Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I understand that if I use my name, I don't need a DBA (eg. Steven Spielberg Productions) but do I need one if I only use my last name (Spielberg Productions)? Thanks!
I dont think you have to have a DBA, it is only for doing business. Your name is the real company name as far as the FED is concerned. That is if your a single business owner and not an LLC or INC, I think. Spieldburg production is the name of a corporation, most likely, the single business owner name would be steven spieldburg, which isn't that cool, which is why they have DBAs.
Even if you're a sole proprietor operating under your own name, a DBA is a good thing to have on file with Coloraodo. Why? Because it locks up that name for your business; ie, you, "Joe Smith Plumbing" won't have another "Joe Smith Plumbing" down the street from you.
Keep in mind that the other "Joe Smith Plumbing" can be owned by anybody ... it doesn't have to be "Joe Smith" owned, it just has to have the DBA name in the marketplace. You don't want somebody else's business in your area to be confused with yours.
The paperwork to file with the Sec'y of State is pretty simple and inexpensive.
A bookeeper would have the answer and set you up with a 95/Federal tax Number.
Been a long time since I was in business before retiring.
Bookkeepers enter debits and credits. They count money. They aren't qualified to give legal advice.
Whether you have to register a trade name as a "dba" depends on the laws of the state you're operating in. The OP should go to the secretary of state's website in that state and look for a faq on this topic. Most likely, if you are using anything other than your full name, you must register the trade name.
Bookeepers do not count money...they work the ledgers and tax reports for a business.
A business can have their own office/bookeeper counting the cash receipts if any or taking care of the invoices accounts payable/receivable.
An outside Bookeeper/CPA would take care of any tax paper needs depending on the size of a business and number of employees involved.
I was in the Inventory Business for 23yrs while also being a business owner for 36 yrs and dealt with many Bookeepers and CPA's dealing with small and large corporations.
They do not give any LEGAL advice per se only accounting advice doing ledgers etc.
Any person who has not owned a business has NO idea what is involved.
Any bookeeper can apply for a Tax # for any of those starting a business.
Bookeepers do not count money...they work the ledgers and tax reports for a business.
A business can have their own office/bookeeper counting the cash receipts if any or taking care of the invoices accounts payable/receivable.
An outside Bookeeper/CPA would take care of any tax paper needs depending on the size of a business and number of employees involved.
I was in the Inventory Business for 23yrs while also being a business owner for 36 yrs and dealt with many Bookeepers and CPA's dealing with small and large corporations.
They do not give any LEGAL advice per se only accounting advice doing ledgers etc.
Any person who has not owned a business has NO idea what is involved.
Any bookeeper can apply for a Tax # for any of those starting a business.
Bookkeepers "keep books," meaning their primary responsibility is entering debits and credits - which is nothing more than counting money. No, I did not mean they literally count stacks of bills. The point is, bookkeepers are not qualified to give legal advice, nor are accountants. The question of whether someone is required to register a trade name to operate a business using his or her last name is a legal question, not an accounting question. Anyone can go to the irs.gov website and have a tax id number in a matter of minutes, and in most states it's pretty easy to visit the Sec'y of State's website and determine the rules for registering a DBA.
Bookkeepers "keep books," meaning their primary responsibility is entering debits and credits - which is nothing more than counting money. No, I did not mean they literally count stacks of bills. The point is, bookkeepers are not qualified to give legal advice, nor are accountants. The question of whether someone is required to register a trade name to operate a business using his or her last name is a legal question, not an accounting question. Anyone can go to the irs.gov website and have a tax id number in a matter of minutes, and in most states it's pretty easy to visit the Sec'y of State's website and determine the rules for registering a DBA.
Many bookkeepers AND most CPA's if worth a grain a salt know
the basic law surrounding corporations/DBA/sole proprietor etc.....if a CPA didn't know the law then he could "work within the law". That is part of what they are required and paid to do.
And yes, to the poster that said unless you are/have been a business owner you have no idea what it entails, especially when you do it the proper way.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
