Limited Company vs Sole Trader

[@JuniperLynx]

Hey guys, thanks so much for watching our Limited Company vs Sole Trader video! To get started and setup your own company, just visit: juniperlynx.com/contact/

[@jaizon29]

are you an accountant? I'm doing amazon fba in the uk and need an accountant :-)

[@MuhammadInamuddin]

I registered my company as Limited and was thinking why not stated as sole trader. Now I am happy to see this video - very well explained and wonderful video. I think such videos shall be at companies office website to help people decide how they should start.

[@cortezforever]

You are like an accounting savant, best I've seen on KZbin.

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your awesome comment!

[@MyCelina22]

So well explained. I was so lost on where to start. Thank you.

[@GH-he5wf]

Amazing content. I'm self employed and a higher tax earner. I will switch to a limited company once I get a mortgage (as I pay a crazy amount of tax) as I know it is a lot harder to get a mortgage as a limited company. So food for thought for individuals who are looking to buy.

[@TheSamsiddell]

Why is it harder to get a mortgage as a limited company ?

[@TemiDansoArt]

This was so helpful, thank you!

[@JuniperLynx]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MM-ts5ml]

Very helpful video and the end music background at the end is very convincing to switch from cis to ltd, thank you👍🏽👏🏽

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your awesome comment! Remember that a limited company would still need to register for CIS if it's operating as a sub-contractor. You can apply for gross payment status once your turnover from the construction industry is at least £30k.

[@ahmedmattan1507]

just a question at 14:00 Example 2 Take home pay calculation for LTD pension contribution was £40K but salary only £8.6K isn't the pension contribution limited by your salary? ie you need a salary of 30K to contribute 30k into pension ect or am i misunderstanding something?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! There are different rules when the employee is a director of the company. I would recommend speaking with a pensions advisor if you're interested in setting up a private pension scheme.

[@kevinkwok130]

thank you for your clear explanation

[@LauraFarkasLMNtsMarketing]

Thanks for explaining this so well. I am now clearer on what the next step is.

[@jamesbrown8006]

Thanks for this info!! I really wanted to know whether switching from sole trader to Ltd was possible so you’ve answered my questions! Super clear info thanks so much!

[@louis_okay]

"Are you American or English?" Juniper Lynx: Yes.

[@jasonkelleher9800]

Hi.. thanks for the excellent video. Very clear, useful and easy to understand!

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for the awesome comment 😊

[@orphicenvyy]

Great video, thank you!! Subscribed!!

[@dramedothmnaziz1931]

Hi i watched ur clips and i liked the way u give the information....

[@arekrusnica5702]

I have a question: After informing HM Revenue and Customs should I clear my company bank account before shut down company in Companies House?

[@semperbauhaus]

Presumably under your example 2 for the pensions contributions, the sole trader contribution would effectively be a personal contribution and attract tax relief into the pension (bumping it up to £50k). The Ltd Company contribution would be an employer one and would just be £40k into the pension. What other advantages would the Ltd Company receive for that pension contribution, over and above a reduction in corporation tax? Or is that the angle?

[@JuniperLynx]

That's absolutely right. The sole trader would increase their basic rate tax threshold, so they can receive more money before being taxed at 40% rates. The limited company can make its own employer contributions to a pension scheme which is allowable as an expense, reducing its corporation tax bill. So the maximum contribution per year is £40k meaning the corporation tax would be reduced by £7,600. It's a more immediate saving compared to a personal contribution until you start earning higher rates of income so you can really maximise the benefit of increasing the basic rate threshold.

[@joshuasokoya4050]

Wow very helpful. Keep up the good content! :D

[@marcinaurvashi6220]

At what point should a sole trader think about changing the status of self employment to Ltd company?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! We usually recommend around £30,000 profit or at the point you’d like to have legal separation for your business 😊

[@mindovermatterboxing5022]

Excellent video! So well explained 🙏🏼

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your awesome comment!

