Hi, i'm a 20 year old college student and I am just about finishing my college course. I'm looking to set up my own sole trader/home internet business as I want to sell goods over ebay using the drop shipping/light bulk wholesale method and this sort of home business requires little outlay to set up. Also I already have some good experience of selling on ebay as I have been doing it for around a year now as a hobby.

I have already sourced a good list of suppliers but my first problem arises here. The suppliers I have found are all based in the US and I am in the UK. They state that they can ship internationally but they ask for a tax id to set up an account with them. Is this tax id only applicable to businesses in the US or is there a UK equivalent?

Also, will I need to register a business to pursue my dream of sole trading/dropshipping or is it possible to just get away with registering as self employed?
What sort of details do wholesalers ask for when setting up an account with them?
Also what would i need to set up a business bank account? I have visited the natwest website as i am currently a customer with them and they have an online form to fill in to apply for a business account, is it really this easy?

Any help on any or all of the above would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.