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Paperwork, Permits and Licenses... |
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| Syllabus | Class Sessions | Links | Grading | Assignments | ||
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Paperwork, Permits and Licenses... |
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| Syllabus | Class Sessions | Links | Grading | Assignments | ||
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Paperwork, Regulations, Permits and Licenses |
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a Local Business Requirements vary by City, County and State and change frequently. The following is a general listing of the most common requirements with references for information when possible.
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| Business
Licenses Licenses are required for most businesses located in a city or doing business in a city. Business owners should contact EACH city's licensing department in which the business is located or being operated. If your business is located in one city but you plan to operate in several cities, you may need a license from each city. You generally do not need a local license if you do not sell a tangible product. You will need to attach a Home Occupations form to the Business License form if you plan to operate a Home-Based business. Phone numbers for business license offices in Santa Cruz County are:
County and Other Permits Business licenses are NOT generally required in the unincorporated areas (any area outside a city limit) of the county. However, the county may have some restrictions and therefore you may need both a Business License from a city AND a County Permit. You should contact the Planning Department of the city for businesses in incorporated areas (see above), or the County Planning Department to determine if a county permit is required prior to the operation of your business. Because the regulations change from time to time, it is recommended that you contact the Planning Department, (831) 454-2580. The most common businesses requiring county permits from other departments are:
For more resources see our class Links page State & Federal Permits Certain professions and selected businesses require an additional State and/or Federal license. A few of the more common are auto repair shops, bars, liquor stores, electrical appliance repair shops, contractors, cosmetologists, insurance sales, collection agencies, real estate sales, lawyers, and medical professionals. Enforcement Each type generally has its own Bureau or division within the California State Consumer Affairs Department. To obtain telephone numbers for these bureaus call (916)445-1254, or (800) 952-5210, or listed in the State or Federal listings in the front of your phone book. Other regulatory and licensing agencies are listed in the California License Handbook by the California Department of Commerce, Office of Small Business, available at the Central Branch of the library or on the Internet at the California's Department of Consumer Affairs or DCA: http://www2.dca.ca.gov/pls/wllpub/wllquery$.startup | http://www.dca.ca.gov/licensee/info.shtml Fictitious Business Name Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, and Corporations must file a fictitious name statement with the county where their primary business is located. A fictitious business name is defined as a name that does not include the full surnames of all its owners or, in the case of a corporation, does not include the full corporate name.
You are required to file within 40 days of starting the business. Non-profit corporations, associations, or charitable organizations do NOT need to file. Filing is done at the County Clerk's Office, Special Services, 701 Ocean Street, Room 230, Santa Cruz, CA, 95060; (831)454-2470. http://www.sccoclerk.com/file.htm | more info | publishing name Form | No Authority to not file/5 Years | Names | Abandon Name For more on naming a business, branding, domain names and protecting the name from use by others click here. Seller's Permit/Resale Number Retailers, wholesalers,
and manufacturers must obtain a Seller's Permit from the California State
Board of Equalization, 8030 Soquel Ave., Suite 100, Santa Cruz, CA, 95062;
(408)462-9496. A second or a new office is at 111 E. Navajo Drive, Suite
100, Salinas 93906-2452. Phone numbers are: (408) 443-3003 or (800) 400-7115. Should you be collecting Retail Sales Tax? Read the Article Sales Tax Often Confusing? S.C.C. Retail tax rates: http://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/pdf/Pending_Rates-4-09.pdf This form registers your business to allow you to sell goods and requires you to collect sales tax if you sell to the final user. Technically and legally the seller is required to pay the sales tax but may be "reimbursed" by its customers. Before signing a lease or beginning a business, you should verify that the planned use, location and existence of adequate parking for the expected customer base of your business is in compliance with city Zoning Department regulations. You need a Zoning Permit if you are changing the use of a building or are starting a home occupation. If out of compliance, a Conditional Use Permit approval might be obtained through a public hearing process. The City or County Planning Departments will determine and issue the following:
If you are in an unincorporated area, follow the Santa Cruz County regulations at 701 Ocean Street in Santa Cruz.
You should contact the Planning Department of the city for businesses in incorporated areas
Sign Ordinances & Building Permits For construction and Renovation you will need a building permit. All cities and the County have Signage Ordinances based upon the concerns of Public safety and general appearance. You'll need a permit to:
Regulations may be in place regarding related items such as:
Check with the City
and County Planning Departments/Commissions.
