Business Formation
Sole Proprietorship
The default structure if you do nothing — simple to start, but with no liability separation between you and the business.
What it is
A sole proprietorship isn't something you file into existence — it's what you already are the moment you start doing business under your own name without registering anything else. There's no legal separation between you and the business: your personal assets and the business's liabilities are the same pool.
That simplicity is the whole appeal, and also the whole risk. We'll walk through both before you commit to staying here longer than makes sense.
Who it’s right for
- You're testing an idea and want to start earning before investing in a more formal structure
- Low-risk work where a lawsuit against the business is unlikely (freelance, consulting, small services)
- You want the simplest possible tax filing — business income flows straight to your personal return
Who it’s wrong for
- Any work with real liability exposure (physical products, client property, contracting, food service)
- You plan to bring on a co-owner, partner, or outside investor
- You're already earning enough that self-employment tax on 100% of profit is costing you real money — that's usually the point to look at an LLC with an S-corp election
What we do
- 1Confirm a sole proprietorship actually fits your risk profile before we file anything
- 2Register your assumed/DBA name if you're operating under one
- 3Walk you through EIN registration (optional for sole props, but useful for opening a business bank account)
- 4Set expectations on quarterly estimated taxes so April isn't a surprise
What it costs
Starting at $100*
Starting price when paired with monthly bookkeeping. Does not include state filing fees, billed separately based on your state.
*Starting price applies when bundled with our monthly bookkeeping service. Ask us for formation-only pricing if you don’t need bookkeeping included.