What is the difference between a trading address and a business address?


We need to set up a company, but obviously we must first sort out our addresses. Are trading addresses the same thing as business addresses? Or, is there some fundamental difference I should know about?



Good question - this causes lots of confusion! The terms ‘trading address’ and ‘business address’ are often used interchangeably but they can also mean different things, so it is no surprise that a lot of people are totally perplexed.

A trading address is the place where your company carries out its business activities. This could be any number of places, such as:

  • Your home
  • A private commercial office
  • Dedicated storefront premises like a shop, cafe, restaurant or bar
  • A factory
  • A warehouse
  • A garage
  • A studio or workshop

A business address is a general contact address. It is not the same as a registered office, which is a statutory contact address used by Companies House and HMRC. Your business address will be used by professional contacts like customers, banks, suppliers and manufacturers, accountants and solicitors, etc. You do not have to work at, or trade from, your business address. It is actually possible to use a professional business address and have your mail forwarded to you at a different address.

You may find that you wish to use the same address as both a trading address and a business address. This is very common, but you can use different addresses if you need or want to. Some companies even have multiple trading and business addresses because they operate, or are based, in different cities and countries.

a year ago

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