Brexit is terminal for small businesses.

As a sole trader, having built a successful IT consultancy across Europe, it was with extreme sadness and deep contempt for the Conservative party, that I was forced to close my business. I’ve retained residency in Austria under the Article 50 withdrawal agreement and obtained an Austrian driving licence. It’s a fantastic place to live.

Offering consultancy to education ministries, universities, local authorities and individual schools was made impossible. Registering for permission to trade in 27 separate member states, engaging separate accountants, submitting 27 separate tax returns, loss of freedom of movement, Brexit conditions requiring seeking permission for each and every cross border self-employment, loss of automatic permission to travel with equipment (laptop, projector etc.), eye-watering mobile phone tariffs, unsustainable medical insurance from UK etc., loss of recognition of qualifications, all resulted in my spreadsheet – quite accurately – predicting costs exceeding income several thousand-fold. Before Brexit, I had everything designed to be able to press a button, except for occasional, essential meetings with clients (an essential element in growing and sustaining business growth) and invitations to lecture. One tax return sufficed.

All gone.

Christopher Davison B.A. Hons, ATC. 13th May 2022.