Employed & Self-Employed Query

JuliaMary_2

Hi

I wonder if anyone could help me with a few queries as I'm trawling the net and getting in a muddle!

I work part-time for a public sector organisation but have just qualified as a beauty therapist and want to work part-time at that also, from my home.

I earn circa £13K per year with the civil service for 2 days per week and now want to start working the other 3 days (or 5 if I include weekends) for myself.

Would I be classed now as employed or self-employed?
Also, as a sole trader do I need to register my sole trader name?
Also (sorry lots of also's!), will I have to pay VAT and NI or any other charges as a sole trader - I haven't started working yet (I only qualified last week) but have friends who want to book up.

Grateful for any simplified advice you can give - I know there are lots of websites and information but I seem to be going round in circles with it all.

Thanks very much

Julia

Pennywise

You will be employed for your job and self employed for your therapist work.

You need to register with HMRC for starting a new self employment.

Yes, you will pay tax and NIC on your self employed profits - provide around 30% to cover it. Profits being the fees you charge less your allowable expenses such as materials used, purchase of equipment, business mileage, proportion of home costs, etc.

There is no register of business names.

If you're having clients coming to your home, you'll need to bolster your home insurance to cover business use and public liability for customers, and you should contact your local council to check that they don't need you to apply for planning permission for change of use, building regulations compliance, and/or charge you business rates. It goes without saying that you must make your home safe for business visitors, i.e. the usual health & safety and fire safety evaluations and action plans, etc., and also you should consider the access to your home for disabled people's needs (i.e. make "reasonable" adaptations).

Horace

You could set up as a mobile therapist and visit people's homes (you would still need public liability insurance) and this may be a better option than people visiting you in your home.