Lockdown and the pandemic have made many of us examine our lives and, in some instances, our working life in particular. Many of us have enjoyed the work from home life and for lots of us, whether due to job uncertainty or upheaval, or simply because we’ve felt the need for change, we’ve also taken new directions. More and more of us are going self-employed than ever before, and there are many benefits of being self-employed.
Whether you’ve turned a hobby into an occupation, or have been thinking about going self-employed for a while and are finally ready to take the plunge, here’s your guide to going self-employed in 2022.
How to go freelance: UK requirements
First things first, if you are thinking of going freelance this year, you will need to get certain admin aspects sorted out before doing so. These could include, but are not limited to:
- Tell HMRC that you’re going self-employed: this can be done via registering on the government website. This will let them know how you need to pay your tax and National Insurance going forward (which will be done via Self-Assessment).
- Make sure you know how to keep records of your profits and expenses: you may wish to research established bookkeeping methods.
- Set up a business bank account.
- Take out specific and relevant business insurance: this could include public liability insurance, professional indemnity insurance, and, if you’re employing someone, employer’s liability insurance.
- Set up a private pension, as you’ll no longer qualify for a workplace pension.
These are just the basics of what you may need, ready for going self-employed. There may be additional documentation and other legal aspects that you need to take out, so it’s worth looking for a specific going freelance checklist for your industry or researching ‘how do I go self-employed?’ before taking the plunge.
How to set up a self-employed home office
Once you have these aspects of going self-employed in place, you can then think about the other, less formal, things that you may need to sort out. For example, have you thought about how you’ll design your home office for self-employed work? Have a think about what you’ll need for your self-employed home office. For most people, this will look like a desk and an ergonomic chair, for starters. You may also need office storage, too.
Of course, how you choose to furnish your home office will also depend on your set up at home. Will you have a dedicated room to use as your home office, or will your home office need to fit in with the décor of the rest of your home? You may wish to choose a compact home office desk, such as the Bibury desk, or something with built-in storage, such as the Odell desk. Both of these have different advantages, and it will depend on what you need from your home office furniture as to the choice you make.
Will you have a small home office, or a larger space to furnish? If it’s the latter, and you’re likely to have clients visit your home office regularly, you may also need meeting room furniture, too, such as the Nova Circular Meeting Table.
What self-employed home office expenses can I claim?
Remember that there are certain expenses that you can claim when going self-employed. This may well include the cost of kitting out your self-employed home office, as well as any ongoing costs for the use of your home as an office.
There are many checklists and calculators available online for those going self-employed to check their self-employed home office expenses, and it’s worth keeping any receipts you may have in case you are able to claim the expense back.
Going self-employed in 2022? ADD office can help you set up your self-employed home office.
If you’re going self-employed in 2022, ADD office can help. As premium suppliers of office furniture, we can help you to set up your home office, ready to make 2022 the year you become your own boss.
Why not get in touch with our team today? We can offer bespoke advice to help you furnish your home office and set you up for going self-employed.
