Setting Up a New Private Company as a Sole Trader, or Freelancer

Registering a new private company as a sole trader, or freelancer: if you want to set yourself up as a sole trader in the United Kingdom, you need to get the best advice and assistance along the way. Guidance from Coddan Formations Agency's business startup team of expert consultants puts you on the right path. We have many years of experience in registration of all kinds of companies in the Great Britain for sole traders, and for single members companies; we offer registration and post formation services at highly competitive rates.

You might, for example, want to register yourself as a sole trader or freelance, though the registration of a private limited company. In this case, there is a requirement of at least two company officers, a director and a shareholder, but at the same time, only one person can be appointed as a director and shareholder. A company secretary is no longer the legal requirement. All that means, that being a sole member, sole trader, or self-employed, you can register a company in the United Kingdom without of the additional person. However, what if apart from yourself there's no one else to appoint, as it's just you involved in the business? This is where Coddan can help because we can appoint a secretary so that the company can be incorporated.

We're able and available to advise you how to properly register your sole trading business, from initial consultation right through to sole-trader company registration and providing you with the official documents. Once you start trading, you must inform HM Revenue & Customs straight away that you are self-employed, started a business as a sole trader; otherwise, you could be subject to fines.

Another benefit for sole traders to register of limited companies with Coddan is that we can provide you with an official registered address. This is required by Companies House when registering an enterprise and it's where all documentation and communications will be sent. If as a sole trader you either work from home or a small premises and don't want it officially registered because it might put you at risk of creditors, HMRC inspectors, debt collectors turning up or official inspectors, we can register your sole trade business with our own official legal address in London, Liverpool, Manchester, Edinburgh or Belfast.

If you are planning on registering a private company as a sole trader, with just you in the firm and no one else, you might think it's not possible to set-up a limited liability partnership, which after all requires that there be partners in the enterprise. But you can always register a dormant company and use it as a partner in the LLP.