San Jose Business License Walk-Through || how to get a San Jose CA business tax certificate

[@bravomoneysign]

I'm from San Jose and I've been watching your videos for a while now. It was so awesome to see this uploaded! Thanks a ton.

[@ElizabethPW]

Welcome!!

[@Mitimos64]

Hi Elizabeth, Thanks for your great and informative videos. They have been incredibly helpful! I have a quick question: I have already filed an LLC to start a solo bakery business in San Jose, using a rental commercial kitchen in another county. Is "registering an LLC" considered the business start date even if I haven't sold anything yet? I ask because the San Jose business tax and registration website states that a business tax certificate is due 90 days after starting business in San Jose. Also, if I haven't made any money yet, do I still need to pay taxes according to the guideline that states, "our business tax payment is due and payable on the 15th day of the calendar month in which the business began"? Also, do you offer consultations to assist new businesses with legalities? If so, how can I make an appointment, and what are your rates please? Thanks!

[@ElizabethPW]

Usually the business start date is when you are actually offering something for sale

[@h.h.1266]

Thanks for the video! Very helpful! I'm starting an online business - meaning a website selling things online (drop shipping, no warehouse, no employees, no nothing - just a website, I won't handle any product). Secondly, I'll be starting the LLC with a virtual office address which won't be in San Jose. Under these circumstances, do I still need a business license? Thank you!

[@ElizabethPW]

San Jose says that you need a tax certificate if you "conduct business" in San Jose. It might be that you would never have a problem, but I suspect that SJ wants even a work-from-home online business to pay their tax

[@h.h.1266]

@@ElizabethPW Hi - I wanted to follow up here to share my learnings. I spoke with the San Jose biz tax department. They said I do need to file for a business tax cert - regardless of the fact that my business is an online blog and I handle zero products and my business address is a virtual office in Sacramento… they didn’t care about any of it. The fact that I physically reside in San Jose and part of my income is coming in through a legal entity I own, means I owe them tax. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@LShwn1111]

Thank you for posting such an informative video. I do have a question, but it's for filing in Alameda County. If you have two DBA's, would you list both names on the "DBA" name line and your legal name on the "Business Name" line of the application, or would I have to submit two seperate applications? It seems slightly different from San Jose, but I didn't think it would hurt to ask. Also, what name would be listed on the license when I receive it? My legal name or the names of my DBA's? Thank you!

[@ElizabethPW]

Right there you can put more than one DBA on the application (you number them). On your business license, you usually have the business legal name but then list the DBAs as well

[@LShwn1111]

@ElizabethPW thank you so much! I learned it got rejected today by the county, but I'm working on fixing the errors and resubmitting it! This is quite a journey, but I'm learning a lot!

[@manasishankar5588]

This is so helpful, thank you Elizabeth! I am planning on starting a mental healthcare company in South Bay. My clients may be all over the state, though I will be based solely in San Jose. Will that be an issue? Secondly, are there any other business licenses I need to obtain/any other places that I need to register my business other than getting the business tax certificate before i commence? Thank you SO much!

[@ElizabethPW]

Right assuming you are going to be seeing clients virtually, then I would just get business license / tax cert from San Jose. If you go see people in person, you'd need to revisit (most places have a di minimus rule like 3+ clients)

[@manasishankar5588]

@@ElizabethPW Thanks so much! Your content has been incredible helpful.

[@antcaophan]

Hi, I had a quick question, How do i add an additional nature of business to my existing tax certificate? thank you

[@ElizabethPW]

I think San Jose business tax is more concerned with number of employees changing (bc that’s how the tax is calculated. On this page are links to forms to update account info - www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/finance/business-tax-registration

[@BlueHen123]

Thank you for all your videos! Quick Question: I'm planning to start a solo (just me as worker to start) pizza restaurant this year in San Jose. But I don't yet have location. I feel getting most of the filings done ahead of time would help, but not sure if it's recommended. The order I have so far is: File LLC, EIN, SJ Business tax cert, DBA/FBN, open Bank account, Reseller license, CA payroll tax acct. Thoughts on if I should hold off, or can't do these ahead of time? Cheers!

[@ElizabethPW]

Hm you'll need your location address for some of them (business tax cert and DBA) but you can get started with the LLC and such

[@Strydercj2001]

Hi Elizabeth i live in san jose i am trying to get my business license online. they ask me for my business address but the problem is my virtual address for my bussiness is located in Sacramento and they ask me when i will move my business to san jose is there any tips you can give me.

