Self-employed

Sole Traders are always Self-Employed. But not all Self-Employed people are necessarily Sole Traders, although it is by far the most common company structure for Self-Employed people.

Being Self-Employed means that you don’t get paid by PAYE, and actually take your income through self-assessment.

A Sole Trader is the company structure used when you and your business are considered the same entity for legal and financial purposes.

So, technically you can be Self-Employed and run a Limited Company or a Partnership, but most self employed people are also Sole Traders.

All Sole Traders are Self-Employed, so it’s absolutely possible to be both at the same time. You can also be in different types of employment or self-employment at once.

So if you are a salaried employee, but also have a Sole Trader business or work as a Self-Employed contractor, you can be both employed and Self-Employed at the same time - you just need to make sure you’re including it all in your self-assessment!

If you are the only person running your business, you are happy to be personally responsible for your business debts and liability and you don’t want the hassle of extra paperwork and regulations then this could be the best choice for you.

There is no age restriction to register as Self-Employed, but if you have previously been declared bankrupt you may need to get permission from the courts.

To register as Self-Employed you will need to provide the following details:

• Your full name
• Your current address
• Your National Insurance Number
• Your date of birth
• Your phone number
• Your email address
• The date that your self-employment began
• The type of business you're starting
• The address of your business
• The phone number for your business

You will not need to provide any proof of ID.

When you register as Self-Employed, you don't need to have a separate bank account, as your earnings are considered your own personal income.

However, things can quickly get complicated if you’re running personal and business finances from the same account, so we highly recommend setting up a separate business account.

If you register with Duport, you can get a free business account as part of the process.

There’s a lot less paperwork involved in self-employment compared to running a Limited Company, but you will need to complete your Self Assessment Tax Return each year.

If you don’t want the hassle of doing your own bookkeeping and accounts, Duport can handle it all for you with our Sole Trader Tax Return service.

When you register as Self-Employed, you don’t automatically get any protection for your business name.

However, Duport have a Protected Name package that means your business name is also registered at Companies House, to prevent anyone else trading under it.

Yes, you do not need to be in the UK in order to register as Self-Employed.

You can cancel your order at any point. Refunds will only be issued if you have not accessed any of your purchased services.

Your right to a refund is waived if:

• Your registration has been submitted to HMRC
• OR
• You have requested or viewed any digital ebooks or reports included in your purchase

Your initial registration is a one-off service. However your package may include services that do need to be renewed annually. These can include:

• Business name protection
• Domain & hosting services
• Accountancy services

Your Unique Taxpayer Reference or UTR is the number that HMRC uses to identify you as a Self-Employed person. It’s what you will need to use to submit your Self Assessment Tax Return.