Hello everyone, I'm new here so I hope this is the correct place to post.
I am interested in starting my own web hosting company based in the UK. The only thing that stands in my way is my age. I am currently 16 years old. I have had a several VPS's before and used them to provide friends and family with free web hosting.
My problem is, I'm unsure about legal issues regarding my age, this includes taxes and other legal issues. Also, I understand after reading the PayPal terms and conditions that you have to be 18 to legally open a PayPal account.
After reading several topics in this forum I noticed that I am not the only one who has or is thinking about setting up a web hosting company at my age and younger.
Please could anyone give me some advice about how I could setup a web hosting company.
I plan on using a VPS with cPanel and Fantastico and WHMCS as I have had past experience with all of them.
Thanks,
Chris

Welcome to WHT!
You can find lots of information in these (http://www.webhostingtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6) forums, which this post will probably get moved to!
The problem with PayPal: yes, you are right. You cannot legally have an account with them - is there a parent of yours that you could use to trade under?

Hello, thanks for the info. Do you know anything about income tax and VAT and if so can you give me a little info on that?
Thanks,
Chris

Hello, thanks for the info. Do you know anything about income tax and VAT and if so can you give me a little info on that?
Thanks,
Chris
Talk to your local accountant.

I would contact a few of the smaller web hosts located in the UK and ask them for information and advice. They'll likely be your best source of information on this subject assuming they are willing to help you out and they know what they are doing.
I don't know enough about UK/European law to really give you any solid advice.

Hello, thanks for the info. Do you know anything about income tax and VAT and if so can you give me a little info on that?
Thanks,
Chris
Best to get that kind of advice from a professional.

I would like to thank everyone here for taking the time out to answer my amatur questions and I am going to seek legal advice from a professional.
Thanks again,
Chris

I would like to thank everyone here for taking the time out to answer my amatur questions and I am going to seek legal advice from a professional.
Thanks again,
Chris
No problem.

One thing I did want to say, I think it's cool that you're wanting to do this at such a young age, but more importantly you seem to be going about it in a professional manner. If you would have come here, and posted about how it'd be "kewl" to host, and you'd "h8" to get into trouble, you probably would have needed to develop your writing before opening.
Age is not always a problem or an issue, but being professional is important.

One thing I did want to say, I think it's cool that you're wanting to do this at such a young age, but more importantly you seem to be going about it in a professional manner. If you would have come here, and posted about how it'd be "kewl" to host, and you'd "h8" to get into trouble, you probably would have needed to develop your writing before opening.
Age is not always a problem or an issue, but being professional is important.
Age is usually only *legally* an issue and then not an issue otherwise as long as you know what you're doing and you really care and make the effort. Just don't start it up and drop it when you find out it's not as easy as you thought it was going to be! :) I started young myself in almost all of my business ventures so I know how it is.

Age is usually only *legally* an issue and then not an issue otherwise as long as you know what you're doing and you really care and make the effort. Just don't start it up and drop it when you find out it's not as easy as you thought it was going to be! :) I started young myself in almost all of my business ventures so I know how it is.
Same here, I've started young myself, and probably would still be considered young :D

Same here, I've started young myself, and probably would still be considered young :D
I don't think we're the only two out there like that :) :agree: