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Self-employed debt advice in Scotland

Sharon McDougall - Updated - 21st May 2025 - 3 minutes to read

Debt help and advice for self-employed individuals in Scotland

When business debts begin to spiral out of control, action must be taken to address the root cause of the problems being faced and prevent any further losses being accrued. When a business is operated through a limited company, this may involve placing the company into liquidation; when a business operates via the self-employed model, however, the situation is different.

As a self-employed individual, your finances and the finances of your business are linked. Essentially, in the eyes of the law, you and your business are part of the same entity. This means that if your business begins to experience financial difficulties, you as an individual, are personally liable for any debts accrued by the business.  

While a director of a limited company could place their business into liquidation without this affecting their personal assets, the same cannot be said for those who operate as self-employed.

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What are the options for self-employed dealing with debts?

The options for self-employed individuals struggling with the mounting debts of their business, are identical to those available for individuals dealing with consumer debt such as credit cards and overdrafts.

In Scotland there are three main debt solutions for self-employed individuals:

Trust Deed – Only available in Scotland, Trust Deeds function as a formal payment plan which are typically set to run for four years. During these four years, you will be required to make an agreed monthly repayment towards your debts; these can be personal debts, the debts of your self-employed business, or a combination of both.

After the four years are up, so long as you have made all of the payments as agreed, any remaining debt which was originally included in the Trust Deed will be written off. In order for a Trust Deed to be agreed to, you must have enough disposable income to make a meaningful contribution towards your debts for the duration of the arrangement.

Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) – A Debt Arrangement Scheme – or DAS – is a government-backed repayment scheme which gives those in debt longer to repay the money they owe. There is no set time limit for a DAS, with some plans lasting as long as ten years.

No debt will be written off as part of a DAS, however, all interest and fees will be frozen on the money you owe, meaning every payment you make goes towards reducing the total balance of your debts.

As Debt Arrangement Schemes can last for several years, they are designed to be flexible and take into account the possibility that your circumstances could change during the course of the arrangement. Your monthly repayment can be reviewed and either increased or decreased according to your income and outgoings.

SequestrationSequestration is the Scottish version of Bankruptcy and is often only considered as a last resort when it comes to resolving debt problems. However, for those situations where debt has spiralled out of control, sequestration can offer individuals a way out of their financial problems and the chance to start afresh.

For self-employed individuals, debt from running a business – and the associated pressure – can quickly mount up, particularly if money is owed to HMRC. You should ensure you speak to a registered money adviser or licensed insolvency practitioner when considering sequestration as there may be an alternative solution which is more appropriate.

How Scotland Debt Solutions can help with Self-employed business debts 

At Scotland Debt Solutions, we are a team of licensed insolvency practitioners with decades of experience of helping individuals and business owners navigate through their toughest financial problems.

We help individuals just like you every single day and there is nothing we haven’t seen before. No matter how bad you feel your situation is, rest assured there is a solution out there which can help. Take the first step today and speak to the experts at Scotland Debt Solutions.

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Sharon McDougall Square

Sharon McDougall

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Sequestration is the Scottish version of bankruptcy and may be suitable for you if you do not have the money to pay back your debts

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A Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) lets you pay off your debt through a series of manageable instalments over a reasonable length of time.

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Business Debts in Scotland

Whether you are a sole trader or a limited company director, we can help you work through your current financial problems including money owed to HMRC

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Fees and Information: There are fees associated with our services. These will be fully explained before entering into any of the personal debt solutions referred to on this website. Full details of our fees and how these are charged are fully explained to you prior to you committing to any particular service.

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