Can a Sole Proprietorship Use a Virtual Office?
Are you running a sole proprietorship and wondering if a virtual office is right for you? This is a common question among freelancers and individual entrepreneurs. Many people associate virtual addresses with larger companies or foreign businesses, whereas this service is very much available (and popular!) for one-person businesses as well. In this article, we clarify any doubts: whether a sole trader can have a virtual office, what benefits it provides for such a business, and what to consider when deciding on a virtual address for your company.
Virtual office for sole traders – is it legal and possible?
First, the key issue: legality. A sole proprietorship, like any company, must have a registered address. Many sole proprietor owners simply list their residential address, but the law also allows for a different address, including a virtual one. There is no regulation that would prohibit an entrepreneur running a sole proprietorship from using a virtual office service. On the contrary – numerous interpretations and rulings confirm this possibility.
As mentioned earlier, the Supreme Administrative Court already ruled in 2014 that a virtual address can serve as a company's headquarters and is in line with applicable law. Therefore, a one-person business can legally use a virtual office.
In practice, it works like this: you enter into an agreement with a virtual office service provider, receive a document from them confirming your right to use the address (an agreement or declaration for registration purposes), and on this basis, you register your business in the CEIDG (Central Register and Information on Economic Activity) under the specified address. The City or Municipal Office (which formally enters data into CEIDG) has no grounds to reject such an application, as long as the documentation is correct.
It's worth knowing that the CEIDG form provides for the possibility of indicating a business address other than the residential address, and additionally an address for deliveries – the entrepreneur has flexibility here.
Important information for sole traders: The Tax Office appropriate for tax settlements remains the one according to your place of residence, not according to the company's registered address. So if, for example, you live in Otwock and have a virtual office in Warsaw, you will still file your tax return at the Tax Office in Otwock. This is not a problem – just remember it during your first VAT registration or when submitting declarations.
The Social Security Institution, on the other hand, identifies you mainly by your PESEL/NIP (personal/tax identification number), the company address only affects the place of a potential audit.
In summary, a sole proprietorship can use a virtual office completely legally. Many one-person businesses already do this and constitute a significant portion of customers for such services. For example, at VBiuro, we successfully serve journalists, programmers, graphic designers, consultants, and other freelancers running sole proprietorships who have chosen our address as their business one.
When registering a sole proprietorship, you can legally indicate a virtual address as the company's headquarters
Benefits of a virtual office for a sole proprietorship
For a sole proprietor, time and money are often the most valuable – you have to handle everything yourself. That's precisely why a virtual office can be your ally, offering administrative support without hiring an employee. Here are the main advantages of a virtual office for sole traders:
Minimizing fixed costs
As a sole trader, you probably try to keep costs low, especially at the beginning. Renting even a small office is a significant expense, which isn't necessary if you work, for example, from home or at clients' premises. A virtual office for a few dozen zlotys per month gives you an address and mail handling – and that's essentially where the expenses end. You don't pay rent, office bills, cleaners, security, etc. You can allocate every saved zloty to business development or simply keep it as profit.
Professional address in Warsaw
Many sole proprietorships operate locally where their owner lives – that's natural. But what if you want to attract clients across Poland or appear more prestigious? A virtual address in Warsaw opens new possibilities. You can advertise your services as a company from Warsaw, which can be a magnet for clients from other regions looking for providers in the capital. Even if you actually provide the service remotely from a smaller city, having a Warsaw address increases credibility (such is the climate that Warsaw is associated with a higher business standard). For example, a graphic designer from Subcarpathia can successfully serve Warsaw clients – and an address on a business card in Warsaw will ensure the client doesn't even think about the distance.
Protection of personal data and home peace
When you're a sole trader, the blending of private and professional life can be troublesome. Registering a company at home means, as mentioned earlier, agreeing to make your address public. Thanks to a virtual office, your home sanctuary remains beyond the reach of prying eyes. You don't have to provide clients with your home address – you can direct them to the office address. If they need to send you something, you give them the virtual address. This way, you have a certain security buffer – no one will show up unannounced at your apartment because no outsider knows that address in a business context.
Maintenance-free correspondence and secretarial services
In a sole proprietorship, there's usually no team of assistants – every letter or phone call comes directly to you. This can be troublesome when you're busy working or away. A virtual office solves this problem: letters are collected in your absence, scanned, and sent electronically. You can be sitting on a beach, and still, read an official letter that came to the office – all you need is a smartphone. If a client sends a contract by mail, the office will scan it for you immediately, so you don't waste time. At VBiuro, we additionally provide a Client Panel and app where you can remotely manage your mail 24/7. It's as if you had your own secretary who is always on duty while you fulfill orders.
Ability to use conference rooms and office by the hour
Although sole proprietorships manage without an office on a daily basis, there may be situations when you need to meet face-to-face with a client or conduct a presentation in more formal conditions. Having a virtual office, you usually have access to a conference room or desk by the hour as part of the package or for a small additional fee. For example, VBiuro offers its clients one hour of conference room per month in the basic package, which works great for such occasional meetings. This way, a sole proprietorship can function like a larger company when needed – you invite the contractor to the office address, use an elegant room with a projector, the reception welcomes the guest... Your client won't even realize it's a virtual office, not a permanent company headquarters.
Support with business formalities
Many virtual offices (including VBiuro) expand their offer with services useful for sole traders, such as accounting, tax advice, or legal assistance. Running a business on your own, you need to take care of Social Security and Tax Office settlements – using an accounting package with us, you can outsource this to professionals who know the specifics of sole proprietorships. Similarly with registration – if you're just starting your business, VBiuro will help you fill out CEIDG applications, obtain NIP/REGON numbers, and even with obligations like reporting to CRBR (Central Register of Beneficial Owners). This will take a lot of stress off your shoulders, especially when you're navigating official procedures for the first time.
