Business start-ups
Everything you need to start trading properly: the right business structure, HMRC and Companies House registrations, and bookkeeping set up from day one.
Who it's for
- People starting their first business
- Side hustles going full-time
- Employees going self-employed
- Newly formed limited companies
What's included
- Sole trader or limited company advice
- Company formation with Companies House
- HMRC registrations: Self Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT and PAYE
- Business bank account and bookkeeping set-up
- An expenses guide for your trade
- Your first-year tax deadlines mapped out
Key dates
- 5 October
- Register for Self Assessment after your first tax year as a sole trader
- 3 months
- To register a new company for Corporation Tax once it starts trading
- £1,000
- Trading allowance: below this you may not need to register
- £90,000
- VAT registration threshold
Open a separate business bank account on day one. It makes your bookkeeping and tax return much simpler.
Worth knowing
Common questions
A sole trader business is simpler and cheaper to run. A limited company protects your personal assets and can be more tax-efficient as profits grow. We compare both on your expected figures.
Yes. We register the company with Companies House, set up Corporation Tax and PAYE if you need it, and get your bookkeeping ready to go.
Often, yes. Costs from up to 7 years before you started trading can usually be claimed as pre-trading expenses, as long as they'd be allowable once you were trading.
For a sole trader, usually 31 January after the end of your first tax year. For a company, Corporation Tax is due 9 months and 1 day after the end of its first accounting period.
General information only, not personal advice. Correct as of October 2026.
Get a price for your new business
Tell us about your business and we'll reply within one working day with one clear monthly fee. No obligation, no hourly bills.
Follow us for weekly tax tips