Suggestions on How to Become Established as a Freelance Translator

HM Revenue and Customs

In 2005, the Inland Revenue and the HM Customs and Excise Departments merged to form HM Revenue & Customs. This is now the department you are required to register with, if you start your own business. The website is easy to navigate and very informative (address below).

Look at HM Revenue & Customs as a friend rather than an enemy. I have found them very helpful. The most important thing is to keep records of all income and expenditure from Day 1.

In 2008, the VAT threshold for being required to charge Value Added Tax to your customers is £67,000 in England. Below that threshold you may register but you are not obliged to. However, there are other conditions under which your registration is obligatory - a lot of which do not tend to apply to freelance translators. Detailed information is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk

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