unsure whether this is suitable client?

lorraine

Hopefully someone will be able to help me! I am new to this and have just had a enquiry from someone in portugal. Please could you advise basically am I allowed to deal with cases like this or for want of a better word is it "dodgy" or "suspicious" in anyway, or in fact is this normal practise to deal with situations like this. Blue type is from client and I have took out any names or details that would infringe up on giving away the person's identity etc.

I am looking for a bookkeeper for my new company or Sole Trader
registration.

I have many doubts in the way I must begin trading.

It is very important for me to know what I can do and the best way to
do it before starting this venture.

Maybe be you can help me!

I am resident in Portugal.

Starting as a Sole Trader will be better for me because I can take
my salary immediately, every time I want.

Can I register as a Sole Trader even if I will not stay in UK more
than 183 days per year and pay NI contributions ?
It really doesn´t matter if I pay the same as your work for a company.

What is important is that I can keep the self-employment registration
and the NI contributions even I will not be resident.

If I really need to go as a Company I already have a brand new
company , but then I must take dividends every two months witch makes
this more complicated.


For this initial venture I would like if possible to supply you all
the customers invoices and all company expenses quarterly.
The customers invoices will be around 30 per quarter and expenses will
be very few because I probably can´t use my expenses that I
made in Portugal.
Can you please give me an offer for this ?

I already have a registered address from an company agent and a
trading address from a company that provide re-mailing services that
will resend the goods when I need them in Portugal.

I think that Revenue will expect to find the Statutory books and
company accounts and books in the company registered
address. How can we make that Revenue/ tax man will go to where the
company accounts are , that in this case will be your office ?
Will you act as my registered address to keep my company accounts ?

I am also thinking in using a internet bookkeeping application that
will make the process easier, and you will have your own access to
see my data.
Maybe you are also working with some application like this.

Will this affect your bookkeeping prices?

Most of my customers are still only in Portugal and here I can stay
out of VAT till 10.000 Euros.

Does the services with place of services located in UK () count as
long distance sales ? Are this services inside the 10.000 Eur
Portuguese VAT limit exemption ?

Because I am resident and controlling the company from Portugal I
think the UK company need to pass the
effective management tests, other wise the company will not be
resident in UK for tax proposes.

(a) Where do the directors meet?
(b) Where are management decisions taken?
(c) Where are the company’s operations based?

What can I do to walk around this problem ?
Maybe If I get a nominee director or contract some administration
service will be enough for this !!!

Any help on this would be great as I feel unsure about it!

burg

May well be legitamate but I think it is going to be very messy and complicated.

I would stay clear.

deanshepherd

Unless you are comfortable advising on the many issues raised by this potential client then I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole!

SarahS

I agree that this sounds very messy and I personally would decline the client.

Monsoon

deanshepherd wrote: »

Unless you are comfortable advising on the many issues raised by this potential client then I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole!

Agreed. They need specific advice on various things that I'd expect are outside of the expertise of many general practitioners. I wouldn't want the headache of it - there are far easier fees out there

T J

I agree too.

They don't even mention what the business "is". (thinking money laundering regs here)

And how did they get your contact details?

Sounds dodgy.

lorraine

I dont know how exactly they got my details, but I think it would have been from my website or from search engines.

Web Hosting,Web Design, FTP services, remote assistance are the services the company is offering but I did think myself about Money Laundering regs!, but wasn't 100% sure.

I have decided to not go with this one! thanks for all the advice guys!