I'm setting up as a sole trader from January of this year, 2021, having been unemployed for most of 2020. I see various mentions online of "registering as a Sole Trader", which seem to indicate that I can do so via the Revenue myAccount or ROS. However, I can't find any clear way to do this in either.
Further reading seems to indicate that there isn't really a single register-as-Sole-Trader form or anything, and that instead I "just" need to pay income tax, and some others, by October 31st. Some other things seem to indicate that that doesn't need to happen until October 31st 2022. I looked at registering for income tax, but that seemed to require that between my wife and myself, I should have the larger income. I won't know that for some time, and it seems pretty unlikely for a few years yet.
So:
1) Is there a form somewhere that I am missing that I can fill in and say "I am a sole trader now", or
2) By when do I need to actually pay the various taxes if that's what I need to do instead?
I'll almost certainly get an accountant to sort the actual details out for me at such time as I need to pay, but I'd like to know when, and if I'm missing anything on the actual registration business.
Further reading seems to indicate that there isn't really a single register-as-Sole-Trader form or anything, and that instead I "just" need to pay income tax, and some others, by October 31st. Some other things seem to indicate that that doesn't need to happen until October 31st 2022. I looked at registering for income tax, but that seemed to require that between my wife and myself, I should have the larger income. I won't know that for some time, and it seems pretty unlikely for a few years yet.
So:
1) Is there a form somewhere that I am missing that I can fill in and say "I am a sole trader now", or
2) By when do I need to actually pay the various taxes if that's what I need to do instead?
I'll almost certainly get an accountant to sort the actual details out for me at such time as I need to pay, but I'd like to know when, and if I'm missing anything on the actual registration business.