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A business bank account is a bank account that is used only for business transactions rather than personal finances. It can be opened in the name of the business, allowing payments to be made and received using the business's name.
Business bank accounts operate in a similar way to personal bank accounts, but business account holders can often access services that are unavailable to individual account holders.
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To open a business bank account in the UK, you must already be a registered trader with Companies House. If you've done this, the next step is to choose the bank with which you want to open your account, and then you'll need to provide the documents required by the bank.
For legal reasons, the bank you choose will need to know the tax status of your business, which means they may ask you to provide your unique tax reference (UTR) number. If yours is a new business and you have yet to apply for a UTR, you should do so before you attempt to set up your business bank account.
In the latter stages of setting up your business bank account, you will need to make an initial deposit to formally open it; the required amount varies depending on the bank you choose to bank with.
To open a bank account for your business, you will need to provide certain documents and information. The exact requirements may vary depending on the bank, your business, and the type of account you want to open. Common requirements include but are not limited to:
Proof of ID documents, such as a driving licence or passport | |
Proof of UK address | |
Business verification documents, such as a business license or partnership agreements | |
Full business name and contact details | |
Your Companies House registration number |
It's important that you check the specific requirements of the bank you plan to use and gather all of the necessary documents before approaching them to open your business bank account. Otherwise, you run the risk of facing delays or being turned away by the bank you choose.
There are a few key factors to consider when comparing business bank accounts, such as monthly fees, interest rates, and minimum balance requirements.
If you typically have a positive balance in your business bank account, you may want to consider choosing an account that offers interest, whereas other businesses would benefit more from having a bank account that's more suited to continuous cash flow.
Only once you've considered all of these factors and more can you begin to start comparing the different providers out there. The whole process can be long, confusing and daunting; that's where we come in.
Regardless of the type of bank account you want or the type of industry you're in, we can find you the bank account that suits your business.
Setting up a business bank account will require you to provide several documents to prove who you are and that your business is legitimate. The specific things required will depend on the given bank, but the below steps are those typically associated with setting up a business bank account.
By following these steps, you should be able to set up your business bank account and start managing your business finances more effectively.
If you run a limited company, you are legally required to have a business bank account to keep your business transactions separate from your personal account.
If you are a sole trader, you are not legally required to have a business bank account, and you can use your personal bank account for all business transactions. It is, however, often recommended that sole traders have a separate business bank account to make accounting and tax filing easier in the long run.
If you run a limited company or a limited liability partnership, you are legally required to have a separate business bank account.
This requirement does not apply to businesses made up of a sole trader, although many sole traders do opt to have a business bank account for administrative purposes.