DBA vs. LLC 

A DBA is a fictious name registration, allowing you to open bank accounts in the business name, and deposit, cash and write checks in the name of the business.   An LLC is a clealy defined form of individual ownership or partnership with established rules of liability on all levels. It not only allows you to limit your personal liability for the actions taken by the business, but it allows you to control the exact nature of your relationship with the business, be it solely as an owner, or as an owner an employee, or as an owner and contractor, or as an owner and consultant. This level of control can be expanded by filing an IRS form to elect for your LLC to be treated as a corporation.

-- In the situation presented:  Audio recording/production and voiceover talent.  Wife is a freelance voiceover talent, recording out of our home studio (in some cases she would travel to a client's studio). Husband is a freelance audio producer, working out of our home studio. Audio is for both broadcast (radio, TV) and non-broadcast (AV Presentations, audio for web, etc). Business is in our home in North Little Rock, AR.  An honest appraisal of the situation leaves on with only one answer. It would be more appropriate to form an LLC. Why? Because all of the legal advantages offered by a DBA are also offered by an LLC, as well as additional legal, financial, and tax liability protections, and in this case, the ability to assume greater control over contractual situations and thus manage the LLC's interests towards a more advantageous conclusion.A DBA is a county level legal fiction allowing for the establishement of a seperate legal identity for the business from the individual owner.  An LLC is a state level filing establishing a form of corporation and partnership with clearly defined rules of ownership and liability for all founding members with a stake in ownership, and any future members brought into the owning stake.

07 - Here are the licenses and tax ids you are legally required to obtain before starting voice over business operations:

1. A business tax registration license

2. A DBA assumed business name

3. A federal tax id number if you are a partnership or you want to use it instead of you social security number to open a bank account. Also, note that forming an llc or incorporating eliminates the requirement of getting a dba. It is a good idea to form an llc to avoid personal liability from voice over business transactions.

All of these filings and more can be acquired online at www.businessnameusa.com

Simple answer our online questionaire, then fill out our business information form to the best of your ability, leaving blank only those fields you do not posess the answer to, and then complete our paymeny form. Once you have done so, we will begin prosessing your order immediately.

www.businessnameusa.com

P.O. Box 14927

Long Beach, CA. 90853

310-455-6675

Even in the absence of the above stated reasons, it remains essential to file as at least a DBA, should you elect to not file for the superior LLC. Failure to file for either of these identifications will render any spending of company profits outside of the company as tantamount to embezzlement.

Failure to file for a business license will leave your business unregistered locally, and you in a position of being unsure personally as to the legality of your business. It can even result in fines and misdemeanor charges.

All these permits will cost a total of $449.97

Without a federal tax ID, your business will not be differentiated from you personally by the IRS. Not only will you be unable to hire employees legally, much less properly file for witholding taxes and the like, you will be unable to file tax returns for your business as a seperate entity, and you will be left open for