Registering Business and Keeping Details Offline.

Rgte

I'm starting up a very modest small business from home later this month as sole trader. As my home borders some insalubrious properties and areas I need for my business details to be kept offline. 

I'm concerned when I register my business with HMRC my details might be online. It would pose a security risk to my property.

I need for a solution not to cost much. 

Thanks in anticipation. 

MeadowsVale

If you're registering a Ltd company with Companies house, you can use one of those virtual office address companies to keep your home address offline. Obviously these companies charge a fee for this service.

Also check with your accountant as some allow you to use their address.

DullGreyGuy

Rgte said:

I'm starting up a very modest small business from home later this month as sole trader. As my home borders some insalubrious properties and areas I need for my business details to be kept offline. 

I'm concerned when I register my business with HMRC my details might be online. It would pose a security risk to my property.

I need for a solution not to cost much. 

Thanks in anticipation. 

HMRC won't put anything on line but you are required to identify the legal entity people will be doing business with which as a sole trader is your name and address. In principle you can use a forwarding address but this may cost you business as people dont tend to trust a business that a quick google shows they share an office with 1000+ other businesses. 

DorkingChicken

HMRC don't put any details online about your registered company, so no issues there.

Companies House does make public disclosure about companies. For Directors and Persons of Significant Control it discloses:

• Full legal name
• Correspondence address - (but you can use the same virtual office address as the company)
• Date of Birth - (month and year only)
• Nationality
• Occupation
• Nature of control - What your ownership in the company allows you to do

Rgte

DorkingChicken said:

HMRC don't put any details online about your registered company, so no issues there.

Companies House does make public disclosure about companies. For Directors and Persons of Significant Control it discloses:

• Full legal name
• Correspondence address - (but you can use the same virtual office address as the company)
• Date of Birth - (month and year only)
• Nationality
• Occupation
• Nature of control - What your ownership in the company allows you to do

Yes, several addresses nearby have their details online published by Companies House. It's exactly what I want to avoid. Another online source for company addresses is Company Check. It doesn't seem safe to me at all. It might be obvious to bad actors my stock is held here at home. 

Mistral001

If you do not want your name given out, the simple thing to do is to operate as a sole trader business.  There is no register of sole trader businesses. So you do not have to register the business as such, you just tell HMRC, who will not disclose any details of the business or your business activities. The business can have a trading name, can employ people, and can register for VAT.  As well as HMRC not disclosing information, if you do not have an online presence, it is unlikely your details will appear there either. The one drawback is that you will be personally liable for any financial liabilities that your business activities take on.  Some estimates reckon that more than 50% of all businesses in the UK are actually sole-trader businesses.

MyRealNameToo

Mistral001 said:

If you do not want your name given out, the simple thing to do is to operate as a sole trader business.  There is no register of sole trader businesses. So you do not have to register the business as such, you just tell HMRC, who will not disclose any details of the business or your business activities. The business can have a trading name, can employ people, and can register for VAT.  As well as HMRC not disclosing information, if you do not have an online presence, it is unlikely your details will appear there either. The one drawback is that you will be personally liable for any financial liabilities that your business activities take on.  Some estimates reckon that more than 50% of all businesses in the UK are actually sole-trader businesses.

Any website collecting personal data must have a Privacy Policy which discloses the legal entity operating it and as a sole trader would be the OP's name and address. In principle that would include if you are simply using Google Analytics or equivalent visitor tracking given IP is considered PII under GDPR. 

So yes, if you operate a business with absolutely no online presence then you can not publish details online but you would still need to disclose them on quotes, invoices and other formal business documents. Sure that limits it to prospective customers but they could potentially post online about you.

The OP has said they are holding stock so not having an online presence is probably going to be limiting, it may be different if you were a contractor in the banking sector where prospective clients arent going to be googling for you. 

I'd argue a LTD is likely to give more protection, in more than one way, given most accountants will allow you to use their address as the registered address, inc of directors and it looks a little less ropey than a mail forwarding company. 

Keeping stock at home is going to be a headache from a home insurance perspective too. Know of a hairdressers who kept stock in their home and hadnt declared it as they were covered under their business insurance. Over a £0.5m fire claim declined for non-disclosure unfortunately for them. 

EnPointe

Rgte said:

I'm starting up a very modest small business from home later this month as sole trader. As my home borders some insalubrious properties and areas I need for my business details to be kept offline. 

I'm concerned when I register my business with HMRC my details might be online. It would pose a security risk to my property.

I need for a solution not to cost much. 

Thanks in anticipation. 

is this a limited company ? 

do you have an accountant ?  do they offer 'Registered Office' Services  for their Clients who are LLPs  or Limited Compaies ?