A UK sole trader running a Shopify store since 2016 encountered verification issues when attempting to update their bank account details for Shopify Payments.
Shopify’s documentation requirements (Certificates of Incorporation, LLC/LLP documents) don’t apply to UK sole traders, who typically lack such formal business registration paperwork. The merchant’s annual accounts were rejected as insufficient proof of business ownership.
Suggested solutions from the community:
Submit HMRC documents: UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) letter or Self Assessment documents showing both personal and business names
Provide business bank statements or VAT registration letters
Include a covering letter from an accountant alongside signed annual accounts
Consider alternative payment processors like WallidPay, which reportedly accepts sole traders without incorporation documents
Status: The issue remains unresolved as of the last update, with the original poster seeking confirmation on whether accountant-verified annual accounts would be accepted.
Summarized with AI on October 24.
AI used: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929.
I have been running a Shopify store since 2016 in the UK as a Sole Trader using my own personal Bank Account (which is perfectly legal) and a Paypal Business account. I recently decided to get a dedicated business bank account to handle the non Paypal business and have requested a change to the new bank account for Shopify Payments.
Unfortunately I have hit a brick wall with regards to some of the documents that Shopify are asking for to verify my ownership of the business. The examples of documentation being requested to verify the ownership of my business are not applicable to businesses in the UK being operated with Sole Trader status which do not have Certificates/Articles of Incorporation, LLC (LLP in UK?) etc.
The only documents I have that show both the Business name and my own name are my annual accounts which have been turned down as being suitable by Shopify.
I can’t be the only person on Shopify who is operating as a Sole Trader in the UK, what documentation have others in this position used to verify ownership?
If you’re facing challenges verifying your UK sole trader business with Shopify Payments—especially after changing bank accounts—you’re not alone. Shopify often requires incorporation documents that sole traders in the UK typically don’t have.
One common way that UK Sole Traders get around this is to upload your UTR letter or a recent HMRC Self Assessment document which clearly shows both your name and business name. Others have even submitted business bank statements or letters of registration for value-added tax. Just make sure documents reflect identical information and are current.
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