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| EIN:
SS-4, Federal Employer ID Number
Used by the IRS to identify employers, sole proprietors, corporations, partnerships, nonprofit associations, trusts, estates of decedents, government agencies, certain individuals, and other business entities for tax payments and tax returns (similar to SS#). . A Federal Tax ID Number, also known as an Employer Identification Number or EIN, is basically a Social Security Number (SSN) for a business. It is the number the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses to identify the business and it must be included on all tax filings the business makes. Also, banks generally require a Federal Tax ID (EIN) Number to open a business bank account. Who needs an EIN?
Who doesn't needs an EIN?
Trademarks, Copyrights and Patents Trade and Service marks are registered at both the State and Federal levels, patents and copyrights at the Federal level.
Partnership Paperwork Register your Articles of Partnership, form a Partnership Contract, file a Certificate of Limited Partnership.
Corporation Paperwork Required paperwork includes Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, Minutes of Initial Meeting, Statement of Domestic Stock Corporation, Choice of corporate form (full corporation, C corporation, S Corporation, LLC), Annual Shareholder's Meeting & Minutes, and so on.
Not -For Profit Status If an organization or business wishes to obtain not-for-profit status they should:
Basic Services Bank, Water, Gas & Electric, Garbage, Sewer Connection, Telephone, etc. Displaying Permits Employer/Employee Paperwork EMPLOYEE
RELATED REQUIREMENTS. You are required to file a registration form with the Employment Tax Section of the California Employment Development Department, 2045 40th Ave., Suite A, Capitola 95010, (888) 745-3886 or http://www.edd.ca.gov/taxreg.htm. After filing, you will be responsible for withholding and payment of state income tax and unemployment insurance. You are also required to have each employee fill out a form I-9 from the Immigration and Naturalization Service to verify employment eligibility. The nearest INS office is: 1887 Monterey Rd, San Jose 95111. The form may also be obtained by calling (800) 870-3676 or at http://www.ins.usdoj.gov/graphics/formsfee/forms/i-9.htm. You should arrange Workers' Compensation Insurance coverage for your employees. This can be done through a state sponsored plan, State Compensation Insurance Fund, 6203 San Ignacio Ave., San Jose 95119, (408) 363-7600, or your own insurance agent. For additional addresses and phone numbers of the State Compensation Insurance Fund, see http://www.scif.com/newscif2/. You should familiarize
yourself with the California Occupational Safety Health Act, which sets
down exact requirements for safety and health standards in places of employment
throughout the state. Fines for non-compliance can be steep. CAL-OSHA
Regulations can be found in Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations,
available at UCSC's McHenry library in the Government Publications department,
at the Santa Cruz Law Library, 701 Ocean St., Rm 070 or at http://www.dir.ca.gov/Counters/t8index.htm. http://www.bis.gov/oco/ocos017.htm Questions about employer-employee relations? Call the Labor Commissioner at (415) 557-7878 for information. EMPLOYEE
ASSISTANCE. Taxes Federal, State, Local, City, Excise, Retail Sales, Shareholder's, Corporate, Employee etc. Quarterly prepayments are required. Insurance You need Property, Liability, Auto, Crime, Worker's Comp, and optional (key-employee, disability, tenants, health/dental group, etc.) |
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Assistance and Help CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE. * Aptos,(831) 688-1467,
http://www.aptoschamber.com/ Some of these Chambers have Business Start-Up Kits for sale--call the one near you for more information. SMALL
BUSINESS ASSISTANCE. Business counseling on a one-to-one basis is available through SCORE (Service Core of Retired Executives) http://www.score.org/. Appointments may be made by calling the Santa Cruz, Capitola, Scotts Valley or Pajaro Valley Chambers of Commerce (see above for phone numbers). The Small Business
Administration (SBA) offers help to small businesses and has a number
of low cost business development pamphlets and booklets available. The
nearest SBA District office is: SBA, 455 Market St., 6th Floor, San Francisco,
CA 94105, (415) 744-6820, http://www.sba.gov/. |
| Other Resources |
Useful
Websites
Cabrillo College Library http://libwww.cabrillo.cc.ca.us/ Topsy Smalley, Reference Librarian Homepage The
Santa Cruz City-County Library System You may connect to the library's Public Access Catalog through our home page at http://www.santacruzpl.org/ or look for books in the Library Catalog by choosing a subject from the following list: * Electronic Commerce
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