Trying to set up as a sole trader - what am I doing wrong?
Discussion
Went here: https://www.gov.uk/set-up-sole-trader
Clicked 'Register now'
Followed the process but ran into problems ...
I reached a point where it asked me to log in to Government Gateway or register if I didn't already have an account. As I didn't have an account I registered for one. After this I expected the process of setting up as a sole trader to continue, but instead it simply took me to my user dashboard within Government Gateway. There was no suggestion that I'd completed my registration as a sole trader or indication as to how I might be able to continue the process if I hadn't completed it.
I logged out and started from the beginning again ... logged into Government Gateway again when prompted, but once more I was simply taken to my Government Gateway user dashboard with no suggestion that I'd successfully registered as a sole trader or how I might be able to continue the process if I hadn't completed it.
Have I done something wrong or does the site have a fault in that it requires you to log in to Government Gateway during the sole trader registration process but then doesn't provide a means of continuing? Or is it that I have successfully registered but it simply doesn't provide any indication that this is the case?
Clicked 'Register now'
Followed the process but ran into problems ...
I reached a point where it asked me to log in to Government Gateway or register if I didn't already have an account. As I didn't have an account I registered for one. After this I expected the process of setting up as a sole trader to continue, but instead it simply took me to my user dashboard within Government Gateway. There was no suggestion that I'd completed my registration as a sole trader or indication as to how I might be able to continue the process if I hadn't completed it.
I logged out and started from the beginning again ... logged into Government Gateway again when prompted, but once more I was simply taken to my Government Gateway user dashboard with no suggestion that I'd successfully registered as a sole trader or how I might be able to continue the process if I hadn't completed it.
Have I done something wrong or does the site have a fault in that it requires you to log in to Government Gateway during the sole trader registration process but then doesn't provide a means of continuing? Or is it that I have successfully registered but it simply doesn't provide any indication that this is the case?
So potentially I might have now registered twice!
It's annoying though - you're completely oblivious as to whether you've been successful or not. I'd have thought there'd at least be something in the Government Gateway user area stating that my application was pending approval. I'm guessing I'll need some kind of 'proof' that I'm registered before I can open a business bank account so hopefully it won't take long.
It's annoying though - you're completely oblivious as to whether you've been successful or not. I'd have thought there'd at least be something in the Government Gateway user area stating that my application was pending approval. I'm guessing I'll need some kind of 'proof' that I'm registered before I can open a business bank account so hopefully it won't take long.
MitchT said:
So potentially I might have now registered twice!
It's annoying though - you're completely oblivious as to whether you've been successful or not. I'd have thought there'd at least be something in the Government Gateway user area stating that my application was pending approval. I'm guessing I'll need some kind of 'proof' that I'm registered before I can open a business bank account so hopefully it won't take long.
Other than registering for self assessment, there's no other 'registration' as such. I don't think a bank would need to see that for a business bank account either, so you should be fine. It's annoying though - you're completely oblivious as to whether you've been successful or not. I'd have thought there'd at least be something in the Government Gateway user area stating that my application was pending approval. I'm guessing I'll need some kind of 'proof' that I'm registered before I can open a business bank account so hopefully it won't take long.
You used to have to register within 3 months of starting, but I think this has now changed to the 5th October in your second year of trading.
Think I finally got to the bottom of this. I tried logging into Government Gateway this morning and it took me to a site I've never seen before with a long list of services that I could enrol in, including self-assessment.
The site I'd ended up at when I originally followed the link to set up as a sole trader on the HMRC website was headed 'Personal tax account' and had information about PAYE tax, pension information, etc. but no links to the Government Gateway site or its services.
Furthermore, after getting into the Government Gateway site this morning I couldn't work out how to get to the 'Personal tax account' site from there. It's not possible! I literally had to Google 'government gateway pension' to find the log in screen for the Personal tax account site. It uses the same log in information as Government Gateway but appears to be a completely separate site.
I think HMRC need to familiarise themselves with the concept of user experience!
The site I'd ended up at when I originally followed the link to set up as a sole trader on the HMRC website was headed 'Personal tax account' and had information about PAYE tax, pension information, etc. but no links to the Government Gateway site or its services.
Furthermore, after getting into the Government Gateway site this morning I couldn't work out how to get to the 'Personal tax account' site from there. It's not possible! I literally had to Google 'government gateway pension' to find the log in screen for the Personal tax account site. It uses the same log in information as Government Gateway but appears to be a completely separate site.
I think HMRC need to familiarise themselves with the concept of user experience!
Edited by MitchT on Friday 18th November 10:58
No, not already registered. This is a totally new thing to me. I've only ever been on PAYE up 'till now and I didn't have a Gateway account until I was asked to set one up after commencing the 'set up as a sole trader' process.
The confusion seemed to lie in the fact that the 'set up as a sole trader' link on the HMRC website takes you through a process which asks you to register for Government Gateway (if you aren't already registered) but ends on the 'Personal tax account' site, which I took to be the Government Gateway site because I didn't know any better.
