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Becoming a sole proprietor in Washington is straightforward. You don’t need to go through any official setup process or pay any fees. To start a sole proprietorship in Washington, simply start working.
However, even though starting is easy, there are some extra steps you might want to consider. While not necessary, many sole proprietors find them helpful.
A D.C. 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.
To obtain a DBA (or “trade name”) for your Washington DC sole proprietorship, you’ll first need to confirm that you’ve picked a name that is distinguishable from all other business names on record with the District of Columbia. For help with this, you’ll want to use the business entity search tool located through the CorpOnline Web File.
After confirming that the name is available, you may register it by filing a Trade Name Registration Form with the Corporations Division.
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.
Sole proprietorships established in Washington DC are required to pay the District’s unincorporated franchise tax. In addition to this, other industry-specific taxes may be necessary. Thankfully, the Washington DC government makes it easy to determine your business’s tax liability and pay all necessary taxes through the MyTax.DC system.
There isn’t a requirement in Washington DC 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.
Whether or not your business requires a Basic Business License will depend on what goods or services it offers. In many cases, other license categories are applicable. If your business does require a Basic Business License, you may obtain it through the DC Business Portal. More information on District licensing in general can be found through the Licensing Section of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
In addition, you should check to see if your business needs any licenses or permits on the local level.
Unlike the licensing requirements for states, Washington DC has no specific local licensing requirements; instead, you must simply abide by the District’s license and permit requirements as outlined by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
As opposed to a corporation or District of Columbia 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.
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.
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.
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.
While the sole proprietor is such a simple business classification that District of Columbia (DC) doesn’t even require a business registration process or any type of fees, depending on how you use your sole proprietorship and what industry you operate in, you still might have some important steps that need to be taken.
When it comes to issues of taxation, licenses and permits, or even the name you want to call your sole proprietorship, you do need to be vigilant to make sure you’re not overlooking anything.
We hope this guide helped you answer any questions you had for sole proprietorships in District of Columbia (DC), and we wish you success with your business!
Disclaimer: The content on this page is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal, tax, or accounting advice. If you have specific questions about any of these topics, seek the counsel of a licensed professional.
Written by Team ZenBusiness
ZenBusiness has helped people start, run, and grow over 700,000 dream companies. The editorial team at ZenBusiness has over 20 years of collective small business publishing experience and is composed of business formation experts who are dedicated to empowering and educating entrepreneurs about owning a company.
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