vat?

How quickly can you register for VAT?

If you ring registration section of your local tax office and speak to someone and explain your situation they will sometimes do it very quickly. Otherwise you could be waiting anything up to a month. Submit TR1 straight away and try a phonecall in a few days.
 
Do u have to be first set up as a sole trader b4 u can register for vat? Or does TR1 do both?
 
Your VAT number will be the same as your PPS number if you are registering as a sole-trader rather than a limited company so at least you know immediately what your VAT number is. Once you send in the TR1 form the Revenue usually process it on their system pretty quickly but they are slow to write out to you and let you know you've been set up. So send in the TR1 to your local office and follow it up with a call a few days later just to confirm they've received it and ask them if everything is ok with it and if they are happy for you to start using your VAT number. There is normally no hassle with that.