Self Employed Naturalisation

[allta]

Hello folks,

I've tried to search the thread for info on self employed people like me, but didn't find much to answer my concern.

First a little background on me, I came into the UK in 2004 with Working Holidaymaker Visa, then convert to HSMP in March, 2006. I was initially given 1yr and then another 4yrs. But I qualified for ILR under the JR in 2010 and got it.

Now is the time for Naturalisation and I have 3months to go before applying.....but I thought I should ask some questions so I know how to gather the stuffs that I need to gather together.

I've been working as employee since 2004 but went self employed March 2010.

1. Anyone experience short processing time (e.g. < 2months) for self employment naturalisation applications?

2. Will letter from HMRC suffice as proof for payment of TAX over 5yr period? (this is because I don't have all my P60s complete) I once received a similar letter on their letter headed detailing each employer, money earned and tax paid since 2006/2007....and I used this for my ILR application as well.

3. I'm working on getting my accountant to sort out self assessment for me 2009/2010 and I should be able to get a Self Assessment Statement of Account for 2009/2010 by March 2011 when I apply. Will this be enough? or will they want the self assessment statement of account for 2010/2011? which will not be ready until late 2011 when I file another tax return.

4. Can I travel overseas while my application has been received/acknowledged by HO?

BTW, I pay PAYE/NIC using the online billpay website, but I also collect dividends from my limited liability company.

Any advise from you guys will be appreciated. Many Thanks and I'm hoping this journey will end someday

[ukpl]

1. Anyone experience short processing time (e.g. < 2months) for self employment naturalisation applications?
less than 3 weeks for me

2.(this is because I don't have all my P60s complete)
can't you ask your previous employer(s) for P60s ?

3. I'm working on getting my accountant to sort out self assessment for me 2009/2010 and I should be able to get a Self Assessment Statement of Account for 2009/2010 by March 2011 when I apply. Will this be enough? or will they want the self assessment statement of account for 2010/2011? which will not be ready until late 2011 when I file another tax return.
you are supposed to enclose the most recent statement of accounts - you are issued such statement on montly basis if there is any change such as you pay some tax in advance during the fiscal year
you are confusing things as statement of account is not yearly one
you can access and print your statement from your online HMRC account
anyway, at the time you apply, you will have the one for 2009/2010 and it will be fine

4. Can I travel overseas while my application has been received/acknowledged by HO?

BTW, I pay PAYE/NIC using the online billpay website, but I also collect dividends from my limited liability company.
if you are paid director and your company pays your PAYE your company will also issue P60 for you
if you pay tax on PAYE basis as self-employeed during fiscal year then you are issued statement of account every month you pay tax
I think you are confusing things. Are you self-employed and registered as such in HMRC? Or are you only working for your own ltd. company as a paid director?

[allta]

Hi ukpl, thanks for your swift response. really appreciate.

1. It's good to know that it can take less than 1month for self-employed

2. I can't ask some of my previous employers as I burnt some bridges moving on or it's just not easy getting from some of them.

3. I know my accountants are filing Self Assessment for me for 2009/2010 and currently await my UTR number from HMRC, I believe that makes me a self employed.

Currently I can't check my statements online because I don't yet have UTR Number.

4. I might as well wait behind in the country while they do the processing before I go away on sabatical holiday.

[allta]

1. Anyone experience short processing time (e.g. < 2months) for self employment naturalisation applications?
less than 3 weeks for me

2.(this is because I don't have all my P60s complete)
can't you ask your previous employer(s) for P60s ?

3. I'm working on getting my accountant to sort out self assessment for me 2009/2010 and I should be able to get a Self Assessment Statement of Account for 2009/2010 by March 2011 when I apply. Will this be enough? or will they want the self assessment statement of account for 2010/2011? which will not be ready until late 2011 when I file another tax return.
you are supposed to enclose the most recent statement of accounts - you are issued such statement on montly basis if there is any change such as you pay some tax in advance during the fiscal year
you are confusing things as statement of account is not yearly one
you can access and print your statement from your online HMRC account
anyway, at the time you apply, you will have the one for 2009/2010 and it will be fine

4. Can I travel overseas while my application has been received/acknowledged by HO?

BTW, I pay PAYE/NIC using the online billpay website, but I also collect dividends from my limited liability company.
if you are paid director and your company pays your PAYE your company will also issue P60 for you
if you pay tax on PAYE basis as self-employeed during fiscal year then you are issued statement of account every month you pay tax
I think you are confusing things. Are you self-employed and registered as such in HMRC? Or are you only working for your own ltd. company as a paid director?

