legal aspect!

[lilac]

Hi everybody!
I'm new and I'm French, so please be patient with my english and be double patient if the answer for my question is already existing in this forum...:redface:
I'm planning to move in London and I'd like to start an e commerce, so, what do I have to do in order to be legal with my businness? I suppose I have to register a VAT and what else? Requesting some kind of licence?
And if I will have a webstore based in England, Will I be forced to use english language? (because my sales will be basically directed in France)
thank you very much for your help!
Noemie

 

[mke]

If I were selling goods to the French, I would buy a .fr domain name to host it on, I may even find a hosting service in France.

There is no need to register for VAT in the UK until you are turning over something like £60,000 per year. No need for a licence to sell most goods, either.

However, if you do decide to host it in England, there is no need to have it written in English.

So really, all you need is an online shop and a way to accept money.

 

[An Oasis]

Bonjour Noemie

VAT only if you exceed the current threshold
License, hell I hope not, although the UK is becoming a paper pushers paradise
Use the English language no. Host your site in France

Enjoy your time in the UK

 

[obscure]

In addition to the above you would need to decide if you want to be self-employed or register as a company. (Best to talk to an accountant to get a clear understanding of the benefits of each one).

If self-employed you need to register with Customs and Revenue (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/) as Self-Employed for tax reasons. If you go the company route (probably not necessary at first) you need to set up a company via Companies House (http://www.companieshouse.co.uk/).