How To Add A Dba To An Llc In Ohio

Here are the steps you need to have to start a express liability visitor (LLC) in Ohio.

A express liability company (LLC for short) is a way to legally structure a business. It combines the limited liability of a corporation with the flexibility and lack of formalities provided by a partnership or sole proprietorship. Whatsoever business owner who seeks to limit his or her personal liability for business debts and lawsuits should consider forming an LLC.

Steps to form an LLC Here are the steps you lot need to have to grade an LLC in Ohio. For more information on how to class an LLC in any land, encounter How to Grade an LLC.

Choose a name for your Ohio LLC
Appoint a registered amanuensis
File articles of organization
Prepare an operating agreement
Get an EIN & comply with other tax and regulatory requirements

Why File for an LLC in Ohio?

LLCs are a common choice for new and small-scale concern owners, and for skilful reason. LLCs are relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to form and maintain, and they provide personal liability protection from business organization debts and lawsuits. If yous are looking to form an entity that provides flexibility in terms of ownership, direction, and taxation, an LLC might be a good fit for your business. To learn more, see What is a Express Liability Company (LLC)?

Step 1. Choose a Name for Your Ohio LLC

Your LLC'south proper noun must be distinguishable from the names of other business entities already on file with the Ohio Secretarial assistant of State. You tin can bank check names for availability at the Ohio Secretarial assistant of Country business organization name database.

Under Ohio law, an LLC name must include one of the following:

limited liability company
limited
LLC
L.L.C.
ltd., or
ltd.

You may reserve a proper noun for 180 days by filing a Proper noun Reservation (Form 534-B) with the Ohio Secretary of State. The application may exist filed online or by mail. The filing fee is $39.

Using a Trade Proper noun

You don't have to apply your LLC's official legal name registered in your Articles of Organization when you lot do business organisation out in the real world. Instead, y'all can use a trade name, also called an assumed name, "DBA" (short for doing business as), or a fictitious concern proper name. To do then in Ohio, you must register your trade name with the Ohio Secretarial assistant of State. To register, file a Name Registration (Form 534A) with the Secretarial assistant of State online or by postal service. The filing fee is $39. For more on registering business names, meet How to Register a Business Proper noun.

Step ii. Appoint a Registered Agent

Every Ohio LLC must have an amanuensis for service of process in the country. This is an individual or business organization entity that agrees to take legal papers on the LLC'southward behalf if someone sues the company. The registered agent can be an Ohio resident or a domestic or foreign corporation authorized to do business in Ohio. The registered agent must accept a physical street address in Ohio. Still, an individual agent may provide a P.O. box as the agent address.

Footstep 3. File Articles of System

An Ohio LLC is created by filing Manufactures of Organisation for a Domestic Limited Liability Company (Form 533A) with the Ohio Secretary of Country. The articles must include:

the LLC's name
the effective date of Articles--upon filing or a later on date
term of the LLC (if not perpetual)
LLC's purpose (optional)
address, email, and telephone number
the proper name, accost, and signature of the LLC'south registered agent, and
signature of LLC a member, manager, or authorized representative

You can file the articles online or by postal mail. The filing fee is $99.

Step four. Fix an Operating Understanding

An LLC operating understanding is non required in Ohio just is highly recommended. The operating agreement is the main document that establishes the rights, powers, duties, liabilities, and obligations of the members amongst themselves and to the LLC. The agreement is purely an internal document and is not filed with the Secretarial assistant of Land.

For assistance creating an LLC operating agreement, encounter Form Your Own Limited Liability Company, by Anthony Mancuso (Nolo). If you create an operating agreement, y'all practice not need to file it with the Articles of Organisation.

Step 5. Get an EIN & Comply With Other Revenue enhancement & Regulatory Requirements

Boosted tax and regulatory requirements may apply to your Ohio LLC. These may include:

EIN: If your LLC has more ane member, it must obtain its ain IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN), fifty-fifty if it has no employees. If you course a one-fellow member LLC, you must obtain an EIN for it just if it will accept employees or yous elect to take it taxed as a corporation instead of a sole proprietorship (disregarded entity). You may obtain an EIN by completing an online EIN awarding on the IRS website. In that location is no filing fee.
Business Licenses: Depending on its blazon of business and where it is located, your LLC may need to obtain other local and state business organization licenses. For local licenses, check with the clerk for the city where the LLC's principal place of business is located (or county if it is in an unincorporated area). For state license data, consult the checklist section in the Offset a Business folio at business.Ohio.gov. For more information, see How to Get a Minor Business License in Ohio.
Department of Taxation: If you have employees or volition exist selling goods and collecting sales tax, you'll need to register with the Ohio Department of Taxation (DOT). For most tax purposes, yous tin annals online through the Ohio Business Gateway (OBG) or by mail using the correct class (check the OBG site for details). Ohio also has a Commercial Activity Tax that applies to well-nigh Ohio business organization entities including SMLLCs. For more than information on Ohio LLC tax registration, see Ohio LLC Annual Filing Requirements.