank I have a current with (all online). I pay my cheques into my savings account and then transfer as and when I have to pay off credit cards. That way all my expenses show up on my savings account and linked credit card statements. That should keep the tax man happy if he needs to see my bank business. (My business is quite small so I don't see that I need anything more complicated than this).
I also manage to make a bit of interest (which if course is reported on my assessment form anyway).

Love