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POLL for individual breeders/small business owners

timebider

timebider

Some like 'em hot!
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OK, so I just concluded my research on getting an LLC and becoming a legitimate business entity (no dice, thanks to zoning regs here - I can have all the pet snakes I want, but I can't legally breed for the purpose of selling as a "home business").

I discussed this with a former corporate tax guy who recently became an attorney, and he speculated that a whole lot of folks who have websites, business names, etc. are actually just individuals operating "under the radar" -not registered as a business, not paying sales or other taxes (for the same reason), no actual copyrighted or trademarked name, etc. He hypothesized that doing it that way, particularly with Internet-based sales, may be the best/only way for a lot of people just starting out or with very small operations (say, less than 50 snakes).

So my question is, how many smaller breeders/individuals here who have websites and sell under a "company name" have actually jumped through the hoops to become a "real" business? How many have just set up a website, named themselves, and watermarked their photos and that's it? I'm very curious about this! I was really saddened to be stopped in my tracks due to a zoning regulation. My current plan is to keep slowly building my collection and selling online as any hatchlings become available until we move someplace where I can have a separate facility on my own property.

Thanks so much for any input and insight!
 
Where's the poll?

I legally do business as KBI Herpetoculture, have a tax number, pay NYS Sales and Use tax, and claim my income from selling snakes (every darned dollar of it).
 
hhmoore said:
Where's the poll?

I legally do business as KBI Herpetoculture, have a tax number, pay NYS Sales and Use tax, and claim my income from selling snakes (every darned dollar of it).
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Me too, a pain, and expense, but less painful than having the IRS find me later and less expensive than the possible fine I would incur.:thumbsup:
 
You do business as KBI Herpetoculture? We're going to have to talk, Deborah
 
deborahbroadus said:
Me too, a pain, and expense, but less painful than having the IRS find me later and less expensive than the possible fine I would incur.:thumbsup:
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That's why I've decided to continue on as a hobby for now. I'm just too dang paranoid. I do NOT need any kind of legal trouble, I do NOT want my animals seized, I do NOT want my photos or business name/logo stolen (not that that would ever happen :rolleyes:) with no legal recourse... Of course, I live in a heavily populated, urban area where a big stink is much more likely to be raised than if I were out in the boonies somewhere.
 
I have my DBA filed with the county and I file all my earnings and losses every year with my taxes. I have an accountant that does all that paperwork.
 
Right after we got past like 5 snakes, we realized we wanted to make a business of this. So we went to our county courthouse/offices and filed a fictious name application to "reserve" our business name. Then we went to the commissioner of revenue's office and got information to get the federal tax id number which we were able to do right there on our cell phone....took the guy a while to realize I was wanting to sell corn snakes and not corn Flakes! Then we went back to the office and got our business license. I also called the Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries to get a permit to keep and sell corn snakes since they are native to VA. Now we are getting into crested geckos so I am not sure if I have to add them to the licenses or not. I don't for the VA permit since they aren't native to VA. And I know to sell at MD shows you have to have MD permits to sell anything native to MD. Not sure about other states.
 
4riscorn said:
Right after we got past like 5 snakes, we realized we wanted to make a business of this. So we went to our county courthouse/offices and filed a fictious name application to "reserve" our business name. Then we went to the commissioner of revenue's office and got information to get the federal tax id number which we were able to do right there on our cell phone....took the guy a while to realize I was wanting to sell corn snakes and not corn Flakes! Then we went back to the office and got our business license. I also called the Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries to get a permit to keep and sell corn snakes since they are native to VA. Now we are getting into crested geckos so I am not sure if I have to add them to the licenses or not. I don't for the VA permit since they aren't native to VA. And I know to sell at MD shows you have to have MD permits to sell anything native to MD. Not sure about other states.
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Forgot to add that since my husband and I are doing the business together, they made us file as a partnership instead of an individual. So it will be interesting come tax time since we already file for my cleaning business. So that will be two businesses, one being a partnership, 3 W2s (One of my cleaning clients uses a W2 so they can get it deducted since they are a tax exempt place so I have to turn in a W2 and since Mike helps me with my cleaning business, this place gives him his separate W2) and it usually costs us close to $400 now to file the taxes!!!
 
Got my DBA back in 2007, but this is the first year I've done enough business to justify going all out, so I've got my federal EIN and my state tax ID. I know what's going to drive me bonkers is figuring out what expenses qualify when it comes to filing taxes :ack2:
 
Be sure to deduct any travel expenses for when you go to shows...and any supplies. And if it is run out of your home, you can deduct partial utility bills, insurance etc.
 
TheFragginDragon said:
Got my DBA back in 2007, but this is the first year I've done enough business to justify going all out, so I've got my federal EIN and my state tax ID. I know what's going to drive me bonkers is figuring out what expenses qualify when it comes to filing taxes :ack2:
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I keep everything itemized and catalogued on a spreadsheet then give it all to my accountant at tax time (he does both my personal and business taxes).:thumbsup:
 
timebider said:
That's why I've decided to continue on as a hobby for now.
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Even as a hobby, you are required to report your income.

This is, for me, a "hobby business". I do it because I enjoy it...I don't rely on the income...and if I decide to pass on breeding for a few years, I can.
 
hhmoore said:
Even as a hobby, you are required to report your income.
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Heh heh...don't I know it. That corporate-tax-guy-turned-attorney I referenced in my initial post is my husband. While it's convenient to make him do the research, it's a major pain in the butt at other times when he's looking at every last mundane aspect of life from the perspective of a lawyer ("don't let the neighbors' kids play on the trampoline because we're liable for any injuries!") and tells me what I can/can't and have to/shouldn't do.

Since it's unlikely I'll have anything much to sell - it would mostly be "laid-off" breeders or a hatchling here or there, since I'm bad about hoarding my babies - he doesn't think it would be a problem. And I will still pay the taxes - he wouldn't let me NOT, LOL.
 
Thanks so much for all the info, Gini; I'm particularly interested to hear from you since you're in my state. I'd be home free with everything if not for the stupid zoning ordinances. :rolleyes:

While my focus has been primarily on balls, I've been growing more and more obsessed with Asian rat species of late. My collection of those is growing in leaps and bounds (got a pair of gonyos in this morning and I can hardly take my eyes off them! Those are some seriously cool snakes :eek::eek:). I found an importer I want to work with for some REALLY amazing specimens the likes of which I haven't seen in any domestic ad or show. Apparently, if I pay the USFWS import fees and go to an official port, I can get them no problem. My husband also found a legal way for me to deal as an individual with wholesalers who only sell to businesses. So I guess I'm still a hobby now with an eye to opening up a "business" when I get someplace where it's legal. Even so, the ultimate goal, really, would be for this to be a self-supporting hobby; like Harald, I probably won't breed every season.
 
I'm curious about this whole "DBA" thing - I assume that's "Doing Business As" - that several folks have mentioned. How does that work? :confused:
 
timebider said:
I'm curious about this whole "DBA" thing - I assume that's "Doing Business As" - that several folks have mentioned. How does that work? :confused:
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For me I filed it with my county courthouse. I live out in the sticks so I dont have to worry about city stuff. The DBA has your business name... and all your personal info... so they have a record of who is running that business. Because I am only running my business as a DBA I am able to file everything under my SSN when it comes times for taxes. For the first few years that was a godsend.... because the loss on the business reduced my overall taxes.

This will be the first year that I will break even or maybe even show a small profit (gotta keep my buying in check)... and this is my 4th year.
 
I do it as a hobby, but do report all income, expenses etc....

I have my state reseller's permit, so it's all legal and everyone gets their share of my income.
 
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