A D/B/A is an alternate name that the business can transact under and stands for “Doing Business As”. It can also be referred to as an assumed name or fictitious name. A D/B/A gives your business a different alias and does not require a separate EIN# or separate taxes. You can set up business in different locations under different D/B/A names and all your taxes paperwork will flow up through the original business.
If you are planning on having multiple locations with different names, or have more than one type of product or service you want to market, a D/B/A may be right for you. There are no limitations on how many DBA’s you can have for your business. A D/B/A does not require a corporate indicator on the end, such as inc, corp, or LLC. Therefore, D/B/A names are not protected and anyone can end up selecting the same D/B/A name as you.
Some things to know about DBA’s, each state have different laws regarding DBA’s. In addition, the state of Florida and Pennsylvania require publishing to be done for the DBA. Some states require you file with the country clerk’s office, additionally some states require renewal and fees to use your DBA name every couple of years. Check with your local state to ensure you have accurate information regarding the DBA requirements before filing.
Easily order a D/B/A for your business by clicking here:
https://www.nyic.biz/forms/NY-DBA-2010-Fillable.pdf
**DBA’s filed on a county level are known as sole proprietorships and are different than DBA’s filed on a state level. Sole proprietorships do not protect your assets the way a business does. To learn more, give us a call 1-800-443-8177**