[@spendtimesavemoneydiy]

Thanks for the advice. I work for a company and get a salary but I now get an income from youtube and affiliate marketing so was wondering what to do. I don't think I earn enough yet to be limited but hopefully in the next couple of years I'll be there. Thanks again 👍🏼

[@JuniperLynx]

That's really exciting to hear! When you hit the £50k higher rate tax threshold (employment + sole trader income), any income after that will be taxed at 40% so you'd ideally want to switch to a limited company before that happens :) I wish you all the best with your new business!

[@khaledahmed5864]

What's your accounting monthly service fees Please?

[@georgez5269]

Hi can I start as Sole trader and if my profit increases than to switch to Ltd. Is there any disadvantages that way . Regards

[@JuniperLynx]

This is absolutely possible and a good idea when you're just starting out. The main disadvantage is if you have any assets from the sole trader accounts as they can be complicated to transfer to the company.

[@gilgamesh310]

Isn’t there a difference between incorporation and limited liability?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! Incorporation simply means that the company was formed. Limited liability would be the type of entity that was formed eg limited by shares or limited by guarantee

[@alexgarrett4513]

Just wondering about Ni currently paying as a sole trader but as Ltd coin your example you dont pay any ?....what about impact on state pension requirements?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! Sole traders have different NI thresholds and have the ability to top up their contributions through voluntary payments on a Self-assessment if their profits are too low for the year (for state pension/benefits). You can see the thresholds here: www.gov.uk/self-employed-national-insurance-rates

[@ianwebster5055]

Thanks for clear video, makes sense. Q. If a limited company can carry forward retained earnings to the following year in the balance sheet, how does this work for a sole trader, if they wish to produce a balance sheet, what if anything, can they carry forward to next financial year? TIA

[@rubanthanan4934]

I wish my accountant is as simple and straight forward as you.

[@theodorenelson9509]

Hello Caroline How does one officially transfer a proportion of the beneficial ownership of my buy to lets to my spouse who is retired with the tiniest of a yearly pension Thank you

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for the comment! That would depend the current structure you're using. With a limited company, you could add shares which are then allocated to your spouse. If you need help with this then I recommend speaking with a legal advisor or financial advisor. Depending on the share structure, dividends that are paid out from your company would be allocated between you and your spouse. If the property is in your personal name, it would be best to check with a legal advisor that specialises in property law as they can help you transfer the title partially to your spouse. In most cases this would be a gift if there is no monetary exchange. Usually these are tax free between spouses. Again I would speak with a specialist in this field for the most up to date advice :)

[@EK1Gaming]

What would you suggest for a KZbinr and content creator?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! At the end of the day a limited company is an overall better legal structure to have. It also allows you to control how much you take as income (salary/dividends). The main downsides are the additional costs and more complex filing requirements. I'd say if your profit is more than £30k per year then you could start considering a limited company. A good accountant would make it straightforward to do so. It's not too different to a sole trader arrangement if all the accounts productions/filings for HMRC are done by a professional. If you want to go ahead with the company, we do have an all-inclusive accountancy service that's designed with content creators in mind. It's simply a case of keeping your records up to date on FreeAgent software so we can help ensure all the necessary filings are done correctly. You are welcome to contact us at [e-mail] and we'll get back to you as soon as possible (usually 24-48 hours). It's always exciting to see more content creators, keep up the great work!

[@LeeJayRobertson]

Loved it! ❤️ Great video and the examples where golden! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[@maxjaks7425]

Hi! Very useful video! Thanks a lot!

[@JuniperLynx]

No problem! Glad I could help :)

[@lovedecors]

Excellent video thanks

[@workhardstayhumble.3770]

simply explained thanks, is this applies to Sweden

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! The information is the video is only based on the UK tax system for company/personal income tax rates and allowances. Unfortunately we're not familiar with the Swedish tax system so I'd recommend speaking with an accountant or independent financial advisor in Sweden for more help :)

[@HitmanHat]

Hi there Great channel Because of the IR35 changes, a lot of us working in the public sector can not use Limited companies any more. As such our options are between Umbrella company’s vs sole trader vs self employed? Any ideas on which is best? Would love to see a video for us who are stuck with the IR35 changes. Thank you

