CIF equIvalent in UK
Thread poster: Anamaria Calinescu
Anamaria Calinescu
Anamaria Calinescu  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:20
English to Romanian
Apr 17, 2020

Hi,

I have registered as self-employed in UK(sole trader) but haven't registered for VAT. Now I have a Romanian company that requires from me the CIF. I have registered by myself as self-employed (hopefully that I have done correctly the registration), so I have the UTR number and that's it... As well with this problem that we are facing now, couldn't go to an accountant to consult. Any advice would be really appreciated on what equivalent of CIF should I provide. I have read that
... See more
Hi,

I have registered as self-employed in UK(sole trader) but haven't registered for VAT. Now I have a Romanian company that requires from me the CIF. I have registered by myself as self-employed (hopefully that I have done correctly the registration), so I have the UTR number and that's it... As well with this problem that we are facing now, couldn't go to an accountant to consult. Any advice would be really appreciated on what equivalent of CIF should I provide. I have read that the CIF is equal with Vat Reg Nr. or Business Identification Number(BIN.) But not sure, as were too many contradictory opinions. A CIF is the registration number issued by the tax authorities to a company, in the UK the equivalent is the company registration number, but then, it isn't applicable for sole traders.

Bottom line, in my registration with the agency, should I live a blank space to CIF requirement? Specifying that the company send me the registration form in Romanian.

Thank you.
Collapse


 
Dan Lucas
Dan Lucas  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:20
Member (2014)
Japanese to English
Omit but explain Apr 17, 2020

Anamaria Calinescu wrote:
A CIF is the registration number issued by the tax authorities to a company, in the UK the equivalent is the company registration number, but then, it isn't applicable for sole traders.

I would just explain to them that you are a sole trader and not a company, so you have no company registration number. Then explain that you are not VAT-registered and that in the UK such VAT registration is not common for smaller businesses, as it is mandatory only when turnover reaches £85,000.

If they won't accept this, there's not much you can do, but if they're so inflexible that they cannot accept that other countries have different ways of doing things, you're better off not dealing with them, because you'll probably hit other problems down the road.

The UTR should be used only to identify you to HMRC, and I would certainly not be giving it out to other parties. Other than myself, only HMRC and my accountant know my UTR.

Regards,
Dan


Tom in London
Daniel Williams
 
Tom in London
Tom in London
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:20
Member (2008)
Italian to English
I agree with Dan Apr 18, 2020

I would only add: as a UK taxpayer you should comply with UK rules only, and should not attempt to comply with the rules of any other jurisdiction - in this case Romania.

So yes - you should leave the CIF box blank.



[Edited at 2020-04-18 08:31 GMT]


Anamaria Calinescu
Daniel Williams
 
Anamaria Calinescu
Anamaria Calinescu  Identity Verified
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:20
English to Romanian
TOPIC STARTER
Thank you! I really appreciate the quick reply! Thanks Apr 18, 2020

Dan Lucas wrote:

Anamaria Calinescu wrote:
A CIF is the registration number issued by the tax authorities to a company, in the UK the equivalent is the company registration number, but then, it isn't applicable for sole traders.

I would just explain to them that you are a sole trader and not a company, so you have no company registration number. Then explain that you are not VAT-registered and that in the UK such VAT registration is not common for smaller businesses, as it is mandatory only when turnover reaches £85,000.

If they won't accept this, there's not much you can do, but if they're so inflexible that they cannot accept that other countries have different ways of doing things, you're better off not dealing with them, because you'll probably hit other problems down the road.

The UTR should be used only to identify you to HMRC, and I would certainly not be giving it out to other parties. Other than myself, only HMRC and my accountant know my UTR.

Regards,
Dan


 
gayd (X)
gayd (X)
CIF equivalent in the UK Apr 18, 2020

https://www.oecd.org/tax/automatic-exchange/crs-implementation-and-assistance/tax-identification-numbers/UK-TIN.pdf

Anamaria Calinescu
 


There is no moderator assigned specifically to this forum.
To report site rules violations or get help, please contact site staff »


CIF equIvalent in UK






Trados Studio 2022 Freelance
The leading translation software used by over 270,000 translators.

Designed with your feedback in mind, Trados Studio 2022 delivers an unrivalled, powerful desktop and cloud solution, empowering you to work in the most efficient and cost-effective way.

More info »
Trados Business Manager Lite
Create customer quotes and invoices from within Trados Studio

Trados Business Manager Lite helps to simplify and speed up some of the daily tasks, such as invoicing and reporting, associated with running your freelance translation business.

More info »