This whole thing is confusing to me, i.e. whether self-employed or paid director, just spoke to a rep from the accounting firm, said I'm a paid director.......and that statement of account wouldn't be ready until after current financial year.

This is what I will get by the time I apply in March:
1. Letter from HMRC showing earnings breakdown from 2006 - 2010
2. Letter from Accountants showing income, tax and dividends earned for 2010/2011

If Self assessment is completed (which should) for 2009/2010, then I should get one to show earnings in 2009/2010, but to be honest, HMRC said they're yet to have records for 2010/2011 even though I make payments online.

So, the only thing to proof tax for 2010/2011 will be from my accountants. My question is, will this be sufficient as proof for tax in year 2010/2011?

[ukpl]

Paid director is not self-employed person. He/she is a company director, employed by his/her company.
Paid director as anybody else can be as well self-employed person but must register as such with HMRC.
Filling out self assessment doesn't make anyone self-employed.
Everybody who earns not from a job is supposed to filled out one.
You as an owner of the company receive dividends based on your share (my guess it is 100%). Hence you have to do self assessment.
You can receive dividends from other companies (as an investor), annuities, income from abroad, pensions from abroad and a lot of other things and you can sit at home and do nothing. You are then neither employed nor self-employed but still you have to fill out self assessment.
It is beyond the scope of this forum, but I think you have been ill informed.
You as paid director of your own company do not need to register as self-employed person - it gives you no advantages. I know many accountants register people for all and everything (VAT, PAYE, self-employment, etc.) only to charge for everything. Not to say the above applies to you accountant.
BTW, you don't need to show how much you have earned and how much tax you have paid. You need to show your affairs with HMRC are in tact - you are not in arrears, in debt to HMRC, etc.

[allta]

Paid director is not self-employed person. He/she is a company director, employed by his/her company.
Paid director as anybody else can be as well self-employed person but must register as such with HMRC.
Filling out self assessment doesn't make anyone self-employed.
Everybody who earns not from a job is supposed to filled out one.
You as an owner of the company receive dividends based on your share (my guess it is 100%). Hence you have to do self assessment.
You can receive dividends from other companies (as an investor), annuities, income from abroad, pensions from abroad and a lot of other things and you can sit at home and do nothing. You are then neither employed nor self-employed but still you have to fill out self assessment.
It is beyond the scope of this forum, but I think you have been ill informed.
You as paid director of your own company do not need to register as self-employed person - it gives you no advantages. I know many accountants register people for all and everything (VAT, PAYE, self-employment, etc.) only to charge for everything. Not to say the above applies to you accountant.
BTW, you don't need to show how much you have earned and how much tax you have paid. You need to show your affairs with HMRC are in tact - you are not in arrears, in debt to HMRC, etc.

Hello ukpl,

Thanks for the explanation, it's getting more clearer now. But 1 more question, in other to show my affairs with HMRC are intact and not in arrears/debt, what can I use as a proof? Will that letter from HMRC be sufficient or do I need to add the letter from accountant for 2010/2011. I'm worried HO people will want information of tax paid in 2010/2011 and HMRC don't have records for now, perhaps until after my self assessment in Feb. Also, I called HMRC and they don't issue monthly statements of account like you mentioned.

I'm just trying to make sure HO finds record for 2010/2011 when they go to HMRC to ask for my tax details.

Many Thanks

[Sherry101]

There is no requirement of any employment or tax payment unless you have come from an EEA country and shown that you have been self employed all the time you were in the UK and where you exercised certain EU rights. If you are on HSMP, Work Permit, Married or any dependent from a non EU country and have ILR, there is no requirement of any employment or Tax payment.
Make sure you submit what is required under the category that you came in the UK using AN guidance.