After much deliberation, you’ve decided to go it alone and set up as a contractor. You’ve polished your CV and LinkedIn profile and have started looking for your first contract, but you’re yet to decide on one important factor: your new company’s trading structure.

As a contractor, you can either choose to set up as a Limited Company, a Sole Trader or work under a so-called ‘Umbrella’ agreement. This article examines the main pros and cons of operating as a Limited Company.

Pros: 

Tax-efficient

Registering as a Limited Company tends to be the most tax-efficient way of operating, particularly if your annual income is likely to exceed £40,000. As a director and shareholder in the business, you can opt to take your income in the form of dividends, which will reduce National Insurance costs.

Claimable business expenses

Further savings can be made through claiming back certain business expenses, such as home office costs, childcare and mileage.

More control

As the director, you make the decisions and have full control over how your business is run, as well as your personal income and therefore rates of tax. This means no compromising with partners, or relying on third parties to collect payment for your services.

Limited personal liability

With a Limited Company, your personal finances are separate from business assets. So, if something were to go wrong, you’d only lose money from the company.

More professional image

Trading as a Limited Company gives off a more professional image, which can help you to attract and retain clients, particularly larger ones.

Cons:

More administration

As director, you have to ensure that your business is compliant with company law and are required to do everything from filing accounts to preparing tax returns and general bookkeeping. It’s down to you to familiarise yourself with the punitive IR35 legislation changes, too.

Greater responsibility

Acting as director does carry considerable responsibility. Not only will you have to conduct admin tasks on a regular basis, but it’s your duty to ensure that all information is accurate and submitted on time.

Associated costs

There are several costs related to setting up and running a Limited Company, namely those related to administration, filing and contractor accountancy services.

At Intouch Accounting, our contractor accountants offer expert accounting advice on the most suitable trading structure for your future business. We’ll manage the company formation on your behalf and relieve you of those time-consuming and often complex administrative duties. As experts in IR35 guidance, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the IR35 legislation. Get in touch today to find out more about our award winning accountancy services.

You may also be interested in:

Venturing into contracting? Download our free guide now

Calculate your take-home pay and find out if Limited is right for you

Contractor Accountants – do you get what you pay for?

This blog has been prepared by Intouch Accounting. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this blog has been obtained from reliable sources, Intouch is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. This blog should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting advisers. If you have any specific queries, please contact Intouch Accounting.

 

 

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