Massachusetts Sole Proprietorship

How to Become a Massachusetts Sole Proprietor

In Massachusetts, becoming a sole proprietor is simple. You don’t have to go through any formal setup process or pay any fees. Just start working, and you’re operating as a sole proprietor. However, it’s a good idea to consider some extra steps along the way, even though they’re not mandatory. Many sole proprietors find them helpful.

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.

Before registering a DBA in Massachusetts, you’ll need to check the name’s availability with three different databases: the Secretary of Commonwealth corporate database, the reserved name database, and the state trademark search. After confirming that your desired DBA is available, you must file a Registration of DBA form with the local county clerk or city office of the municipality in which your business operates.

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.

For example, if your sole proprietorship sells taxable goods or services within Massachusetts, you’ll likely be required to pay sales and use tax. However, other tax liabilities will likely exist as well. Fortunately, Massachusetts makes establishing your sole proprietorships tax requirements quite easy, through MassTaxConnect, which allows you to register your business online with the state Department of Revenue and pay all state taxes pertaining to your business.

Obtain Business Licenses and Permits

There isn’t a requirement in Massachusetts 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.

Massachusetts has hundreds of professional and regulatory business licenses; it’s likely that your sole proprietorship will need one (or several) to operate lawfully within the state. Fortunately, Massachusetts has plenty of resources that will guide you through determining your state licensing needs, such as the Massachusetts Permit Regulatory Office (MPRO) and the Professional Licenses & Permits Page of the Massachusetts government website.

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

Often, larger cities such as Cambridge, Worcester and Springfield will have their own license requirements that you’ll need to abide by if your sole proprietorship operates within city limits.

What Is a Massachusetts 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.