After Googling Government Gateway this morning, logging in with details that I established previously, and being taken to what actually is the Government Gateway site, I can now see where the option to enrol for self assessment is.
However, the reason I'd Googled Government Gateway this morning was to have another look at the state pension information that is on the 'Personal tax account' site which uses the same log in information but is a different site, accessed via a different log in screen.
Neither of the two sites contain links to the other!
The confusion seemed to lie in the fact that the 'set up as a sole trader' link on the HMRC website takes you through a process which asks you to register for Government Gateway (if you aren't already registered) but ends on the 'Personal tax account' site, which I took to be the Government Gateway site because I didn't know any better.
After Googling Government Gateway this morning, logging in with details that I established previously, and being taken to what actually is the Government Gateway site, I can now see where the option to enrol for self assessment is.
However, the reason I'd Googled Government Gateway this morning was to have another look at the state pension information that is on the 'Personal tax account' site which uses the same log in information but is a different site, accessed via a different log in screen.
Neither of the two sites contain links to the other!
Isn't HMRC IT wonderful 
Enjoy MTD when it starts in April 2018.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
Enjoy MTD when it starts in April 2018.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
Eric Mc said:
That's correct.
Have they informed you which self assessment tax year is the first year for which you will need to complete a return? That should be mentioned in either of the letters.
Yes, they have.Have they informed you which self assessment tax year is the first year for which you will need to complete a return? That should be mentioned in either of the letters.
Only posted to let the OP know that you need not worry - the system doesn't seem to be set up to give you a confirmation online - it comes by letter later.
Eric Mc said:
Isn't HMRC IT wonderful
Enjoy MTD when it starts in April 2018.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
Aye, and try calling them when said IT system says "no".Enjoy MTD when it starts in April 2018.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...
I was almost bashing my head off a wall after 5 minutes I don't know how accountants can do this daily.
Eric Mc said:
Enjoy MTD when it starts in April 2018.
By sheer chance 'MTD' was what I always thought I'd call my future business when I was at school pondering my future!Anyway, scrap everything I already said, this is still doing my head in! It turns out that the enrolment for SA on the Government Gateway website is for people who already have their UTR. I can't even tell if I've successfully notified HMRC that I'm becoming self employed!!
The events so far, in summary ...
- Used this link: https://www.gov.uk/set-up-sole-trader
- Clicked 'Register now'
- Started ticking boxes
- Reached the page where it says you need to log in to Government Gateway, or create an account if you don't have one
- Created Government Gateway account
- Was then directed to a page titled 'Personal tax account'
- Couldn't find any evidence that my registration for SA was complete, had begun, was pending, etc.
- Clicked 'Register now'
- Started ticking boxes
- Reached the page where it says you need to log in to Government Gateway, or create an account if you don't have one
- Logged in to Government Gateway
- Was then directed to a page titled 'Personal tax account'
- Still couldn't find any evidence that my registration for SA was complete, had begun, was pending, etc.
A few days later, I decided to try to access the 'Personal tax account' page as I wanted to have another look at my state pension information ...
- Googled 'Government Gateway' as I believed this was where I'd ended up before
- Used my Government Gateway information to log in
- Was taken into the Government Gateway site which is TOTALLY DIFFERENT to the 'Personal tax account' site where I'd ended up before.
- Noticed you can enrol for SA
- Tried to enrol for SA
- Need a UTR code which I don't have!
- Googled again for HMRC pension information
- Found log in page for the 'Personal tax account' site
- Used Government Gateway credentials to log in
- Found my pension information
- Started searching for tutorials on YouTube
- Found this, which shows the user reaching the stage I did, where you have to log in to Government Gateway, or create an account, which they do, and then they click 'next' and the user gets a screen titled 'Register for HMRC taxes'. That's not what happened to me, when I clicked 'next' it went straight to the 'Personal tax account' site. The relevant bit of the video starts at about 2m5s. Here's a quick link.
- Found the 'official' HMRC video on YouTube which doesn't give you all the screen shots but does finish by providing a link to where they say you should start. Different to the link I started with originally, but seemingly has the same purpose. This link is: https://www.gov.uk/new-business-register-for-tax
- Used the link provided
- Clicked 'Start now' and had exactly the same experience that I did before, ticking boxes, logging into Government Gateway and then being redirected to the 'Personal tax account' site
Edited by MitchT on Wednesday 23 November 14:37
It's all just a warmup so you know the level of f
kwittery to expect when you are eventually registered and have to deal with them on a regular basis.
The usual way is to first register with the government gateway, they'll then send you a login (with a couple of weeks I think). At which point you can then log in and register for whichever services you want.
Your UTR number and Govenment Gateway details aren't the same thing.
kwittery to expect when you are eventually registered and have to deal with them on a regular basis.The usual way is to first register with the government gateway, they'll then send you a login (with a couple of weeks I think). At which point you can then log in and register for whichever services you want.
Your UTR number and Govenment Gateway details aren't the same thing.
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