vincevincevince - 2:15 pm on Aug 2, 2006 (gmt 0)

pat you on the head and say "Ohhhhhh, aren't you a clever likle entrepeneur?". Urrr, just thinking about that sends a shiver down my spine.

Imagine one were to toss a coin one day, heads means starting up in business, tails means being unemployed and scrounging from the state. In due course one outcome would have you encouraged and supported in your chosen way of life. The other would have you cut off from sll financial support, told to take out bank loans if you need to eat and have to adapt to an enormous volume of regulation. The sad thing is I don't even need to tell you which outcome follows which choice.

Forms? Companies house (registration, changes, annual returns, accounts), Customs & Excise (VAT registration, VAT returns, EC sales lists), Inland Revenue (PAYE registration, PAYE returns, NIC registration, NIC returns, annual summary and return, student loan forms, statuatory sick payment forms, etc. etc. etc.), Data protection registration and updates, various other industry specific registration and control paperwork, etc. And that's all on top of your normal business accounts. Did I forget to mention that you have to pay to submit many of the aforementioned forms, even if your company is still a startup and you cannot even put bread on the table.

I do hope the OP hadn't started a love affair with the UK as dreams may be now in tatters :-(