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! If you have the option, you'd likely have a better time with a sole trader setup however I would keep in mind that you can still be considered an employee of the client, separate to IR35. IR35 legislation requires an intermediary (such as a limited company) that's why sole traders are excluded as they're legally the same as their business. However if you are considered an employee, the client will need to pay national insurance as required through PAYE. It can cause problems as they may not want to. Overall if this won't be an issue, the sole trader would let you claim a certain level of expenses against your income to reduce your overall tax bill. As you can see in the video, Ltd and sole trader are very close in terms of take-home pay at £30k turnover. It really depends on your personal circumstances though :)

[@HitmanHat]

@@JuniperLynx Thank you! I think when the option is between umbrella and sole trader, the higher earners are better in the sole trader post. This way we do not have to pay employee NI contributions. Thats my read on that... all very new and Im learning along the way!

[@allthingsTechrelated]

Juniper Lynx this may be the reason why a lot of contact jobs are requiring the applicants to have a Ltd company.

[@tamshora090]

Hi Caroline, do u have any clip talking about dividends and how to pay it out ?

[@JuniperLynx]

Hey Tam, thanks for your comment! I don't specifically have videos on this yet, but the usual way to pay out a dividend is to have a shareholders meeting to record the minutes. Some software like FreeAgent can automatically provide a dividend voucher when you declare dividends. Once the dividend values have been decided, it's just a case of setting up the transfer to your personal account.

[@MattEssex33]

I really enjoyed this video thank you for explaining it all so well. Please can you help me with my query:- I want to create a portfolio but I have been told that an LTD must be set up as a SPV with the correct SIC for ltd mortgages and that I would not be able to invest in other things from the same ltd bank account (such as bonds, dividend paying shares etc) with the rental income as it must all be property related. Therefore am I best being a sole trader with a business account to create a well balanced portfolio or go the LTD route anyway and invest rental income in other areas and set up as a different type of company? I like the LTD route but I want to be able to re invest rental income in other things. Any advice please?

[@JuniperLynx]

This is a complicated area as you may have noticed! If you really want the flexibility then sole trader would be the better route but that also means all profit must be taxed as your personal income. You also won't have the legal separation so you are leaving yourself personally open to more financial risk. The company is a good choice for legal protection but lenders have recently been requiring an 'SPV' company which is basically a normal company with a specific SIC code. They want it to be for the sole purpose of property activities which I imagine would be to minimise their own risk and possible loss. If you want in-depth advice on this then I recommend speaking with a financial advisor that deals specifically with property investment.

[@xsgherele]

Well explained 👍🏼 thankx

[@dahalaidi7039]

Hi. Pleese can you tell me how to get my insurance number which I lost,its think you..

[@dramedothmnaziz1931]

I started my own limited company and I'm totally lost so I'm wondering can u help me as a company accountant

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for reaching out! Please email us at [e-mail] with a short introduction and we'll see how we can help 😊

[@raspp1882]

At first it is very dauting, especially for accounts and Web Filing. Took me a lot of research, but HMRC give you A LOT of information. www.gov.uk/annual-accounts/microentities-small-and-dormant-companies Starting out, you only need to worry about Micro-Entity accounts as a small company: Micro-entities are very small companies. Your company will be a micro-entity if it has any 2 of the following: - a turnover of £632,000 or less - £316,000 or less on its balance sheet - 10 employees or less If your company is a micro-entity, you can: - prepare simpler accounts that meet statutory minimum requirements - send only your balance sheet with less information to Companies House - benefit from the same exemptions available to small companies

[@zsoltpapp3363]

Thanks for the video. I have 2 questions: If i form my ltd. company today, when do i have to file taxes for the first time? When are accountancy fees due? Is there any specific difference if one forms the Uk ltd. as a non-UK resident living in the EU (online business)? From what i found its the same and the formation is really cheap and simple.

[@howlbeast]

Whats the service where I can hide my details off the personal record?

[@JuniperLynx]

This would be a registered office address & director's address service. It'll hide your personal address from the Companies House public register. They'll still have your residential address for necessary contact but it won't be available to the public.

