The sole trader account for your next level.
A dedicated account for your growing business, with no monthly fees.
Terms and full eligibility criteria apply.
Banking that’s good for the sole.
Starling Accounting.
Making Tax Digital,
made simple.
Making Tax Digital making your head hurt? Our free, built-in, HMRC-recognised tool makes it simple. We’ll categorise your expenses as you go, and you can submit updates to HMRC directly from your account.
Our MTD for Income Tax tool is part of Accounting Essentials, our accounting software included in your sole trader account for free.
See how it works
Freelancers, traders, start-ups.
Why choose a sole
trader account?
Separate work and fun.
Get a clear view – using a personal account gets messy. It’s easier to track your ins and outs with a dedicated account.
Set aside money for tax.
Avoid HMRC headaches, use a Space to put money aside as you go, and avoid a last-minute panic.
Keep things simple.
An easy-to-use business account. Everything you need, nothing you don’t – with a fast online application process.
Terms and full eligibility criteria apply.
Apply nowStarling Business Marketplace.
Connect to other
business tools.
Using Xero, QuickBooks or FreeAgent? Connect them to your account quickly and easily, for free, alongside pension providers like Penfold and card readers like SumUp.
How do I connect?
Industry-leading security, including face and fingerprint recognition, and groundbreaking new tools powered by AI.
Your money is protected.
Eligible deposits are protected up to £120,000 by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS).
24/7 UK support from humans.
Whatever the time, whatever the day. Start a live chat in seconds or give us a call – we’re ready to help.
Scam Intelligence.
Not sure if something’s a scam? Upload a screenshot and our AI will flag concerns, such as generic photos or low prices.
Ready to apply?
No monthly fees and 24/7 support awaits.
You must be 18 or over and be based in the UK to apply for a business current account.
Terms and full eligibility criteria apply.
Step one
Apply online.
Start your application on your phone or computer.
Step two
Tell us about you.
We’ll need documents related to your business.
Step three
Await a decision.
We’ll confirm as soon as we can.
Step four
And that’s it!
Your card is in the post.
Eligibility criteria.
Am I eligible?
We review every business on a case-by-case basis so we can’t guarantee you’ll be able to open an account. But generally, you’re eligible if the following apply.
You are a sole trader in respect of your business (meaning you are not in partnership with any other person, whether natural or legal, in relation to your business nor are you registered as a company limited by shares or an LLP if so, please take a look at our Business account eligibility).
You are resident in the United Kingdom.
You do not own, manage or run your business through a separately incorporated legal entity.
You are 18 years old or older.
The business isn’t a holding company or engaged in any activities outlined in the “industries we don’t support section”.
You meet our standard Anti-money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC), fraud and credit checks and processes.
You do not already have a sole trader current account with Starling for the same business, an individual can have a maximum of two sole trader accounts for different businesses.
You do not use your account or our services to hold and/or carry out transactions with Client Money.
Our restrictions.
Cash limits.
For businesses that deal in large amounts of cash, please note that the sole trader account cash deposit limit is £5,000 a day and £20,000 a calendar year.
All deposits are subject to a £3 or 0.7% charge (whichever is higher) on the total deposit value. The minimum deposit amount in a single transaction is £3.01.
“Everything has been excellent so far. The app is so easy to use and it’s making the banking element of my sole trader start up easy.”
Richard
Sole Trader Account Owner - 15/09/25
Frequently asked questions
Independent service quality survey results
Business current accounts
Published February 2026.
As part of a regulatory requirement, an independent survey was conducted to ask approximately 1,200 customers of each of the 17 largest business current account providers if they would recommend their provider to other small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The results represent the view of customers who took part in the survey.
The requirement to publish the Financial Conduct Authority Service Quality Information for business current accounts can be found here.
Apply for a sole trader account today.
No monthly fees, industry-leading security features, 24/7 support.