Can I do more than one type of work through my ltd company?

sanquar

For example, I am going to set up a Ltd co in order to work as a locum nurse, but I want to also use the same company to do some ad hoc DIY type of work too? 

General_Grant

Your private limited company can do whatever work you want as long as it is covered by the articles and memorandum of association.  Those are the documents you would file with Companies House.

Brynsam

Yes, but think about whether it is better to set up separate limited companies for different types of work. The overall cost of doing so is minimal. For example, you can't develop a 'brand' if you are offering disparate services such as locum nursing and DIY - but that may not matter to you, depending on how you see your career developing.

Sandtree

To hijack slightly... when asking the same question of our fairly risk adverse accountant he recommended against doing something similar (though this was bringing the Mrs' craft business in) and as usual with him he didn't really explain himself. 

From one point it was better not to in that she sells to end customers and sales are well below VAT requirements whereas the business is VAT registered but are there other potential worries? The Mrs' business is loss making and possibly always will be...  more of a hobby that brings modest money in but it can be very low five figure revenue so not something to forget to declare.

Are there reasons other than VAT why it may not be advisable to bring the two in? Certainly there is no "brand" issue in our case.

Annisele

@Sandtree - I think that's a tad more than a slight highjack, and probably does want its own post. OP is talking about one person doing two different things. I'm not clear on whether your existing business is you + Mrs or just you - but if it is just you, that's not at all the same situation as OP's. Also, there's the question of whether what your Mrs does is a business at all. If it's loss making, may always be loss making, but she's doing it anyway - is she really "in business", i.e. intending to make a profit? Bringing her hobby in to your ltd starts to look like it might be tax evasion, in that you're trying to offset the costs of her hobby against the profits of a legitimate business.

Sandtree

@annisele I thought there were more potential parallels given the OP is probably going to be a load of tools, may or may not make money from the DIY side, possible use said tools on own projects etc.

The existing business is the two of us. She clearly would like to make a profit but I am not optimistic of the reality of that because in London the base costs are so high. However my understanding was that because her revenue is over £1,000 (its normally more like £12,000) that she legally is considered a "business" and if not part of the existing Ltd has to do self assessment as a sole trader. 

LittleVoice

Sandtree said:

@annisele I thought there were more potential parallels given the OP is probably going to be a load of tools, may or may not make money from the DIY side, possible use said tools on own projects etc.

The existing business is the two of us. She clearly would like to make a profit but I am not optimistic of the reality of that because in London the base costs are so high. However my understanding was that because her revenue is over £1,000 (its normally more like £12,000) that she legally is considered a "business" and if not part of the existing Ltd has to do self assessment as a sole trader. 

Not a "business", simply "self-employed" if not working as an employee.   Whether she is a "sole trader" or not is irrelevant.  (That is she could be in a partnership but still need to register as self-employed.)

sanquar

Brynsam said:

Yes, but think about whether it is better to set up separate limited companies for different types of work. The overall cost of doing so is minimal. For example, you can't develop a 'brand' if you are offering disparate services such as locum nursing and DIY - but that may not matter to you, depending on how you see your career developing.

Well it's more like I'll do the odd week or few days as a nurse (private industry) and get that work through an agency, and in addition to that, my friend is a painter/decorator/handyman and I will do a few odd days with him when he needs a hand, but want both pays to go into the same business account. I won't have a brand, just take some work when ppl require it