Legal Question in Business Law in New York

Re: Starting New Online Ecommerce Business

Diane:You have too many questions. You need to spend some time with a lawyer and sort out what you need and what is the best form in which to operate your business

Re: Starting New Online Ecommerce Business

Generally, it is not necessary to "register" to start your business. It is generally best to protect your personal assets by conducting your business under the protection of a separate corporation. This also helps to keep clear what are business expenses and what are personal expenses for purposes of taxation. Certain types of businesses require registration with various government agencies. For example, if you are selling products you must make the necessary arrangements to pay sales tax, if your business involves cleanup of oil spills, you must be registered with the department of environmental protection, etc. Our office handles business start up procedures and you can call our office to arrange an appointment at 212-267-7000.

Re: Starting New Online Ecommerce Business

Diane --

You will need to consider a number of issues, including limited liability for yourself as the owner, tax aspects, regulatory requirements, and possibility of selling the business or adding others as partners later, to list just a few.

Many startups with a single owner tend to choose either a limited liability company or a subchapter S corporation, but each situation is different. Sole proprietorship tends not to work out well for retailing, whether e-commerce or not.

If you need guidance on the organization of the suitable company form for your specific circumstances, give me a call.

Please note that this response is in the nature of general information, is not legal advice and is not to be relied on as such.