Mobile phone for newly incorporated ltd company

[james29]

Hi guys,

I recently set up a ltd company and this month will be my 3rd month of trading and finally have some cash flow and large directors loan balance in the bank account.

I was wondering how easy it is to get a phone contract including a phone and sim at this stage. Does anyone have any experience?

Many Thanks.

 

[fisicx]

I just walked into the o2 shop and 10 minutes later had a phone in my hand. Worked out financially advantageous to get a personal phone and claim a percentage off my corporation tax (according to my accountant)

 

[james29]

I just walked into the o2 shop and 10 minutes later had a phone in my hand. Worked out financially advantageous to get a personal phone and claim a percentage off my corporation tax (according to my accountant)

Do you mean you bought it through the business though? Or personally and then expensed it somehow?

 

[Nico Albrecht]

Why even bothering with a phone on contract. Costs are ridiculous for current mobiles on contract.

Buy outright via business a mobile phone new or refurbished and go on a 30 day rolling contract or prepaid with auto top up for best value for money. Contract in business name. On 30 days rolling there should be no credit checks or they would be very soft.

Mobile contracts in the last 2 years with phones included are very bad value for money and you could end up paying 30% interest to pay of the phone

 

[fisicx]

Do you mean you bought it through the business though? Or personally and then expensed it somehow?

I paid for it and claim as a business expense.

 

[UKSBD]

Why even bothering with a phone on contract. Costs are ridiculous for current mobiles on contract.

Buy outright via business a mobile phone new or refurbished and go on a 30 day rolling contract or prepaid with auto top up for best value for money. Contract in business name. On 30 days rolling there should be no credit checks or they would be very soft.

Mobile contracts in the last 2 years with phones included are very bad value for money and you could end up paying 30% interest to pay of the phone

I pay just £7.00 a month and get a phone with it

The phone would cost about £80, contract is 2 years, so effectively paying £3.50 month

I was spending more than that on a PAYG

 

[Nico Albrecht]

I pay just £7.00 a month and get a phone with it

The phone would cost about £80, contract is 2 years, so effectively paying £3.50 month

I was spending more than that on a PAYG

Not sure what you got there but a more real world example is what most people want as an example.

O2 offers iPhone 12 on 36 months for around £42. That's well over £1600 for the contract.

Cheapest iPhone 12 new around £500 and £10 / month for rolling contract unlimited calls and plenty of data.
Total £860 with phone bought outright over 3 years.

There might be the occasional deal going but for decent new phones on contract you pay way over the odds.

 

[UKSBD]

I've never had an expensive phone

I just go for the cheapest Motorola phones

Latest was a E20 or E30 for £7.00 month on Tesco Mobile

It does all I need it to do

 

[DWS]

I just walked into the o2 shop and 10 minutes later had a phone in my hand. Worked out financially advantageous to get a personal phone and claim a percentage off my corporation tax (according to my accountant)

Contract needs to be in the Ltd Companies name to claim as an expense or if it is in your personal name then you can claim for business calls but only with an itemised bill as proof which is near impossible these days with monthly packages.

 

[fisicx]

Contract needs to be in the Ltd Companies name to claim as an expense or if it is in your personal name then you can claim for business calls but only with an itemised bill as proof which is near impossible these days with monthly packages.

o2 provides itemised bills. Download as pdf and send then with everything else to my accountant.

 

[DWS]

If you can get an itemised bill showing every call and the cost of every bill that is business related then fine, no problems in claiming these.
I thought most monthly packages included calls/texts and data which makes it impossible to put a cost to each call made.

 

[Mark T Jones]

In answer to your specific question, the best thing you can do is just ask.

It's likely they will want a PG, but I've never known anyone have a problem unless they have bad credit

 

[WaveJumper]

Buy outright and go Giffgaff

 

[Frank the Insurance guy]

Why even bothering with a phone on contract. Costs are ridiculous for current mobiles on contract.

Buy outright via business a mobile phone new or refurbished and go on a 30 day rolling contract or prepaid with auto top up for best value for money. Contract in business name. On 30 days rolling there should be no credit checks or they would be very soft.

Mobile contracts in the last 2 years with phones included are very bad value for money and you could end up paying 30% interest to pay of the phone

Exactly what I did - bought a phone outright (using company account) and then got an 02 business sim in the company name.

 

[Hema Murphy]

I just did this yesterday. Bought the phone outright and paid for it using business account and then separately changed my SIM only contract into my business name.

 

[japancool]

You can find some good deals on buying phones outright if you shop around.

I bought a Samsung S21 Ultra for half the list price off ebay. It had a few dead pixels but they're pretty much unnoticeable.