Can a foreigner be a soletrader in UK ?

[business_enquiry]

It is possible for a foreigner to create a company without being resident, is it also possible that he just declares as being a soletrader without residing in UK or does he need to migrate in UK for that ?

Thanks

 

[gj]

There is no problem with a non-UK resident forming a UK registered company.

Similarly, a non-UK resident can trade as a sole trader within the UK. He/she would be subject to UK income tax subject to any double tax treaty with his country of residence/domicile.

All of the above is of course subject to any particular requirements for the particular trade or profession as certain businesses might need to register with other authorities eg Financial Services Authority for investment business etc.

Regards


Graham

 

[MikeH]

Hi there,

Graham is quite correct, there are generally no problems with non-uk residents operating a business in the UK. However the government does impose some restrictions on certain foreign nationals from time to time.

I would like to add though that you need to be clear that a sole trader is very different to a registered company in the UK. A sole trader can simply operate their business as they wish (within reason) and have little administrative responsibility. A limited company (i.e. registered) however, has greater responsibilities in its operation, administration and reporting. I could write reams on this subject but just wanted to make sure that you understand that the two types of business are very different.

Mike.

 

[Anonymous]

I recommend you to incorporate company, which would be your face in UK. Check my webpage for more detailds on incorporating a company and all the legal requirements of running such a company.

Cheers

 

[easytrade]

My question is what about an online business.

Say for instance you have an online business where you don't have to supply anything physical or tangible to your customers. Everything is done online, do you still have to register a company in UK?

Also if you want to have a UK bank account, to accept funds in UK but your business is based elsewhere, are you still required to pay UK income tax or corporation tax etc?