When starting a small business, one of the first things to be decided is the legal structure used for the business. It can either be a sole trader or limited company or a partnership. Setting up as a sole trader is the most popular legal structure in the UK, with approximately 3.2 million sole proprietorships in 2021. Sole traders accounted for 56% of small businesses in the UK. There were also 2 million limited companies, making it the second most popular legal structure.
tax efficient
The sole trader business structure is the most popular in the UK. In 2021 there were approximately 3.2 million sole traders, accounting for 56% of small businesses. The sole trader structure has been popular due to its many advantages and the ease of setting up.
Sole trader business owners are known as self-employed and most freelancers opt for this structure of the business. There are both advantages and disadvantages of the sole trader business structure that need to be taken into account before making any business decisions.
Readers questions: I’m in my first year of running my limited company, and I am the Director and only employee. I haven’t paid myself any salary in this tax year yet, because I earnt a salary in this tax year before I set up my business. My Limited Company will reach it’s one year anniversary in mid-May 2020. My question is, is it tax efficient to pay myself £8632 next financial year, and before mid-May when my Limited Company reaches its 1st anniversary, to minimise corporation tax payment?
[continue reading…]If you are thinking about getting private healthcare insurance for yourself and your family, you can pay for it in two ways. You can either pay for your private healthcare insurance through your limited company or do it from your personal accounts. Depending on various factors, the tax efficiency of both methods will vary. Therefore, it’s always a good idea to get an opinion of an accountant to help you find the best option.
[continue reading…]Getting tax right requires careful planning. Whether you are a sole trader, a business owner with staff, or a higher rate taxpayer, you need to be talking to your advisors and keeping your eye on the ball.
Readers question: I have set up my own catering company at the moment and I am doing the food in a large Irish bar in Edinburgh. I will be paying my employee and buying all the food stock etc. My query is, would I be better off being an employee of my company and paying tax NI as normal with the addition of employer NI, or would I be better to take dividends monthly as my salary, my salary will be £40,000 per annum.
With over 1.8m limited companies operating in the UK today, compared to 3.3m sole traders, we look at the advantages afforded to business owners who decide to trade via their own limited companies.
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