[@mdjamaluddin2079]

Thank you so much

[@jaspalkalsi4581]

Hi Caroline Do you still pay self assessment tax if you run a company?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! Self-assessment would apply where you have personal income to declare during a tax year. For example dividends are not taxed at source, so they would need to be reported through self-assessment. I hope that helps!

[@jaspalkalsi4581]

@@JuniperLynx thank you for your reply. Your videos are very helpful. I watch them over and over. To much to learn from them. Can u help me with a question please. If you run a company can u still apply for seiss grant?

[@jaspalkalsi4581]

Really it’s very helpful thank u so much Caroline 👍

[@KeithBage]

Hi, Thanks for the video. I am employed and am a higher rate tax payer and am running a hobby business currently only making approx 3K profit, though I would like to grow this. What is the most tax-efficient way to set up a business in my situation? I presume sole trader. In which do I have to pay additional NI contributions from those taken from my employment?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! As a sole trader, you would essentially pay higher rate taxes on the £3k profit at 40% during the year. The profit level is below Class 2 and Class 4 NI thresholds for self-employed individuals so there wouldn't be a need to pay further NICs. Class 2 NI starts being payable after you earn £6,365 or more in profit during the year. Class 4 NI has a threshold of £8,632. You can see these here: www.gov.uk/government/publications/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions/rates-and-allowances-national-insurance-contributions If you start making more profit, it may be worth looking into creating a limited company for your hobby business. This way you would pay 19% corporation tax on any profit and only be taxed on personal income when you actually take the money out of the business. For example in the current tax year, there is a £2,000 dividend allowance which has no tax. Essentially you could save on the extra 20% tax in the higher rate threshold. If you took more dividends in the higher rate however these would be taxed at 32.5%. The benefit of the company is the legal separation from your personal finances and the ability to leave money in the company if you don't need to take it as income.

[@frederico5312]

So what are the similarities?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! There are many similarities with how sole trader businesses and limited companies are treated. For example most of the profit & loss calculations are very similar with the exception of adding your own salary into the limited company calculation. Many of the allowable expenses are the same, however the Use of Home Allowance for directors is calculated in a slightly different way. They are overall very similar, but have a few minor differences because the legal structure is different.

[@dinarastewart1309]

Hello, thanks for the video. Can I ask why did you choose with Ltd salary of 8.6K, should we take at least pa 12.5k?

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for the comment! 8.6k salary was the most tax efficient during 2018/19 when the video was made. There were no NI deductions on this level of salary but it still counted towards a qualifying year for state pension contributions. Running a higher salary would incur 12% employee's NI and 13.8% employer's NI so it becomes less tax efficient. Within the personal allowance, dividends are also tax-free but have no NI deductions/corporation tax relief. You are welcome to run a higher salary if you wish as the difference isn't massive. I hope that helps!

[@marioseshfdr9096]

If you don't make any profit how you can pay tax

[@lifesjourney1680]

If you do not make any profit, then you pay zero tax.

[@mahmudhussain454]

Hi I am a London cabbie. Is it worth having a L C for me?

[@eezy251able]

Great video! I'm still stuck on a decisions. Myself and my partner are both basic rate tax payers earning under 50k between us and are looking to build a property portfolio has we have large deposit etc. Would I be right in saying it's not worth setting up a LLC because we would be under the £100k threshold, therefore it would be easier to retire and live off our cashflow? Hope you can help if that make sense? Thank you.

[@allthingsTechrelated]

So if you have a business loan for your ltd company and the company failed, do you only pay the £1 or are you liable for replacement of the loan?