For freelancers and sole proprietorships, a virtual office is an ideal way to professionalize the business
What to consider when choosing a virtual office for sole traders?
Now that you know that a sole proprietorship can and should use a virtual office, the question arises of how to choose the right service provider. Here are a few tips that are particularly important for one-person businesses:
Reputation and location of the address
It's good for the address to sound credible and attractive. Avoid suspiciously cheap offers in little-known locations – if the address is in an apartment on the outskirts of the city, the effect might be worse than with your own home. In Warsaw, excellent locations include, for example, Śródmieście or Wola (business districts). The address ul. Kasprzaka 31 in Warsaw (Wola), which VBiuro offers, is associated with a modern office building in the heart of a developing district – perfect for building an image. Also check reviews about the company offering the address – whether the service is professional, whether they don't lose letters, and whether contractors know them.
Scope of services included
Compare exactly what you get as part of the subscription. As a sole trader, you probably care about mail scanning (because you won't collect it in person every day) – make sure it's available and whether there are page limits. Check if notification of new correspondence (email/SMS) is included in the price and how often you can request shipping of originals to your address (some offices offer, for example, a collective shipment once a month for free). If a dedicated phone number with service is important to you, see if the given package includes it or requires an additional fee. At VBiuro, even basic packages for sole traders have unlimited mail scanning and 24/7 notifications, so even by choosing the cheapest option, you have full mail service.
Access to space and amenities
Ask if the virtual office allows you to use the office physically if needed. Do they have conference rooms, hot-desks, and if so – are they on-site at the same address, or perhaps they cooperate with some coworking space. For a sole trader, this is not an everyday need, but it's good to know you have such an option. Equally important: office opening hours. Ideally, the office should be open standard hours 9-5 (like VBiuro) or longer, so you can drive by to pick up a package or use the room after your field work. Some of the cheapest offices work, for example, only a few hours a week – this can cause problems with timely collection of important documents.
Agreement and formalities
Make sure you will receive from the office all the documents needed to demonstrate the right to the premises. When registering a sole proprietorship, sometimes you need to present, for example, a declaration of having legal title to the premises – a professional office should provide you with something like this readily. Check the notice period of the agreement (a month is standard). Also ask how the data change procedure looks – for example, if you were changing the company name or scope of activities, whether you need to inform the office. In general, review the agreement for any hidden costs (is scanning really unlimited, or will you pay extra for 100 pages per month? is data change free? etc.).
Is it worth it? – Summary for sole proprietors
A sole proprietorship can definitely use a virtual office – and often should. For freelancers, specialists, or craftsmen operating solo, a virtual office is often an ideal solution: cheap, convenient, and providing much peace of mind.
The most important arguments for are saving money and time, and professionalizing the image. A virtual address in Warsaw allows even the smallest company to look on par with larger players. And at the same time, you take a lot of tedious details off your shoulders – you don't have to watch for the mailman, collect registered mail, provide your private phone number everywhere, etc. You can operate mobile, remotely, and your company still "has its headquarters" where it needs to.
Of course, if the nature of your business requires having a workshop, store, or other physical location, a virtual office won't replace that place. But even then, you might consider a virtual address, e.g., for company registration, and treat the workshop as an additional place of business activity – if only so that official correspondence would come to a trusted virtual office, and not get lost in a pile of packages at the workshop.
Virtual office packages for sole traders - check our offer
VBiuro offers packages friendly to one-person businesses with minimum formalities – you can conclude an agreement online in 15 minutes, and our address in Wola will officially become your company's address. Thanks to us, you'll gain a prestigious address, comprehensive administrative service, and more time to develop your business.
Choose a payment plan
Select yearly or biennial payments to get a lower monthly price
PROMO
when signing a bookkeeping contract
net per month
- Business registration address
Marcina Kasprzaka 31/119,
01-234 Warsaw - Incoming mail handling
regular letters, registered mail, couriers - Email notification about new correspondence
- Unlimited mail scanning
- Client portal 24/7
- Mobile app 24/7
- For sole proprietorships and registered companies
- 14-day full refund policy
- Forwarding received letters to a specified address in Poland - once a month
- 1 hour of conference room per month
- Assistance with company registration - CEIDG, KRS, Tax Office, Social Security, REGON and CRBR
STANDARD
net per month
- Business registration address
Marcina Kasprzaka 31/119,
01-234 Warsaw - Incoming mail handling
regular letters, registered mail, couriers - Email notification about new correspondence
- Unlimited mail scanning
- Client portal 24/7
- Mobile app 24/7
- For sole proprietorships and registered companies
- 14-day full refund policy
- Forwarding received letters to a specified address in Poland - once a month
- 1 hour of conference room per month
- Assistance with company registration - CEIDG, KRS, Tax Office, Social Security, REGON and CRBR
PRO
net per month
- Business registration address
Marcina Kasprzaka 31/119,
01-234 Warsaw - Incoming mail handling
regular letters, registered mail, couriers - Email notification about new correspondence
- Unlimited mail scanning
- Client portal 24/7
- Mobile app 24/7
- For sole proprietorships and registered companies
- 14-day full refund policy
- Forwarding received letters to a specified address in Poland - once a month
- 1 hour of conference room per month
- Assistance with company registration - CEIDG, KRS, Tax Office, Social Security, REGON and CRBR
Select a payment option (Yearly, Monthly, Biennial) and click on your chosen package to generate an agreement online.
The whole process takes just 5 minutes!
Are you running a sole proprietorship and looking for a virtual office?
As a sole entrepreneur, you're not alone – VBiuro is happy to become your partner in daily business operations! Contact us and see how we can support your sole proprietorship.
