Business Licenses and Permits

As alternative medicine grows in popularity across the country, cities and counties are starting to regulate its practitioners.  These regulations are meant to protect the general public from unsafe practices.  Many local governments have regulated and licensed massage establishments for years, but more and more are starting to regulate Holistic Health Practitioners.  One county that …

The Thomasville, North Carolina City Council passed a business privilege license tax in April that requires all merchants in the city to pay a $50 annual license fee. The license also requires specific information about what the business’ activity is in the city. When the city passed its budget this past week a concern was …

Effective July 1, 2010, sales of prepaid wireless phone service in Indiana are subject to an extra fee per transaction.  The fee is $0.25 and must be remitted to the Indiana Department of Revenue.  This fee was created to ensure compliance with a 911 law passed by the Indiana General Assembly during the 2010 legislative …

Clark County, Nevada has been seeking ways to cut costs countywide.  One of the areas being examined is the county’s business license program.  Business License Director Jacqueline Holloway recently presented several cost cutting initiatives that would impact the business license process.  Ideas presented include: offering a “master license” for casinos that would normally need several …

The challenges to starting a business can seem daunting and overwhelming. However, here are some basic steps all future business owners should take to start their quest of entrepreneurship.
Become qualified. All businesses, whether considered foreign or domestic, need to be incorporated in the state of operation. Most states require business owners to incorporate with the …

The Town Council of Windsor, CA created legislation to establish a new Business License Program. Any business that is located within city limits or conducts business in Windsor has to comply with the new program, which started June 4th.
The Business License Program replaces an older business registration system. Businesses have 30 days to comply with …

It’s not uncommon to enjoy the sound of great music while dining.  After all, it often compliments the décor and adds to the overall customer experience.  Restaurant operators have long understood that enjoying a great meal is an experience; and music can play a critical role.
However, new restaurant proprietors may not be aware that a …

For the month of May, the State of New York saw an increase in the formation of new business entities. The Division of Corporations reported 11,071 new entities in May, which is an increase of 3.1% versus last year. For the year of June 2009 – May 2010, New York saw a total of 131,439 …

Summer is a great time to clear the clutter out of your home and have a yard sale.  But beware, your city may require you to have a business license.  More and more municipalities are requiring a business license for a yard sale and implementing regulations on how many yard sales a person can have …

City officials in Dothan, Alabama are contracting with an outside firm to help identify businesses that are operating without a valid business license.  City Commissioners should sign a contract with Revenue Discovery Systems (RDS) in the coming weeks.  RDS will use various data sources to cross check tax data with a list of city issued …