Moving from sole trader to ltd

[kasser]

Apparently my gas safe reg will get assigned to the ltd company (mine)? So I'm left with nothing myself if i ever sell or close down the company?

How does it work with gas engineers working as employee for a company? They will be gas safe registered of course but I've heard that they can't do work on the side if they don't have their own gas safe registration number. Does that mean they can end up having 2 registration numbers?
Why does a company need a gas safe registration number? It's the engineers who qualify, not a company?

I've asked Gas Safe these questions but they never answer clearly.
Hoping for a clearer answer here.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

You would have to set yourself back up as a st and reapply to gas safe

Most don’t want employees working on the side as it gets complicated eg they rock up in a branded van and rob companies assets etc

Yes or they lie / stick the company one down

The company needs to be registered as there the ones overseeing/ inspecting / book stops with them also for advertising purposes

 

[kasser]

So if I run a gas company employing 100 gas engineers, I only need one gas safe registration number for all of them and all gas work will be done under this reg number?

So these 100 gas engineers are not gas safe registered then? What makes them qualified to work on gas? The company's gas safe registration + their own ACS?

Is there a way to avoid losing my gas safe reg and having to reapply in the future? It's not a problem right now but I'm trying to think long-term. It could be a property maintenance company and I'd be a gas engineer employed by them...

Re employees robbing companies assets, that shouldn't be Gas Safe's concern. It should just be solely about gas safety...

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Correct
not outside the company as they don’t have there own reg there qualified

Keep paying for your own reg

 

[kasser]

Keep paying for your own reg

And what happens to the company's reg? Does it need a new one? Does it even need to be registered with Gas Safe if I'm still registered as before?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Your self employed reg / company needs to keep going if you want a separate reg from the company I’m guessing your going to sub for ?

 

[kasser]

No, not subbing, just wanted some extra protection with a ltd company.
So looks like I'll need two registrations, one for myself and one for the company, even though I'll be the only one in the company.
Who gets the new reg? Myself or the company? Is there the usual inspection that goes with it?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

I would get the ltd a new reg but will be £400 ish as it’s a new company etc

Shouldn’t have probation/ inspection as your not newly qualified

 

[snowhead]

So looks like I'll need two registrations, one for myself and one for the company, even though I'll be the only one in the company.
Who gets the new reg? Myself or the company? Is there the usual inspection that goes with it?

No you don't need 2.
You card at the moment I assume has only your name on it as you are both the registered business and the registered engineer.
When you're employed, as you will be by the company you are to be a Director of, the Gassafe registration will be in the name of the company and your card will have that company name and your name on it and they'll be a cost of £12 to issue a new card.
I suspect they'll also be an admin charge to transfer the reg from sole trader to company.

When you cease to be an employee of a registered company or the registered business ceases trading your personal registration also ceases, as mine did when I retired a few years ago, but not your future entitlement to be registered whilst ever you ACS is in date.

 

[kasser]

the registered business ceases trading your personal registration also ceases.

That's exactly what I don't want.
Although it is my company, I'd rather not give up my personal gas safe registration, if possible.

 

[snowhead]

So I'm left with nothing myself if i ever sell or close down the company?

If you close down the company and revert to sole trader I would imagine that Gassafe will allow your current registration to be transfered back to your sole trader business from the company.

If you sell your company, (or business if you don't go Ltd), a conditon of sale would be that you don't set up and trade in the same line of work, including gas, in the same area as your company / business did.
This condition would apply for a fixed number of years, usually 5 as a minimum.
When you sell the company you are effectively selling your company / business G-S registration.

So unless you move away from the area being Gassafe registered will be of no use to you.

 

[kasser]

Well, that was easily sorted.

I called Gas Safe multiple times today but had to wait too long to speak to customer services so hung up each time. Technical helpline was prompt but not the right person to speak to regarding registration.

Meanwhile I was getting replies to my emails. Unfortunately, and as usual, Gas Safe never replies to all my questions and not clearly either, thus the need for multiple emails. That's why I wanted to call, but at least they were fast on email.

Bottom line - it costs £424.80 for a new reg. In this case this is taking the Sod as there's only me in the company and I wouldn't be using any more resources than now. So I'd pay £425 just to get 2 magazines a month...

So easily sorted because my current gas safe is not worth £425 to hold on to.

They were hounding me on the site and phone to participate in a survey, so I did just that and let them know how I felt.