Going out on your own

Trading through a company

Brown Biscuits Limited: owner Jackie Brown

Brown Biscuits Ltd (BBL) is a separate legal entity. There are some significant advantages of trading through a limited liability company.

• Limited liability: The ‘limited’ in the name of BBL means that Jackie’s obligations as a shareholder are limited to the amount of unpaid share capital. As a shareholder Jackie is not personally liable for BBL’s obligations. In most commercial situations Jackie is protected from personal liability for claims against BBL, such as an employee’s personal grievance claim and claims for breach of contract or negligence. If BBL fails, Jackie is not personally responsible for its debts. However, if Jackie is also a BBL director, there are some major exceptions to these rules, see page 2.

To ensure that the situation is clear, Jackie should describe herself as ‘director/Brown Biscuits Limited’ on anything she signs for BBL. This makes it clear that it is BBL that is signing the document, and that Jackie is not agreeing to accept personal liability.

• Separate entities: BBL is a legal entity which is separate from Jackie Brown. It has its own IRD number and must pay all income tax, GST, ACC levies, wages and so on in relation to its business. BBL will continue to exist until it is wound up, even if Jackie and subsequent shareholders die or sell their shares.
• Flexibility: Trading as BBL gives Jackie the flexibility to have other investors (shareholders) in the business, either at the time BBL is established, or further down the track. Jackie and the shareholders can agree to own differing percentages of the shares in BBL. This means that Jackie can sell part or all of her interest in the business by selling some of her shareholding.

Where there is more than one shareholder in BBL, it is wise to have a shareholders’ agreement and a constitution. These will address matters such as restrictions on share sales to third parties, profit-sharing, dispute resolution and so on.

Companies distribute their profits between shareholders as dividends, usually based on the shareholders’ percentages of the total shares in the company.

Management and ownership are separate. Shareholders are not necessarily directors, for example, if they don’t intend to be involved in running the business. Directors do not have to be shareholders. A director’s remuneration (such as an annual fixed director’s fee) does not need to be tied to the performance of the company.

• Tax: BBL may pay less tax than Jackie. The current company tax rate of 28% is lower than the current top personal tax rate. In a situation where profits are reinvested in BBL, rather than distributed to Jackie, it may be that less tax will be paid overall.

There are obligations and responsibilities on Jackie when trading as BBL, even though BBL is a ‘limited liability’ company Jackie is likely to be a director of BBL as well as a shareholder.

• Complexity: Jackie must comply with the Companies Act
  and other legislation such as the Minimum Wage Act, and health and safety legislation. If Jackie breaches her statutory obligations as director, there can be significant legal and tax consequences, and potential personal liability (see below).
• Personal liability: Jackie can be personally liable for BBL’s obligations where she has not met her statutory duty as a director. One very important statutory duty is that Jackie must not allow BBL to trade while it is insolvent. If Jackie allows BBL to incur debts when it is unable to pay those debts, she may find herself personally liable for those debts.
  In the civil courts, Jackie can be personally liable for BBL’s actions where she has been actively personally involved in the wrongdoing in question, such as fraud, or where she has personally assumed responsibility.

Jackie can also be personally liable for BBL’s debts where she has given a personal guarantee. Lenders, landlords, trade suppliers and other business entities will often require a personal guarantee from Jackie before they are willing to lend, rent, or extend credit to BBL. In addition to a personal guarantee, lenders may require security against Jackie’s personal assets, for example, a mortgage registered against her home, before a loan and/or credit is approved.

• Costs: There are greater set-up costs involved in forming BBL than operating as a sole trader. Due to the legal obligations imposed on companies, there can be greater administrative, legal and accounting costs to run BBL after it has been established.
• Tax: The flat company tax rate of 28% could be a disadvantage if BBL is not making much profit initially, as that rate is higher than the current low-to-mid personal tax rates.

Doing business as a sole trader

Jackie Brown: trading as Brown Biscuits (BB)

Being in business as a sole trader/Brown Biscuits is more straightforward than operating as Brown Biscuits Limited. Jackie’s trading name is just a business name; there is no separate legal entity.

Some advantages of being a sole trader are:

• Less paperwork and costs: BB is one business entity and one taxpayer – BB is Jackie. Jackie does not have to get up to speed with the law and administrative detail that is necessary to run a company. That said, Jackie must still comply with the laws of being in business and employing staff.
• Tax: There is no separate IRD number; all Jackie’s tax (personal and under her trading name of BB) will be paid under her personal name. Also, as we explain above, there may be less tax to pay on BB’s profits as a sole trader rather than as a company.
• Going solo: As Jackie does not own the business with anyone else, there is less likelihood of friction and disputes in the running of the business.

There are some disadvantages of running the business of BB as a sole trader:

• Unlimited liability: Jackie’s personal liability is unlimited. Her assets, including her home and other assets and bank accounts, are all vulnerable to claims arising from her business.
• Sole responsibility: Jackie doesn’t share the responsibility with anyone else. There is no one with a stake in the business Jackie can rely on or share ideas with.

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