TV licenses for Home with a self employed person

SideKick

I am self employed and do some of my work from home. (IT Support ). My "business address" for tax and correspondence is my home address.

I have a valid residential TV license for my home. Today I got a letter from the TV licensing lot addressed to the manager of this address claiming that I don't have a business TV license.

They are trying to tell me that I require 2 TV licenses for the same property and TV as it is a "business address".

I don't have customers coming here, watching a TV, in fact I don't normally allow customers anywhere near my property. I visit them.

Anyone have any insight into this? - Surely they can't be serious.

HappyMJ

They are serious. If you have set up your business is such a way in which your trade through a company and that company rents a room in your home then the company will require a TV licence for the room that it rents if there is a TV in that room.

It's a but like students who each rent a room from a landlord and each of them would require a TV licence for for their own bedrooms.

You could choose not to watch TV whilst working on company business.

Oh and by the way they are just guessing.

SideKick

Thanks, I use part of a room for my company business, it doesn't have a TV in it. Does have a computer obviously as that I what my business needs. I certainly can't be watching TV and working at the same time.

PlutoinCapricorn

Just write and explain: I had a TV delivered to my work address, and got a letter saying that they had no record of a licence for me at that address - which anyone could see from the c/o name was a business address. I just explained, gave them the number of my licence at my home address and never heard from them again.

I had just bought a new TV, and the seller had given them the details.

HappyMJ

SideKick wrote: »

Thanks, I use part of a room for my company business, it doesn't have a TV in it. Does have a computer obviously as that I what my business needs. I certainly can't be watching TV and working at the same time.

There you go...no need for a licence. You can advise them if you wish or just ignore them.

SideKick

I phoned them, after about a dozen choices I got through to a human - they read the script to me about needing a business TV license for the business part of the address, I said I don't have a TV that is used in connection with my business, they said OK, then reminded me they count computers, mobile phones etc. They say they may send an enforcement officer to check - what on earth could they check? It just strikes me they are trying to frighten people to pay for a license that they do not require.

macman

You do not need a TV licence for a computer unless you use it to watch live TV. They are talking nonsense!

PlutoinCapricorn

Are you a sole trader or do you operate though a limited company?

Is your address widely publicised? How long have you been trading? Is there any reason for their suddenly picking your address up?

I am sure that they have no case, unless you have a waiting room where clients can watch your second TV!

SideKick

Anyway, they can send the enforcement officer round anytime and we can discuss it!

Lifeforms

SideKick wrote: »

It just strikes me they are trying to frighten people to pay for a license that they do not require.

That is exactly what they are trying to do.
Do not reply to any correspondence, they are "fishing" for you to mess up, or for the chance to trick you into buying a licence you do not need.
Do not allow entry at any point, except with a search warrant obtained through the proper legal way.
Do not engage with any calls/letters, or door step salespersons (aka, their enforcers)
AND under no circumstances should you sign anything they give you to sign.

Technically the Licence covers any form of electronic item that can receive a live broadcasting signal, but Only if you watch live TV do you need a licence anyway. This would transfer over to a business one, if you do actually need one.

Gloomendoom

SideKick wrote: »

I phoned them, after about a dozen choices I got through to a human - they read the script to me about needing a business TV license for the business part of the address, I said I don't have a TV that is used in connection with my business, they said OK, then reminded me they count computers, mobile phones etc. They say they may send an enforcement officer to check - what on earth could they check? It just strikes me they are trying to frighten people to pay for a license that they do not require.

I had a similar thing. Writing to them didn't seem to do any good so I just ignored them. They stopped threatening me after three years. As far as I know, nobody ever came to the house. You only need one licence.