When do you need to register company name?

Ok so if my name is Justin Pepus, from what I understand I do not have to have a business license, account, register, all that fun stuff. But if I chose "Absolutely Amazing Photography", I obviously have to register right?

Now here's where I am confused... What if I decide to name my business "J Pepus Photography" or "J. Pepus Photography"? Do the same rules apply being that J is my first initial?

Hope this make sense...any insight greatly appreciated.

It will vary county by county. State by State. Here in MD, if you use the business owners name you dont have to register it as it is obvious who owns the company, or can be found out easily enough. This includes initials I believe. Any other name needs to be registered. I know of other places where any and every name must be registered.

You only need to register so your bank can deposit checks made to Amazing. Registering can be as easy as a state request for a DBA in which they give your business name a tax id number. It will tie your personal SSN to the DBA (doing business as). You will then need a bank account tied to this new number, but it can be a personal account if your banker is aware. Your bank will probably handle checks to J Pepus just fine, but you should go there to be sure. Chase handles my initials just fine.

Call your county court clerk and ask this question. In Florida you need an occupancy license to conduct business. This is handled by the county. If you use a fictitious name (DBA), you have to submit the name to the state to check and make sure no one else in the state is using it or something very close. There is an additional fee for fictitious names.

What you probably would not need is to register a "doing business as (dba)" or "fictitious name").

In most jurisdictions you will probably still have to get a business license at some level (city, county, state) so that you can collect retail sales taxes or just because the locality keeps track of who is doing business in their jurisdiction.

Check with your county clerk, but it's rare that a business doesn't have to be registered in some way at some level.

Hmmm, sounds like I should make some calls to be sure. Thanks for all the help! Was hoping I don't have to go too far just starting out but better safe than sorry I guess.

RDKirk wrote in post #13475649
What you probably would not need is to register a "doing business as (dba)" or "fictitious name").

In most jurisdictions you will probably still have to get a business license at some level (city, county, state) so that you can collect retail sales taxes or just because the locality keeps track of who is doing business in their jurisdiction.

Check with your county clerk, but it's rare that a business doesn't have to be registered in some way at some level.

You DO need to register DBA for a bank account as I stated earlier. But I will concede to anyone who is a CPA or similar. I closed my old business after a nasty divorce, took 7 years off and taught college, then reopened with a new name (visual conspiracy). I had to register with the state to get a business tax ID before opening a bank account.

Also, I've never been registered (outside of a business tax ID for a DBA) anywhere since 1984. For 18 years, I had employees, did payroll taxes and had 2 different tax accountants (one from Earnst) who never told me different. For over a dozen years in there, we billed about a million dollars a year. Most of that time was working out my 10 acre estate in one of the out-buildings.

But I may not know anything. :roll eyes: Yes, make some calls, or at least an internet search. Go to your bank.

mcluckie wrote in post #13478697
You DO need to register DBA for a bank account as I stated earlier. But I will concede to anyone who is a CPA or similar.

You might also concede to people who have had different experiences in different states. Neither of the two banks I've done my business banking require a registered dba.

We can quibble over words, but your "...outside of a business tax ID..." is a form of registration the OP needs to know about. The OP said:

The OP is hoping not to be identified in any way to any government level. Sorry, but some level of government will want to know that he's running a business even if he uses his plain name as his business name.

RDKirk wrote in post #13478712
You might also concede to people who have had different experiences in different states. Neither of the two banks I've done my business banking require a registered dba.

We can quibble over words, but your "...outside of a business tax ID..." is a form of registration the OP needs to know about. The OP said:

The OP is hoping not to be identified in any way to any government level. Sorry, but some level of government will want to know that he's running a business even if he uses his plain name as his business name.

Not sure about that last one. In post #3, I brought up the DBA registration. I've just been trying to address the OPs question without reading more into it such as suggesting he's trying not to be identified. Thats a stretch.But I'll concede everything for peace and clarity -- as i noted, my comments were based solely on my personal experience. Not previously disclosed is that these experiences are in Illinois, arguably the most corrupt state in the bunch. Maybe they don't ask questions because we shouldn't ask questions.

Banks require either a social security number or an EIN/TIN (employer ID number or taxpayer ID number) to open an account. The name on the account will have to match the SS# or EIN/TIN. This is part of the homeland security act.