[Noisebridge-discuss] Starting a business questions...

Amir Ebrahimi ae.pascal at gmail.com
Fri Jan 11 16:40:50 UTC 2013


Hi Pat,

I'll make a judgment and say that you sound to me that you honor
agreements, are organized, and do things somewhat "by-the-book". I'm
projecting because that's how I run my business. If you're okay with
whatever the results are, then I'd suggest calling Alameda county and San
Francisco county. I had a partnership of two years that I filed a FBN and
got a business license in San Francisco. The fees were nominal (I think
less than $200 and then $85 annually). If you call both counties, then
hopefully you can compare and make a more informed decision. Also, if I
were calling I'd even mention that I have two locations and can do business
out of either location.

Your CPA may venture to answer some of your questions, however, may defer
since they are not exactly tax-related.

-Amir



On Fri, Jan 11, 2013 at 3:40 AM, Patrick Lake <pat at patsanimation.com> wrote:

> Hey hackers,
>
> I'll have to talk to a professional about this, but first, can I pick your
> brains about entrepreneurial stuff…
>
> For many moons, I've been in business for myself.  It's internet
> book-selling business.  I do my own bookkeeping, get help from a CPA to
> file once a year (probably the pro I'd want to talk to), have a seller's
> permit, collect sales tax,  and do quarterly tax payments (fed, state,
> sales). I'm pretty narrow-focus on what I do vs. what everyone else does.
>
> At the present, I and my partner are pitching in together under a general
> partnership, to put out an app.  To my understanding this isn't a
> complicated arrangement at all, once we put terms on paper. (Aside from
> potential liability for each other's business debts, like if I use the
> company card on a shopping spree for more furry porn and lacy underwear
> that I can't talk about and deny the existence of.)  It shouldn't need LLC
> or other such structure for a small internet business, and it's a
> transparent "pass through" to our personal finances that we'll handle
> ourselves like usual.
>
> So, come time to file a fictitious business name.  It sounds easy as hell,
> just a form and a small fee.  But then I noticed some other stuff I'd never
> heard of for self employed business.
>
> "*Business Licenses*
> If you are conducting business in Alameda, you will need a business
> license <http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/Business/Business-License> and a zoning
> clearance form <http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/getdoc.cfm?id=223>. If you
> are working out of your home, you will also need a home occupation permit<http://www.cityofalamedaca.gov/Business/Business-License>
> ."
>
> Home occupation permit? Triple forms... it makes me hiss like a vampire at
> a crucifix (even if it's run of the mill shit). I even noticed this
> troublesome fine print:
>
> "Garages provide required parking and may not be converted into home
> offices. If your business involves the use of a garage or accessory
> building, a separate Use Permit application and public hearing will be
> required. "
>
> So like, I imagine some inspector walking in and seeing the stack of
> cardboard book mailers I have stuck out in the garage and the janky little
> photo shooting area, and going like this:
>
> "*The Tax Man <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595567/>*: Where's your sea
> craft?
> *Popeye <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/>*: It ain't no sea craft,
> it's me dinghy and it's under the wharf.
> *The Tax Man <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595567/>*: You're new in town
> right?
> *Popeye <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/>*: If you call this a town,
> yes.
> *The Tax Man <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595567/>*: Well, first of all,
> there's 17¢ new-in-town tax, and there's 45¢ rowboat-under-the-wharf tax,
> and one dollar leaving-your-junk-lying-around-the-wharf tax, so all
> together, you owe the Commodore $1.87.
> *Popeye <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/>*: Uh, who's this Commodore?
> *The Tax Man <http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595567/>*: Is that the nature
> of question? There's a nickel question tax."
>
> First of all, I'm unsure if "In Alameda" refers to actually physically
> selling stuff to people inside the city (which I won't do 99.9% of the
> time) or just being based there and selling it on the internet (everywhere
> else.)  Isn't that the kind of brouhaha going on right now about Amazon
> refusing to collect sales tax for out-of-state sales, if they're not
> physically "in the state"?
>
> Well, if you can answer that, and it does mean "where my place is that I
> work from", not "who I sell to", OK.  I've got an address in Alameda, and
> an address in San Francisco.  I could do this paperwork for either location
> if one is better than the other.  But could I do it even elsewhere still?
>  I've heard people say "file in Delaware…"  Where else, why, and how?
>
> Am I over-thinking this and is it really just a few forms and that's it?
>  What's your experience been?  Is there anything you wish you did when you
> started?
>
> Can you recommend me a good book?  (Most of what I know was gleaned from
> forums and one great "accounting for self-employed people" book I read.
>  Some start-a-business books I've seen are worse than useless, they're like
> a collection of forms that grows longer the more you read.)
>
> And would my CPA be the best place to start, or should I think about
> someone else like a CFO for this financial BDSM??
>
> Thanks! :)
> Pat
>
>
>
>
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