---
title: "Manage existing Sole Traders"
metaTitle: "Manage existing Sole Traders"
order: 4
showPageMenu: true
---

import EndpointBlock from "src/components/endpoint-block";
import WebhookPlaceholder from 'src/components/webhook-placeholder'
import Callout from "src/components/callout";
import ExternalLink from 'src/components/external-link';

## Sole traders overview

<Callout colour="green">
<h2>Sole traders V2 is coming soon</h2>
<p>All information on this page describes a solution that is <strong>not yet live in production and therefore could change</strong>. This includes any endpoint and webhook details. The information is being provided early to aid you in integrating with our API in our UK simulation environment.</p>
</Callout>

**Sole traders** are natural persons operating a business in their own name. You can manage your sole traders' data with ClearBank directly as an embedded banking partner. Creating a sole trader is necessary before you can create accounts for them.

<Callout colour="blue">
  To create a new sole trader, refer to our <a href="/uk/docs/embedded-banking/business/onboard-sole-traders">Onboard new Sole Traders</a> page. You can onboard with ClearBank's due diligence checks included, or create a sole trader directly if you conduct your own checks.
</Callout>

The data required to register a sole trader is a combination of fields associated with both legal entities (incorporated businesses) and [retail customers](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/retail/manage-retail-customers). This is because a sole trader is simultaneously an individual and a business. For example: a sole trader has both an individual's personal details - such as a `firstName`, and details of their business such as a `tradingName`.

### Compatible account types

Sole traders are eligible for certain account types, these include:
* [Savings accounts](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/accounts/savings-accounts)
* [Hub accounts](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/accounts/hub-accounts)
* [Cash ISAs](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/accounts/flexible-cash-isa)
* [Payment accounts](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/accounts/payment-accounts) - Including Current accounts and Transaction accounts.

For more details on available account types, please reach out to your Client Director.

## Update and retrieve a sole trader

To create a sole trader, refer to our [Onboard new Sole Traders](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/business/onboard-sole-traders) page. Guidance on business information and KYC/AML fields is in the [create guidance](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/business/onboard-sole-traders#business-information). If you have new KYC or AML outcomes for a sole trader, you can record them using the [**PATCH /customers/v2/sole-traders/{customerId}**](#update-a-sole-trader) endpoint.

<EndpointBlock
  type="patch"
  title="Update a sole trader"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/sole-traders/{customerId}",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

<EndpointBlock
  type="get"
  title="Retrieve a sole trader"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

## Sole trader addresses

When you create a sole trader, you'll need to provide their current residential and/or trading address in the `addressHistory.currentAddresses` array. You can optionally record their previous address history via the `addressHistory.previousAddresses` array.

A sole trader can have more than one current address by having both a residential and trading address, but no more than one of each.

You can update a sole trader's current residential or trading address using the [**POST /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/current-addresses**](#update-a-sole-traders-current-addresses) endpoint. When you do this, the sole trader's current address of that type - either residential or trading address - will be automatically moved to the `previousAddresses` array, and will have a `validTo` date set to the new address' `validFrom` date. If you do not specify a `validFrom` date for the new address, it will default to today's date.

It is not currently possible to delete a previous address.

<EndpointBlock
  type="post"
  title="Update a sole trader's current addresses"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/current-addresses",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

## Sole trader ID document endpoints

Similar to retail customers, you can optionally provide identity document information for sole traders. For example, you can provide a sole trader's passport number `idNumber` and date of expiry `idExpiryDate` in the `identityDocuments` array in the [**POST /customers/v2/sole-traders**](/uk/docs/embedded-banking/business/onboard-sole-traders#create-a-sole-trader) endpoint.

If you provide customer identity information, you must always include its `idCountryOfIssue`, `idType`, `idNumber`, and `idExpiryDate`. The combination of `idCountryOfIssue` and `idType` uniquely identifies a customer's identity documents in our APIs. You can therefore only provide one `idCountryOfIssue` and `idType` combination per sole trader.

To update or delete an existing identity information, use the [**PUT /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/identity-documents/{idCountryOfIssue}-{idType}**](#update-a-sole-traders-id-document) or [**DELETE /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/identity-documents/{idCountryOfIssue}-{idType}**](#delete-a-sole-traders-id-document) endpoint accordingly.

There is currently no facility to upload images of customer ID documents.

<EndpointBlock
  type="put"
  title="Update a sole trader's ID document"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/identity-documents/{idCountryOfIssue}-{idType}",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

<EndpointBlock
  type="delete"
  title="Delete a sole trader's ID document"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/identity-documents/{idCountryOfIssue}-{idType}",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

## Tax residency endpoints

When you create a sole trader, you must specify at least one tax residency for them. A customer can have dual tax residency in certain situations, such as if they live in one country but earn income in another. You should specify all currently active tax residencies for a sole trader when you create them.

US citizens are generally considered to be US tax residents regardless of where they live.

To change a sole trader's tax residency from one country to another, follow the below steps:
1. Add the new tax residency first. You can do this using the [**PUT /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/tax-residencies/{countryOfTaxResidence}**](#add-a-tax-residency-to-a-sole-trader) endpoint.
2. Delete the old tax residency. You can do this using the [**DELETE /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/tax-residencies/{countryOfTaxResidence}**](#delete-a-sole-traders-tax-residency) endpoint.

**Note:** If a customer has only one tax residency, you must add a new tax residency before you can delete the current one. If you attempt to delete a sole trader's only tax residency you will receive a 422 - Unprocessable Entity error.

<EndpointBlock
  type="put"
  title="Add a tax residency to a sole trader"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/tax-residencies/{countryOfTaxResidence}",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

<EndpointBlock
  type="delete"
  title="Delete a sole trader's tax residency"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/tax-residencies/{countryOfTaxResidence}",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

## Customer relation endpoints

The [**POST /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/related-parties**](#relate-a-sole-trader-and-another-customer) endpoint allows you to link two parties by providing their `customerId` and specifying the nature of the relation.

**Note:** The arrangement of `customerId` in the path parameter and the `relatedCustomerId` request field matters when creating a customer relation.  
The `customerId` in the path refers to the primary customer, while the `relatedCustomerId` refers to the customer which will have the specified relation (`relatedPartyType`) toward the primary customer.  
For example, when defining a UBO relationship, the customer referred to in the `relatedCustomerId` will become the Ultimate Beneficial Owner of the `customerId` specified in the path.

To retrieve all existing relations to a customer, you can call the [**GET /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/related-parties**](#get-all-relations-of-a-sole-trader-customer).

To remove a relation between two parties, you can use the [**DELETE /customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/related-parties/{relatedCustomerId}**](#delete-a-relation-between-two-customers) using the `customerId` of each party.

<EndpointBlock
  type="post"
  title="Relate a sole trader and another customer"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/related-parties",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

<EndpointBlock
  type="get"
  title="Get all relations of a sole trader customer"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/related-parties",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>

<EndpointBlock
  type="delete"
  title="Delete a relation between two customers"
  endpoints={[
    {
      path: "/customers/v2/customers/{customerId}/related-parties/{relatedCustomerId}/{relatedPartyType}",
      version: "2.0-customers-sole-trader"
    }
  ]}
/>