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L'înformâtion et les sèrvices publyis pouor I'Île dé Jèrri

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Starting up a new business

​​​​​​​​​Help and advice for new businesses

If you're setting up a business, Jersey Business provides free, confidential advice. They can guide you on which business structure is most appropriate for you. 

You can also contact Business Licensing for advice.

The Business Licensing guidance notes explain the law relating to gaining a business licence and employing staff.

Apply for a business licence: sole trader or partnership 

If you’re registering your business as a sole trader or partnership, you'll need to apply for a business licence.

You don't need to apply for a business licence if you meet all three of the following criteria: 

  • have 'entitled' or 'entitled to work' status, and
  • you're the only employee, and
  • you work for less than 8 hours per week

You can fill in the new business application form online, but you'll need to print off and sign the form before you submit your application.

Download new business application form

You can submit your signed application by:

We’ll review your application and we may need to contact you to check or update your residential status.

For more information, read our sole trader and partnership application guidance notes. 

Registering a new business name

If you’ve indicated on your form that you’re registering a new business name as part of your application, we’ll pass your application onto the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC).

The JFSC will contact you to take a £55 registration fee before your business name can be registered.

You’ll either receive a certificate confirming that you’ve registered your business name, or the JFSC will contact you if there is a reason why your requested business name has been refused.

You should check that your preferred business name is not already registered, and that it complies with any guidance issued by the JFSC. You can do this by looking at the company search on the JFSC website.

Registering to trade as a limited company

For information on how to set up a limited company, contact Jersey Business or the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC). 

Your company must be approved and registered with the JFSC before you can apply for a business licence.

You don't need to apply for a business licence if you meet all three of the following criteria:

  • the company has only one member of staff, and
  • the member of staff has 'entitled' or 'entitled for work' status and
  • the member of staff works for less than 8 hours per week

Once your company is set up, complete an application form for a business licence and return it to us by email, post, or by dropping it into the Customer and Local Services building.

Download application form for a business licence by a limited company

Paying tax and social security contributions

Startup Plan

If you’ve recently become self-employed and have set up a business, you can apply for a startup rate of Class 2 contributions. Visit our Startup Plan page for more information

Registering as an employer for contributions

Paying Class 2 contributions (if you’re self-employed or don’t pay Class 1 contributions)

Paying employers’ ITIS

Register with the Jersey Office of the Information Commissioner (JOIC)

The Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018 requires all controllers and processors established in Jersey who process personal data to register with them and to pay a fee (subject to certain exemptions). Under the Law anyone who does not comply with these provisions is guilty of a criminal offence and subject to a fine.

You'll need to let the JOIC know certain details about how you process personal information.

Find out more and register on the JOIC website.

Employing staff

Find information about this on our employing staff page. 

You can also find out how to use Back to Work Recruitment to help you find staff.

Setting up a business if you're on Income Support

If you’re receiving Income Support and you have started up a business, you need to let us know what your profit and loss accounts are. This is so your Income Support payments can be changed if necessary.

Let us know using the form below.

Profit and loss accounts form for self-employed people on Income Support

Processing your new business registration data

Where an application for a business licence is successful, information provided to the Business Licensing will be securely shared with other States of Jersey departments and the Jersey Financial Services Commission (JFSC). 

This is in order to:

  • process the application for a business name with the JFSC
  • register the business with Social Security (as an employer and to assess your personal contribution liability) and the Taxes Office (for Income Tax and ITIS purposes)
  • improve the services we provide to our business customers

As we improve our processes, the departments that we notify may change. If you have any questions regarding how your information may be used, contact us.

Tell Us Once Data Sharing Agreement

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