Is that all they've sent?.........As it stands they haven't a snowballs chance in hell of enforcing it:D

“I am appalled that the European Commission has welcomed this ill-conceived judgement from the ECJ. Members of the ECJ cannot be expected to understand the serious safety implications of their judgement: the European Commission can,” says ERA Director General, Mike Ambrose. Rapid - Press Releases - EUROPA

Hello Martin! Sorry Martin, I think you may've misread what I said. I didn't mean Sole Trader Account, as that I know is a Business Account so will indeed be Credit Checked to death to get it. I meant that Beachy should get a Private Account in Beachy's own name, and run the Business from that. There's no reason why Beachy cannot just change his Trading Name to match his own name. The main issue is hassle, but there's absolutely nothing to stop it if he's a Sole Trader (or small Partnership). We've done this in the past, and it's just a case of telling HMRC/VAT and Key Customers, and they'll make the name change to their systems and paperwork. All else carries on. It may be hassle to organise, but it can be done, and then Beachy can be Trading under his own name, and can stay in business. Nothing to stop him having a batch of Trading Names, provided he is listed as the Proprietor on any Letterheads, and makes it clear all Cheques should be Paid to him. Again, no real problem, just tell the School about the Business Name change and Payment requirements and any Accounting Department worth its salt will handle the change without trauma. Again, provided the Invoice says "CAG Plumbing" but has Beachy listed as the Sole Proprietor Trading As "CAG Plumbing", with a note that says all Cheques are Payable to Beachy, this is quite normal and acceptable. You just need to make it clear to any regular Account Customers and once they've got the hang of it, things will carry on. Sorry to labour the point, but it really is not that complex for Sole Traders and Small Partnerships. Provided their Accounts are accurate, then they can run the Business in their own names, using a Private Bank Account...and can still have any number of Trading Names, i.e.: Letterheads and Invoices: Sole Trader: Mr Horatio Beachy T/As himself or T/As "CAG Plumbing" Or if using the Trading Name "CAG Plumbing": Either way, just get a Private Bank Account in the name Mr H Beachy. Small Partnership (e.g. Husband/Wife): Trading under their own names or T/As "CAG Plumbing" Or if using the Trading Name "CAG Plumbing": Either way, just get a Private Bank Account in the name Mr H & Mrs E Beachy, and then cheques Payable to Mr H Beachy or Mrs E Beachy, or Mr H & Mrs E Beachy can be paid into this Account no problem. The only thing you cannot accept is Cheques Payable to "CAG Plumbing", because the Payee will not then match the Bank Account. One reason for either a Sole Trader or a Small Partnership to have a Business Bank Account is to have a Bank Account Name that matches their Trading Name...but that is not actually needed just to stay in business. Merchant Services (Credit Card Processing): The only major benefit to having a Business Bank Account is to have Merchant Services, such as Credit Card facilities. That isn't usually available on Private Bank Accounts that I am aware of, but it may be possible to have the Service and link it to a Private Account for Payments and Withdrawals. I doubt they'd let you do this, but there may not be a reason to stop this. PayPal Virtual Terminal: Another way to get Merchant Facilities without a Business Bank Account is using PayPal Virtual Terminal (PayPal VT). This is only useful for, say, Mail Order, because it does not allow Face to Face Card Transactions, as the Virtual Terminal is just that, i.e. virtual and not a Physical Card Machine. PayPal VT is an on-line way to process a Card Transaction where you can enter the Card Details via an on-line virtual machine and if the Card Details are OK, the PayPal VT will Debit the Card and Deposit the Payment into your PayPal Account. So it is no good for, say, a Shop where people are presenting their Card to you. But it is suitable for someone selling via Mail Order, where Card Details are given to you over the Phone or via Letter or via Fax. In effect, PayPal VT is no use for Chip and PIN, but OK for Phone or Fax Sales. PayPal VT has the advantage that you can run it from a PayPal Premiere Account, i.e. a PayPal Account that is not in a Business Name. Such PayPal Accounts allow you to link any Private Bank Accounts, so adding to the flexibility of running your Business from a Private Bank Account rather than from a Business Bank Account. Our Business is a small Partnership, and we have a few Trading Names and Web Sites. But we make it clear to all it is us Trading As, and none of our Account Customers have had a problem changing the Bank Payment details to a Private Account. Indeed, some Pay us, some Pay me, some Pay my Wife. None now Pay us using a Trading Name, which is the only niggle. But we have managed to stay in business despite our ex-bank's best efforts to take us down. The only glitch we had not having a bank account in our Business Trading Name was when an existing Customer recently did a BACS Transfer, but used our Business Trading Name by accident. The BACS never made it, as the Payee details didn't match our Private Bank Account name. However, it was soon corrected by our Customer, and the funds arrived a couple of days later than they would've otherwise. Next time, they'll be OK as they now have the correct Payee name on their system. When we recently lost any effective use out of our Business Bank Account, we instead opened a Private Joint Bank Account in our own names, and I simply sent a polite letter to our Clients saying we were getting rid of our old Business Account due to high charges, and were going to use a Private Account instead. I added that we were a Partnership Trading As the Business Name, so it was quite legal and safe to pay us via our own names. None of our Clients complained at all. The key thing is to stay in Business and keep the money flowing. If Beachy is denied a Business Bank Account, then he has no option but to switch to a Private Account ASAP, and make sure any Business Name, VAT and/or Letterhead/Invoice Documents match his name. Trading Names can still be used, but the main limitation is that Beachy cannot accept Cheques or Bank Transfers using those Trading Names for the time being (until he can get a Business Bank Account again). If I were Beachy, I'd get a 2nd Private Bank Account in his own name, and with a completely different bank, just in case anything happens to the new one!!!! You never know, his new bank could merge with his old one, and he could find himself back at square one with a hostile bank again! After all, who would've thought Halifax, Bank of Scotland, Royal Bank of Scotland, TSB and Lloyds would all merge together! In summary, for a Sole Trader or small Partnership, changing Business Name is hassle, but there's nothing much to stop you. The hardest part is just getting on and doing it. If it's a matter of staying in Business or going bust, then it's no brainer, Beachy needs to crack on with it PDQ and then get back to business! Merry Christmas to you all by the way! Cheers, BRW