[@JuniperLynx]

This is a complex issue as you'll need to explain why the company failed. Below are some examples: If the loan meant the company couldn't pay its tax (VAT/Corporation Tax) and was closed down, HMRC may come after you personally for negligence. If the business itself was poorly executed and the failure was unrelated to the loan (i.e. expenses higher than income) then it could be written off. At the same time if the expenses were higher than the company's income, how did it pay you a loan? If the business failed because it was closed by Companies House due to late filing, the company doesn't technically exist anymore so there's nowhere to pay the money back to. The complexity here is that you borrowed money from the company and then it failed. This isn't related to the £1 share you paid initially. If for example the company was insolvent, it would likely try and collect any loans outstanding in order to pay its creditors before fully dissolving. You may want to speak with a tax advisor/insolvency practitioner for in-depth advice about your specific circumstances. There are too many factors involved to give a simple answer here 😊

[@TheClubPlazma]

Great Video Quality content offers value . U have my subs Thank you so much

[@JuniperLynx]

Thank you 😊

[@tamshora090]

Hi, I found your channel very useful, is the use of home allowance taxable ? is it like benefit in kind ?

[@JuniperLynx]

kids Movies use of home allowance is not taxable. It is an allowance provided by HMRC to contribute towards your costs while working from home.

[@lifesjourney1680]

I want to buy a property and rent it out. Because of the mortgage interest relief, I wanted to do this using a limited company. However, I've just established that brokers are unlikely to lend to a limited company. Currently, I'm working in Europe, so if I was renting a property in the UK, I'd not be liable for tax anyway, as the income would be less than the £12,500. Therefore, there is no need to start a limited company (no tax benefits). I intend to return to the UK (home) in the next few years, and I'd be working as a high earner, which means at that point, I'd be paying 40%+ tax on the rental income. At this stage, it would become beneficial to have started a limited company, before buying that property. To avoid capital tax, stamp duty, legal fees etc, it's probably too expensive to transfer the property to a limited company at this stage. So, should I just set up a limited company now, before buying a property (with others to follow in the next year or so); even though it would essentially mean losing money in the short term? Or are you able to advise of an alternative approach? Also, please correct me if anything I've stated above is not actually true (my current understanding).

[@TaliaDeanOfficial]

Hi Ya Is there a way to contact you personally ?

[@tamshora090]

another question please, has the salary been taxed twice? every month then at the end of the year ?

[@JuniperLynx]

kids Movies hey there! Salary is not taxed twice. Normal PAYE is deducted monthly however if you receive other forms of income you must complete a self-assessment. The return will need to include all income received (and all tax already paid) to ensure the whole calculation is correctly taxed.

[@tamshora090]

@@JuniperLynx so if I receive salary and other income , do I need to gross the salary then add it to my other income before I do the self assessment?

[@JuniperLynx]

Tam Jet hey tam, when filling out the return you should have your P60 (end of tax year figures) from your employer. It’ll show the gross pay and tax deducted which would match HMRC’s records. If you left an employment part way through the tax year, you’ll have a P45 instead. If you’re ever unsure about your income figures, just call HMRC’s helpline for personal tax / self assessment and they’ll send a letter with your income details for the year.

[@Justtellmetheanswer6910]

I love your videos x

[@JuniperLynx]

I'm glad to hear it! Thanks a lot for the comment :)

[@rinainlondon8]

Very helpful

[@rinainlondon8]

This is very nice

[@ugli1440]

How do I avoid paying taxes on digital asset investments. I have big plans to make a lot of money. But I wan't to avoid paying taxes. (taxation is theft!). I know it's possible because you hear about it all the time! Even if it means setting up an offshore bank account and registering a company abroad. Please tell me how this is done. If you can save me from paying taxes on my investments I will happily pay a lot of money.

[@ciarancallaghan8166]

Cheers

[@GoldHaartGaming]

Hello Juniper Lynx, You and your video are exactly what I have been looking for, a well put together video. I am looking forward to doing business with you. Thank you With Friendship Dan

[@saleemsaif41]

Is there anyway to contact you like whatsapp or messenger ?

[@JuniperLynx]

Hey Saleem, not at the moment but feel free to send us an email at [e-mail] and we'll get back to you as soon as possible!

[@bajbus81]

can you talk clearly, not ble ble ble......

[@JuniperLynx]

Thanks for your comment! Apologies if the video wasn't clear. Let me know if you have any questions or if there was something you couldn't understand 🙂

[@Dxx26]

Im not English, but everything was very clear for me. Thank you

[@grandridges5226]

Thank you so much