Texas Sole Proprietorship

How to Become a Texas Sole Proprietor

Becoming a sole proprietor in Texas is simple. You don’t need to go through any official setup process or pay any fees. To operate a Texas sole proprietorship, just start working.

However, even though it’s easy to start, there are some extra steps you might want to consider. While not strictly necessary, many sole proprietors find them beneficial.

DBA Acquisition

A doing business as (DBA) name is a crucial part of many sole proprietorships, as it enables you to use an assumed name for your business, rather than your own personal name. The advantages of acquiring a DBA start with image ― most customers feel that an assumed name is more professional and trustworthy than doing business with a company that uses its owner’s personal name instead.

That said, sole proprietors can sign up for a business bank account using their DBA name, which is another step that goes a long way toward making customers feel more comfortable doing business with you.

While Texas DBAs are not required to be distinguishable from all other names in the database, it’s still a good idea to select one that is unique. Before applying for your DBA, check to see if it’s already in use by another business entity.

After settling on a name, you can complete the Assumed Name Certificate (Form 503) and submit it to your local county clerk to claim the DBA. There is usually a filing fee of around $9.

Determine Taxation Requirements

Sole proprietors without employees usually don’t need to acquire a federal tax ID number (EIN), because as a one-person business, you can typically just use your own social security number for most things an EIN is used for. Still, if you would rather not use your SSN for privacy purposes, it would be a good idea to get an EIN regardless.

Beyond that, the nature of your business will determine which taxes apply to you as a sole proprietor.

In Texas, there is no corporate income tax or individual state income tax. This makes state-level sole proprietorship taxes quite easy, as there is no need for state filing. Instead, sole proprietors must simply file business’ profit and loss reports with their individual income tax return.

While your sole proprietorship’s state-level taxes will likely be quite straightforward, you may be liable to pay other local taxes such as sales tax. More information on local taxes and Texas taxation in general can be found by visiting the Texas Comptroller’s Tax Section.

Obtain Business Licenses and Permits

There isn’t a requirement in Texas for sole proprietors to acquire a general business license, but depending on the nature of your business you may need other licenses and/or permits to operate in a compliant fashion.

Because there’s no general state business license in Texas, most licenses and permits in the state are issued at a local level. For an overview of which licenses your sole proprietorship may need, you’ll want to consult the county clerk of the municipality in which your business operates.

More information on Texas licensing in general can be found in the state’s Business Licenses & Permits Guide or online through the Business Permits Office (BPO).

In addition, you should check to see if your business needs any licenses or permits on the local level.

For example, Austin, San Antonio and Corpus Christi all have their own local licensing requirements.

What Is a Texas Sole Proprietor?

As opposed to a corporation or limited liability company (LLC), the sole proprietorship is not a legal business entity. The sole proprietorship is a one-person business that is not considered to be a distinct entity from the person who owns it, and it is frequently operated using the owner’s personal name.

Here are the three main things you need to know:

Tax Responsibilities

Because there’s no distinction between the owner and the business itself, sole proprietors don’t need to file business tax returns ― they instead simply claim any business profits or losses on their personal tax returns.

Contracts

Sole proprietors are allowed to sign contracts using their personal name, and along those same lines, customers can write checks to the business by using the sole proprietor’s name.

More Flexible

The other big difference between sole proprietorships and more formal business structures is the fact that sole proprietors are allowed to commingle business and personal assets as much as they want to. With LLCs and corporations, ownership is required to keep their assets separate from those of the company. The downside of this aspect for sole proprietors is that if your business is sued, creditors are free to pursue your personal assets like your house, car, personal bank accounts, etc. For corporations and LLCs, creditors are limited to your business assets.