Have some clients interested in contract work and believe I would like to form an LLC. If I want to be able to name my business on a website/LinkedIn, what is the bare minimum I need to do legally in MA?

Submitted by synaesthetist t3_122vi0a in massachusetts

In addition to providing consulting services, my husband is also in a field where he could provide some complimentary services to clients. It would be great to have him covered as well (similar to me being in marketing/branding and him being able to build a website.)

I’d like to be able to create a website, have a presence on social media and LinkedIn under a company name vs. my actual name.

LLC feels like the right call and that we could just use LegalZoom to set this up cheaply/quickly (since we have interested clients) but curious if I’m potentially overlooking something.

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Timtherobot t1_jds51er wrote

You should consult with a lawyer and an accountant here in Massachusetts. LLC offers some liability protection over a sole proprietor arrangement. May be some specific requirements for an LLC depending on what services you are offering. There are tax and ownership issues that you also need to understand.

A simple LLC should cost you $1k to set up - $500 for legal fees and $500 for filing with the state.

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synaesthetist OP t1_jdsszop wrote

Thank you! This is helpful to know and to budget for. Right now the two clients who have expressed interest would likely only amount to $2-3k of billable hours, so it’s good to know that it’ll likely cost $1k to get started.

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Timtherobot t1_jdsyfck wrote

Talk to a lawyer - their may be less expensive ways of doing it if you will only have a small amount of revenue.

But also speak to you accountant - I was given very good advice as a courtesy. Most of it was to keep business and personal funds completely separate.

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tomatuvm t1_jds771k wrote

You don't even need to do anything. Someone can pay you for your services whether or not you have a formal business. You just have to report the income either way.

If you want the LLC for liability protection, you don't need to do legal zoom. You can just go to the sec of commonwealth website and fill it out yourself. Only takes a few minutes. https://corp.sec.state.ma.us/corp/loginsystem/login_form.asp?FilingMethod=I

That's the bare minimum. Should prob still talk to an accountant and lawyer to set up the business properly and make sure you're getting tax benefits and obligations right.

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