Arkansas Sole Proprietorship

How to Become an Arkansas Sole Proprietor

In Arkansas, becoming a sole proprietor is straightforward. There’s no formal procedure or fees required. To start, simply begin working. Although it’s easy to begin, it’s advisable to consider some optional steps along the way for your best interests.

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.

The process for obtaining a DBA as a sole proprietorship in Arkansas is slightly different than in other states. Although you will still need to conduct a business entity search to see if your desired DBA is available, you will not register that DBA with the Secretary of State. Instead, you will file an Assumed Name Certificate with your local county clerk’s office.

For a more detailed explanation of the process for registering a DBA in Arkansas, check out our article dedicated to the subject.

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.

Businesses that sell goods and certain services will need to register for and pay sales and use tax, and you may need to pay other industry-specific taxes depending on your area of business. If you’re unsure of which taxes apply to your sole proprietorship, you can use the Arkansas Taxpayer Access Point to register for the taxes that your business will be responsible for.

Obtain Business Licenses and Permits

There isn’t a requirement in Arkansas 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 the State of Arkansas has hundreds of permits and licenses that apply to specific industries, such as child care or general contracting, you should take care to ensure that you have all relevant licenses and permits to operate compliantly in Arkansas. To determine which permits your business needs, use the State of Arkansas’s business resources and search for agencies relevant to your area of business.

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

Localities such as Little Rock, Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Springdale, and Jonesboro have their own requirements for businesses.

What Is an Arkansas 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.