Thread: Legal stuff?

Ok, so I have a website & business cards now, and I dance several times a month at the restaurant, and I hope to get more paid gigs...

At what point do you have to register yourself as a "small business"? What's all the legal mumbo-jumbo associated with this sort of "freelance bellydance"? I realize I have to declare payment on my income tax, but do I need to be doing anything else? .w.:

Actually, there's surprisingly little if you're operating under your own real name. As long as you claim your income, you're not employing anyone, you don't operate a facility of any kind and you don't sell any taxable products, you're good to go. You ARE a small business, no legal mumbo jumbo required. You are already operating a sole proprietorship.

If you want to be able to use a name other than your own (accept checks written to your stage name, for instance) you'll have to file a fictitious name (or assumed name) certificate, and probably have to run an ad in the paper announcing it.

Originally Posted by Sonja2

Ok, so I have a website & business cards now, and I dance several times a month at the restaurant, and I hope to get more paid gigs...

At what point do you have to register yourself as a "small business"? What's all the legal mumbo-jumbo associated with this sort of "freelance bellydance"? I realize I have to declare payment on my income tax, but do I need to be doing anything else? .w.:

I don't think you have to at all. If you want to accept checks made out to your dance name, you'll likely have to file a DBA (Doing Business As) at your County Clerk's office and bring it to the bank as proof.