# PDR 001: Launch UK-first on a general financial model

- HTML version: https://robbiepalmer.me/projects/personal-finance-app/pdrs/001-uk-first-general-financial-model
- Project: Personal Finance App
- Status: Accepted
- Opened: 2026-01-11
- Decided: 2026-01-11

## Context

The first user has UK tax obligations, assets denominated in several currencies,
and finances shared across people and accounts. Many consumer products assume one
person, one currency, and US tax rules. A product built around those assumptions
would fail the first use case and make later expansion costly.

Trying to launch with complete support for several countries would create a
different problem. Tax rules and financial products need local depth, and the
project does not yet have users who justify that work outside the UK.

## Decision

Launch with GBP defaults and first-class UK tax modelling. Model people,
households, businesses, accounts, ownership, transfers, and currencies as general
domain concepts rather than UK-only shortcuts.

Multi-entity and multi-currency tracking are part of the initial product shape.
Additional tax jurisdictions are not. The project will add another jurisdiction
only when a validated user cohort needs it and the product can represent its rules
accurately.

## Consequences

The first release can solve the founder's real tax and currency problems while
testing a domain model that also fits partners and shared households. UK depth is
a deliberate entry point, not a claim that international support already exists.

The model and interface must keep a simple single-person, single-currency case
easy to use. General ownership and currency concepts add design work even before
the product expands beyond the UK.

## Alternatives considered

### Model only the founder's current accounts

This would shorten the first implementation. It was rejected because shared
property, partner ownership, and foreign-denominated assets are part of the first
user's existing financial picture.

### Support several tax jurisdictions at launch

This would make the international direction visible sooner. It was rejected
because the project should focus its effort on countries where real user demand
exists instead of building shallow tax coverage in anticipation of it.

## Related records

- Project: [Personal Finance App](https://robbiepalmer.me/projects/personal-finance-app.md)

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