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To operate in most cities, you will have to have a business licnese issued.
There are many exceptions, such as in some states if your business address is based outside of the city limits and there is no county business license issued,
If you are in the city limits normally you will get a business license there.
And you don't have to be insured against anything, you just get your check book out and write a check for any thefts to pay your client back.
But if you don't want to pay for it out of your own pocket yes you will need liability insurance and other business insurance.
remember a chemical can be said to cause some health issue to an employee, or an employee falls and hurts thierself, so you will need workers comp insurnace on them also, of you will have to again get your check book out and pay for thier medcial bills and lost of income while they get better
Insurance is mainly for breakage. Bonding is for protection from employee theft. Most states will just want you to register your business with the state and a license is not required. You can check your state's requirements by going to SBA: WHERE TO OBTAIN BUSINESS LICENSES.
You don't have to file a DBA? How does the state know you are in business to be able to collect taxes from you? How do you get a business checking account if you can't show proof you are in business. A DBA is not a license. It is mainly a way for the government to know you are in business. In my state it costs $50 and is required.
No. I don't have to file a DBA. I do business under my name. That's why a "Doing Business As", or DBA is not required. Have been in business, on and off,since 1974 in various occupations involving the service industry such as piano tuner/technician, furniture refinisher, brass refinisher, house painter, house cleaner (recently), handyman (Have done just about everything that a person could do when being a handyman. I don't do the things where the work MUST be done by a licensed contractor and then inspected by a city inspector upon completion of the work.) Also, in the entertainment industry as a professional musician on various instruments.
There have been periods of time when, in addition to being self-employed, I have been employed by places that have taken taxes out of my pay check. The taxes taken out then help me to pay the taxes on my personal businesses. I have not been employed every year by someone else when I have been self-employed.
I don't have a separate business checking account. It is not needed. Using Quicken and making photo copies of checks that I receive is how I keep track of money received and also spent on my businesses.
Over the many years that I have been paying taxes, there has never been a question. If there was a problem, and with the variety of things that I do for a living, I think that in the approximately 34 years that I have been in business and paying taxes, I think that someone would have mentioned it by now.
[quote=Clough]No. I don't have to file a DBA. I do business under my name.
I called the state agency here in PA and they said if you do business under your last name such as Johnson Shoe Repair, you do not need to register. Any other way such as Stacy's Shoe Repair, you do. She said that is the norm across the board.
Glad I got that straightened out...I thought it was your first name.
No. I don't have to file a DBA. I do business under my name.
I called the state agency here in PA and they said if you do business under your last name such as Johnson Shoe Repair, you do not need to register. Any other way such as Stacy's Shoe Repair, you do. She said that is the norm across the board.
Glad I got that straightened out...I thought it was your first name.
I am really learning a lot from this board
I'm glad that you found out the answer for Pennsylvania.
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