Legal Question in Business Law in New York

Re: startup dog walking business in Manhattan NYC

You should speak with an attorney and accountant to determine which business entity would best suit your needs. No licenses for dog walking specifically leap to my mind, however you will want to be insured. Please feel free to contact my office if we can provide assistance to you in helping establish your business.

Re: startup dog walking business in Manhattan NYC

The New York State tax on corporations doing business in New York is complex

and it may not be worthwhile for a small business especially one for which there is relatively low risk of lawsuits and no great need for the protection against personal liability

provided by doing business as a corporation. That decision would be based on an assessment of balancing the risk of personal liability in a potential lawsuit if opertating the business as, e.e.g, a SOLE PROPRTIETORSHIP, as opposed to the potential adverse NYS tax consequences in operating the business as a corporation.

For example, there is a New York State FRANCHISE TAX imposed on

corporations and the applicable formulae for computing this franchise tax varies according to the size of

the corporation and its profits.

However, even if the corporation has ZERO income, it would still be liable to pay New York State for an eight hundred dollar franchise tax; even if the corporation LOST MONEY, it would still be liable to pay New York State the FRANCHISE TAX.

Moreover, BESIDES the franchise tax, New York State imposes a special

seventeen per cent tax SURCHARGE on businesses operating in New York City

(which is BESIDES the New York City taxes imposed by NYC itself).