# Sole Trader + Business Name - Registration Address problems



## chomick (29 Nov 2009)

Hi,

I would like to set up a business (sole trader) for Online Shop. I would like to register Business Name, too. The problem I have at this moment is that I don't have any physical address I could use for the registration purposes.

I am renting a house and landlord is not willing to let me use this address as an official registration address (I have a statement in the contract to use the property only for domestic purposes).

I don't want to spend money on the office neither as it is too expesive option at this moment and I plan to work from home for now. 

My questions are:


What other options I have to register my business name and myself as a sole trader?
If I plan to work from home, despite of using different registration address, do I breach the rent contract by using the property for other purposes?
   Thanks,
Darek


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## RonanC (30 Nov 2009)

In order to register a Business name you must supply a principle place of business address. You cannot work from home and have a different principle place of business as your prinicple place of business will be your home.


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## chomick (30 Nov 2009)

ok, supporting questions:



What is the difference between address given for sole trader registration and address given for business name registration?


What are/could be the implications for the landlord if I use rented property's address (assuming they are ok with that) as a:


sole trader registration address;
business name registration address;
I have heard that I can use accountant address when registering sole trader. Is that true?
And if yes, can I use the same address for business name registration then?

Thanks,
Darek


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## RonanC (30 Nov 2009)

Hello Darek, 

Sole Trader and Business Name registrations are the same thing. Business Name registrations can be in the form of a Sole trader, partnership or when a Limited company registers a business name as a "trading as" name. 

As for the second question, there could be implications for your landlord in terms of insurance and planning permission. Do you intend to have any customers visit your workplace? Do you intend to carry any stock? This may have a bearing on whether you may be allowed use the home address as the principle place of business. 

Any more questions just pop them up and your bound to get plenty of good answers on the site.


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## mathepac (1 Dec 2009)

... or just run a search as they've all been answered before ...


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## chomick (1 Dec 2009)

Thanks for your answers. I did try to look for the answers in the net but either my search-abilities are not perfect or the answers are not that obvious 

In terms of planning permission, I doubt my business would require any - it is an online webshop, no customers visiting and the stock would be minimal and not affecting the property in anyway.

And is that correct that accountant's address can be used for sole trader registration purposes?

Thanks,
Darek


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## RonanC (2 Dec 2009)

chomick said:


> And is that correct that accountant's address can be used for sole trader registration purposes?
> 
> Thanks,
> Darek


 
No its not correct as this is not the principle place of business.


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## mathepac (2 Dec 2009)

chomick said:


> ... In terms of planning permission, I doubt my business would require any - it is an online webshop, no customers visiting and the stock would be minimal and not affecting the property in anyway...


It is the *premises* that would require a planning application for change of use from residential to commercial. This application is irrelevant anyway as your lease precludes commercial use.


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## chomick (2 Dec 2009)

Thanks for your feedback. 



> It is the *premises* that would require a planning application for change of use from residential to commercial. This application is irrelevant anyway as your lease precludes commercial use.


 
Oh yes, sorry, it was a shortcut how I wrote it. Of course it is the property that *may *require planning permission but according to the information I have managed to gather, for my business type it wouldn't require any (following http://www.citizensinformation.ie/c...ing-permission/planning_perm_altering_a_house):



> *Planning permission for 'material change of use'*
> If you want to make a material (i.e. substantial) change to the use of land or buildings which will have an actual or potential impact on neighbours or the local community, then you will need planning permission.


 
I doubt running an webshop could have any impact on the neighbours or the local community 


It looks the situation is not that easy as I thought it could be.


If I understand everything correctly, I have only following options:

rent an office;
rent a house where I am allowed to run my business (which is not straightforward as landlords either afraid of it for some reason or just don't know what it would mean for them and prefer to say 'no');
Am I missing any other options?

Thanks,
Darek


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## Nigel Sage (2 Dec 2009)

There is lots of business that rent virtual addresses. They can forward mail take deliveries etc.


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## mathepac (2 Dec 2009)

chomick said:


> ... I doubt running an webshop could have any impact on the neighbours or the local community  ...


You missed out on the "or potential impact" bit of the quote you included. Unfortunately, you would have to convince the planners that there was zero "potential impact" to the change of use. 


Nigel Sage said:


> There is lots of business that rent virtual addresses. They can forward mail take deliveries etc.


Which then have to be  delivered to a real address, thus achieving nothing other than additional cost / delay for the business owner.


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## chomick (2 Dec 2009)

> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *Nigel Sage* http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=969479#post969479
> _There is lots of business that rent virtual addresses. They can forward mail take deliveries etc._
> 
> Which then have to be delivered to a real address, thus achieving nothing other than additional cost / delay for the business owner.


 
I have already checked and virtual office cannot be used for registration purposes.



> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *chomick* http://www.askaboutmoney.com/showthread.php?p=969468#post969468
> _... I doubt running an webshop could have any impact on the neighbours or the local community ..._
> 
> You missed out on the "or potential impact" bit of the quote you included. Unfortunately, you would have to convince the planners that there was zero "potential impact" to the change of use.


 
That's true, however I count on common sense of our governing body  and tentative signals I had received suggested it is a realistic assumption  But you never know...


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