Porting Biz phone number from Ltd Co account to private - possible?

[Glencky]

Hi all,

Does anyone know whether I'll be able to port the phone number I currently have for my single mobile phone 'line' for my Limited Company (via Vodafone), into a new contract under my personal name? Clearly I will speak to Vodafone but wondered if anyone else had done it or knows of any pitfalls/ whether it's possible. Obviously I'm asking because I'm fully conscious MyCo and me are 2 different legal entities.. but will Vodafone or the new provider even check this..?

Background: Long story short; I'm preparing to make my company dormant as I haven't used it since April 2021 when I converted to brolly. I'm staying in my current role for now, still via brolly, but have noticed more contracts in my arena being advertised as outside IR35 (roles for are a bit borderline depending on specifics of the role - sometimes inside, sometimes outside). Obviously I don't want to remove the option to take an outside IR35 contract should one happen along, hence wanting to keep my company available to me. But equally I'd like to reduce costs, complexity, admin etc hence wanting to make it dormant.

I'm gradually trying to streamline transactions into my company bank account, and one of the remaining is the phone contract. I've had the same phone number since I started contracting and would like to keep it for that reason, so I'm looking to end my current phone contract with Vodafone and port the number to a new contract which I'll pay for personally (I might even go PAYG). I'm not locked in to an extended contract period as I paid for the phone a long time ago so it's just 30 days notice.

Sidenote: I'm not sure whether I'll actually 'qualify' to go fully dormant but either way I want to reduce activity within the company to an absolute minimum so even if I don't go dormant I'll still be aiming to do this.

Second sidenote: I chose to operate inside IR35 via MyCo before the rules changed so I don't have a large warchest of any kind within the company; my warchest is outside of it. There's a small 'float' within the company that has been gradually depleting due to indemnity insurance, phone costs etc since I started via Brolly (but have had no income coming into the company). This is another reason why I just want to get the phone contract out of the company.

Help gratefully received! and mods, I couldn't work out where this best fitted - sorry if it's in the wrong place!

[eek]

You think too much - just get a PAC code and no-one will care less.

(but yes I've seen it done in the past, a salesman got given his old mobile number when he left an old client as he had used it for personal stuff for years). And that was a memorable number which networks usually sell for money.

[northernladuk]

I think this is the page you need to start at. You could transfer ownership from the business to you personally.
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-...wnership/form/

If you want to just keep the number but change provider all together there is some advice on here.
https://www.gradwell.com/guides/busi...umber-porting/

But first step would be to ring vodafone, tell them what you want and see what they can do. You need to check if the number is portable and then ask them what options they have. I'm sure the first link is all you need but they might have something smarter they can do there and then that suits your needs better.

[PerfectStorm]

You think too much - just get a PAC code and no-one will care less.

(but yes I've seen it done in the past, a salesman got given his old mobile number when he left an old client as he had used it for personal stuff for years).

I remember people doing that too. They weren't supposed to have used it for personal, but they did, and they made out that the company somehow owed them it to keep Quite extraordinary.

[Glencky]

You think too much - just get a PAC code and no-one will care less.

(but yes I've seen it done in the past, a salesman got given his old mobile number when he left an old client as he had used it for personal stuff for years). And that was a memorable number which networks usually sell for money.

I find that thinking 'too much' in advance saves me a lot of problems down the line..!

[Glencky]

I think this is the page you need to start at. You could transfer ownership from the business to you personally.
https://www.vodafone.co.uk/vodafone-...wnership/form/

If you want to just keep the number but change provider all together there is some advice on here.
https://www.gradwell.com/guides/busi...umber-porting/

But first step would be to ring vodafone, tell them what you want and see what they can do. You need to check if the number is portable and then ask them what options they have. I'm sure the first link is all you need but they might have something smarter they can do there and then that suits your needs better.

Thanks very much - both links very helpful. I appreciate this sounds ridiculous but it hadn't really occurred to me the 'transfer of ownership' thing would be a thing.

[northernladuk]

Thanks very much - both links very helpful. I appreciate this sounds ridiculous but it hadn't really occurred to me the 'transfer of ownership' thing would be a thing.

I've definitely transfered a personal to business when I started and can't remember it being painful so I'm sure they'll bend over backwards to keep your custom.