# Question on the Legal side of the business (business license, tax id, etc)



## Greatzky (Jan 28, 2009)

Hello,
So I'm finally getting around to making my business legit. 
I don't intend on having any employees, but my girlfriend and I are basically the owners/partners. I do most of the screen work and purchases of equipment/supplies and she handles any of the design work that I can't do. I am not a trained artist and can only create simple things in Photoshop and AI so she does the real sketches and line art.
We plan to do mostly online sales of our designs as well as offer Custom shirts to business in our area. I plan to market online as well as market to businesses via postcards and flyers in the mail. We won't have a store front and I'll be doing all of the work out of my house. 

I plan to register the company as Silk Screen Expressions. I looked online and see no businesses in NJ with that name. I am not sure if our shirt designs will be branded with a different name or not, but if that happens I could register the brand as a dba thing??

Im wondering what I should file my business as. I'm not sure if I should do a general partnership or find a way to make me the owner and have her do freelance work. My income is our income anyway so I'm not sure if it is necessary to have her listed. I wouldn't have her as an employee.
I don't know much about LLC or LLP and I am not sure why I would need to be a corporation.

After I decide which way to go I plan to get all the necessary permits/licenses/ tax numbers/etc that will be required for my area. 
I'm just having trouble with getting it all started. 

I know that similar posts have been made, but I'm not sure if the answers are different for each business.
Any help or tips/suggestions/ critiques/ would be appreciated. Thank you in advance for your time.

-Scott Lewis
Silk Screen Expressions


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## Greatzky (Jan 28, 2009)

oh also,
Since I live in New Jersey I won't have to collect Sales tax for my apparel if sold to customers in NJ because NJ doesn't Tax clothing... I know i have to have all the specific permits/id #'s anyway, but I'm guessing that might make it a little easier than I thought Since I won't really be selling anything that is taxable in NJ.

-Scott Lewis


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## curiousity (Feb 15, 2009)

I would recommend:

http://www.sba.gov/

??????????????????????????? (score.org -> link works)

You should be able to set up a meeting to go over the set up of your business.

It's free! Or at least already paid for by your taxes... ;-)


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