Not quite tax but thought you could help- law on address/letterheads and risk to me?

tebow

Hi - not sure where is best to post this but here goes!

I am self-employed and my work primarily involves working on the premises of solicitors or at court. I don't have an office and for tax my home address is listed, which is ok. My role however involves working with people who may be dangerous/pose a risk to people including me.

I want to have letterheads made up professionally, and I am told that by law there needs to be an address on letterheads and invoices, even if I am just self employed and not a ltd company. I don't want to do this, because often letterheads and invoices can get into the hands of those who may be a risk to me, even if the solicitors who commission me try to avoid this.

I rang the companies house, because that was where most of the information on this was listed online, and they said that as I am classed as sole trader because I am self-emplyed, then the law applies and that a PO Box (which was my next bright idea) won't do, it has to be a proper address. Clearly I don't want to put myself and my family at risk. I wondered if any of you had come across this type of issue before and if there is anything you can think of that might help me please?

Kind regards, and all advice welcome!

agrinnall

I think you'd have to use an accommodation address of some sort, perhaps your accountant would offer this service (at a cost of course).

tebow

hi, thanks for that - my accountant will only do this for ltd companies i did find out that though you can use a PO box for a registered office address,

http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk/infoAndGuide/faq/registeredOfficeAddress.shtml

BUT the terms and conditions of these are such that the post office will release your address to any old person who asks!! If it wasn't for the risk involved I wouldn't want to as I don't think it looks professional but there's no point if they will just give your address away!

Do you think this would be something a solicitor would do for a fee - allow me to list their address?

Thanks for your help!

Cook_County

You sound an ideal candidate for a "virtual office". Have you searched for one you like yet?

tebow

oooh no I haven't heard of that - I will google it but I wondered what anyone on here thinks of these or what your experience of these is?

thanks again

System

You can't be alone in having a job that involves contact with people who may seek to harm or threaten you. Is there no professional body or membership group who have standard advice on problems like this?
Probation officers, traffic wardens, prison warders, bailiffs, private detectives etc must all have means of keeping their private addresses secret. I know they don't necessarily personally present invoices to their clients, but the principle might be similar.