1. SELECT LLC, DBA, CORP

From sole propr., IA LLC, IA partneship or IA Corp.: Each requires an entity certificate filing.

2. TAX IDs - PERMITS

All Internet Business businesses/entities need a business license and an EIN.

3. IA STATE SALES TAX ID.

Selling/Buying wholesale or retail requires a IA seller's permit.

✔ Biz Structure

You can choose to be a(n) :

Sole Proprietor,
LLC,
Corporation or
Partnership.
After you decide and select your business entity, you need licensing.

✔ Biz License

Waterloo Business Tax Registration ( Business License)
All businesses including home, online or mobile BUSINESS need a BUSINESS license because they are BUSINESSES.

✔ DBA Biz Name

A(n) business doing business under an assumed business name in Black Hawk County i.e. you are a business that uses a DBA doing business as trade name to trade that is other than the full legal (first and last -- full name) name of a sole proprietor or a name other than the LLC or Corporation business name need a(n) assumed business name certificate. E.g. you venture into a(n) business and you give it a trade name such as "Excellence & Associates". You will need to register an assumed business name certificate.

✔ Seller Permit

In IA you need a resale ID ( AKA seller's permit) if you selling touchable items. (A.K.A state id, wholesale, resale, reseller certificate, about $39 for most states).
Seller's Permit

✔ Federal EIN

Note: All businesses need a federal tax ID number except sole proprietors that are not employers and are not independent contractors.
An independent contractor is a self employed business person that receives more than $600 per year from anyone of his or her clients.
IRS rule: The client must issue a 1099 form to the independent contractor and the independent contractor must have a federal tax ID. However, even sole owners may obtain a federal ID and use it as a business tax ID instead of using their own social security number as a business tax ID number.
However, all other licenses that apply to sole proprietors as discussed here are requited regardless of getting a federal tax ID number.

✔ State EIN

In addition you will need a federal and a state EIN if you will hire employees. I.e., a IA Federal Tax Id Number ($29) and a(n) IA State Employer Tax Number

✔ L L C

Instead of filing a fictitious business name DBA Filing (about $49 plus state and legal newspaper publication fees) in Waterloo, Incorporate in IA or form a(n) IA LLC .

Filing a DBA is not required if you will set up an LLC or form a Corporation. If you will do business under your first and last legal name you will not need to get a fictitious business name.
Also note that even using your first and last name may not help you avoid filing a DBA if the name has a suffix such as "& sons" etc.

✔ Incorporation

If you do form an llc or incorporate (about $49 plus state fees for most states) your business instead of just filing a fictitious business name (dba), that insurs that you don't have personal liability for debts and civile liabililty arising from your business dealings and you will not have to record the Waterloo business name. In lieu of recording a Black Hawk County trade company name (our filing service fee includes trade name registration and newspaper legal publication for 4 weeks) you can also form a corporation in IA or form an IA LLC (starts @ $49 plus state fee for most states & includes bylaws for the corporation and Limited Liability operating agreement for the LLC that is required to open a business bank account). .


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