9: Registering a Business

After all the excitement of deciding to start a business, you’ll have some paperwork to do. These first tasks as a business owner won’t be the most fun, but they’ll help keep you out of trouble with the law.

Person registering her business online

How to register a business with the government

  • Set up as a sole trader
    You can set yourself up quickly and easily at gov.uk. During the process, you’ll register with HMRC for tax, and for VAT if you’re going to be VAT registered. Check our guide on VAT accounting schemes.
  • Set up as a partnership
    You’ll need a name, and a ‘nominated partner’ who is responsible for keeping the business records and reporting taxes. Once you have those, you can get set up with the government. During the process, you’ll register with HMRC for tax, and for VAT if you’re going to be VAT registered. Check our guide on VAT accounting schemes.
  • Set up as a company
    Besides naming your company, you’ll need to appoint directors and adopt articles of association – you can get some written or use templates. Once that work is done, it’s relatively simple to get set up with the government. During the process, you’ll register for corporation tax. You may also need to register for VAT.

Do I need to tell any other regulators?

There may be some more to do if you’re entering a regulated industry, such as liquor sales. Speak to friends in the industry, or the industry representative body, to find out if there are special requirements for your type of business.

Should I trademark a business name?

You can legally protect a business name and logo to prevent others from mimicking your identity. This can be a valuable step for businesses that plan to invest a lot in making their brand widely known.

This area of the law can get complicated – especially if you expand into overseas markets and find there’s a business there with a similar name. Ask for advice from a legal professional with experience in this area.

At the very least, use trademark registries (and search engines) to check that no one already has your business name. It’s an easy way to save yourself a lot of hassle.

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