When starting out on your own, there a number of things you need to do based on where you live. Even with all of the resources on the internet, it can still be a little confusing to determine what is needed as it varies based on a number of factors. As such, if you are starting a business, then be sure to research what is required for your situation.
Here are the basic steps for becoming a sole proprietor in Arlington County, Virginia.
- County - Business License ($30/fee, plus tax at end of year) from the Commissioner of Revenue
- County - Home occupation permit (free) from the Commissioner of Revenue
- File State Taxes at end of year
File Federal Taxes at end of year and complete tax estimates quarterly Other steps, highly recommended:
New bank account to separate business income/expenses from personal accounts
- Business Cards - about.me provides free moo cards
- Health Insurance - eHealthInsurance.com
- Networking - meetup.com After this, you can look into creating a more complex business type, such as an LLC and/or trademarking a business name and getting an EIN if needed. However if you are just looking to get started, it could be a simple as that. Let me know if you think im missing something.