Using accountant address as business address in the registration form.

emenems

I have to register as a sole trader, as I do freelance stuff (I'm also full time employed). I shouldn't use my home address as registered business address, cause I would have change tenancy agreement and my landlord is not very keen on this idea. I've heard I can use accountant address as the registered company address, but when I was discussing it with him, he told me I shouldn't put his address in registration form, but I can use his office as correspondence address (there will be some fee for that obviously). I know I have to put my home address in that form to let HMRC know where do I live, but there is another field to fill in for business address and I thought it should be my accountant address in this case. He advertises on his website (and this is what I understood from the first call) that he can provide this service: "Acting as your registered office , so we receive any important mail and deal with it promptly".
Should I put his address in the form, if I want to use the accountant address as my registered address?
I hope it make sense and I would greatly appreciate any help, because I'm confused now

Pennywise

emenems wrote: »

Should I put his address in the form,

No, he's told you not to. You can't use someone else's address against their will.

But anyway, you're misunderstanding. A registered office address is a "legal" address for limited companies so "official" paperwork can be sent, such as legal/court documents, etc. You're a sole trader so that's irrelevant.

HMRC want to know where the trade/business is actually carried out, such as where you write up your accounts, where you administer it from, where you see customers, where you take deliveries.

If you don't have an office, then your home, by default, has to be where you operate your business from and which is the address HMRC want you to put on your form.

Unless you have clients visiting you at home or staff working there or stock being stored there, it's of no concern to your landlord - they wouldn't even know what address you put on the form as its confidential between you and HMRC. It's only if you;re a limited company that your registered office address is made public - that's what your landlord will be wanting to avoid.

Aquamania

emenems wrote: »

I have to register as a sole trader, as I do freelance stuff (I'm also full time employed). I shouldn't use my home address as registered business address, cause I would have change tenancy agreement and my landlord is not very keen on this idea. I've heard I can use accountant address as the registered company address, but when I was discussing it with him, he told me I shouldn't put his address in registration form, but I can use his office as correspondence address (there will be some fee for that obviously). I know I have to put my home address in that form to let HMRC know where do I live, but there is another field to fill in for business address and I thought it should be my accountant address in this case. He advertises on his website (and this is what I understood from the first call) that he can provide this service: "Acting as your registered office , so we receive any important mail and deal with it promptly".
Should I put his address in the form, if I want to use the accountant address as my registered address?
I hope it make sense and I would greatly appreciate any help, because I'm confused now

So where do you actually carry out your business? i.e. "do freelance stuff"

That is the business address HMRC want to know.

Regarding your landlord & tenancy agreement, it won't be an issue disclosing that address; the issue, if any, will be the carrying on business from the residential address.
The landlord probably has this restriction within the tenancy agreement because he has such a restriction placed on him, perhaps by his insurance cover, perhaps by his mortgage company, or perhaps from another source (e.g. existing covenant on the land/property).

If you cannot operate a business from your rented residential property, then you will have to obtain alternative premesis for such activity.

Even if you are say a freelance gardener or journalist, then you must have an office or storeroom to do your paperwork from and store your business equipment at.