
Ask HN: Recommendations and tools for sole traders in the UK (web developer)? - aosaigh
I&#x27;m moving over to the UK in a few months and will be setting up as a sole trader (I&#x27;m from the EU). I&#x27;m a web developer and I wanted to stream-line the process as much as possible with regard to accounting, banking, invoicing, phone numbers etc. What are some suggestion and recommendations from anyone in a similar position?
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foldr
Make sure to weigh up the pros and cons of operating as a sole trader or as a
limited company. It's very easy to set up a limited company in the UK. There
are various advantages/disadvantages in terms of tax etc.

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shubb
I went the ltd route, and believe it has given me more paperwork.

As developers we don't have all that many business expenses. Maybe you'll do
better than me, but I don't think I made huge tax savings. As a director I
have to do the personal tax paperwork on top of my company tax returns. There
are more regulations, deadlines, and submissions for a company than an
individual.

For my first year trading I signed up with an accountant (I was painfully
aware that I didn't have time to learn the tax stuff and worried about making
a mistake). If you have the time and inclination, and use a good accounting
program, I'd recommend learning to do it yourself asap rather than hiring one.

If you go the sole trader route, I recommend opening a new current account and
using it for all and only your business transactions, like it was a company
credit card. That will make doing your expenses a lot easier.

