Louisiana Sole Proprietorship

How to Become a Louisiana Sole Proprietor

In Louisiana, becoming a sole proprietor is straightforward. There’s no official setup process or fees. To operate as a Louisiana sole proprietorship, just start working. However, even though it’s easy to start, there are optional steps along the way that many sole proprietors find helpful for their business.

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.

In Louisiana, sole proprietorships wishing to operate under a name other than the name of the sole proprietor are not required to register the name with the Louisiana Secretary of State. However, if the business wishes to obtain exclusive rights to the name, it may consider issuing a trademark. Before doing so, you’ll need to check the name’s availability using the Louisiana Business Filings Database.

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, sole proprietorships in Louisiana may be subject to paying excise tax, sales tax, premium tax, withholding tax, and several other industry-related business taxes depending on what goods or services is provided. Resources on business taxes can be found through the Business Tax Page of the Louisiana Department of Revenue website. When it’s time to file, businesses may do so conveniently online through the Louisiana File Online system.

Obtain Business Licenses and Permits

There isn’t a requirement in Louisiana 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.

Louisiana has many state-level business licenses that may or may not apply to your sole proprietorship. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to establish your individual licensing needs through the geauzBIZ website. Using the system’s tools, you’ll be able to create an individualized business license checklist.

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

For example, larger cities such as New Orleans will often have their own business license requirements. Be sure to check with the licensing office of your local city or county government in order to confirm you’re meeting all requirements.

What Is a Louisiana 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.