[@ElizabethPW]

Ah, tbh I think the only way to handle this is to get a local address to use for the business (or give them your home address)

[@Strydercj2001]

@ElizabethPW ah okay thank you so much question if I get a physical address do I then have to then change the virtual address for my llc I am mainly use the virtual address solely for the purpose virtual mailbox so that way I don't put my home address on any public records I am focusing on ecommerce dropsshipping but i am not using the office address to deliver or pickup order i have supillers that have their own warehouse and delivery from those warehouses. so do I then have to file all the paperwork such as statement of organizer, articles of organization, etc again I live in san jose my llc is located in Sacramento but again i use the address for a virtual mailbox and now I'm worried I would have to get 2 business licenses for 2 different cities

[@nickfly9367]

Hi ! I have a question about what addresses I should be using for my businessetc. I want to do business from my home (California) but I don’t want to use my home address on the packages I ship and I don’t want to receive invoices from my manufacturer to my home address. I assume some customers will be sending their products back to me but many virtual business addresses don’t accept packages. In this case do I need a virtual business address to accept invoices from the manufacturer and can I ship from my home address but put the virtual business address on the shipping label ? And then get a P.O. Box when customers want to send back packages ? This seems excessive to me and so I’m wondering if there’s a simpler way. I’m not ready to use a fulfillment center yet.

[@ElizabethPW]

Hm I think the best strategy is to use an address that can accept packages, like a PO Box (or UPS Store), and just use that address for the business

[@nickfly9367]

@@ElizabethPW thank you so much for your reply. Would I then also have the manufactures invoices go that P.O. Box ? Also for the EIN can I just put my home address even if it’s in a residential area or should I use my registered agent address ? I heard of zoning laws but if I do my business from the P.O address that shouldn’t be an issue, right ? Is the address associated with the EIN Public record and am I allowed to use a virtual office address as a physical address for EIN even though I would do business from my home ?

[@DivinelyTara]

For your patreon silver, are we only allowed to send one dm per month?

[@ElizabethPW]

I have not put any limit on the number of DMs. It tends to be a bunch in the beginning for many people. Kind of a conversation but we are both writing at different times :)

[@PatriciaGarcia-j5u]

Hi I open a LLC a few weeks ago here in CA and Im the only member, short story i ended up changing my mind & i canceled the LLC, but i received a labor poster compliance charging me $86, do I still need to pay that? Even though i cancelled the LLC, thanks🙂

[@ElizabethPW]

No you don't need to pay that (you would not need to pay it even if you kept the LLC -- it is not a govt mailing, it is from a private company -- PDFs of the posters are free from the govt)

[@mapotofu9830]

Hi Elizabeth! I make about $2000 a year selling handmade goods on etsy, and you mentioned that there would be exemptions for the $213. Can you go further into detail on this or is there somewhere on the website where this is mentioned? Would I be exempt from paying this fee every year? Also, would I be exempt if I only made $2000 on my small business, but say $30k at my fulltime job?

[@ElizabethPW]

The business income / household AGI has to fall under limits - see this chart - and you have to apply for it www.sanjoseca.gov/your-government/departments-offices/finance/business-tax-registration/exemptions-and-financial-hardship-program So if the household AGI is $30K and the business is $2K, then it falls under this yes

[@Ilovedashatrana]

I want to start a business of creating and selling computer games. Can I do this online business without hiring employees or administrative officers? . Will I have a problem if I don't hire them? Is it impossible to run an online business in America by a single person or must employees or employees be hired? My point is I don't need servants. But I don't know if it is illegal

[@ElizabethPW]

Yes you are not required to hire employees or any other people besides yourself. You can have a business that is just you.

[@aliascantante1993]

Hi I have a general question. I want to start a business where I help people to file their DBA’s in in my county in California. Is there a way to to find all of the businesses that need their DBA’s renewed in the near future. I used to work for a company doing this. I want to know so I know who to offer my services.

[@ElizabethPW]

Hm many counties have online search but only some of them have it set where you can search via date of expiration. It may be that you can pay them to download the database or parts of the database -- you'd need to contact that county recorder's office to see

[@aliascantante1993]

Yeah, our county only has 3 options. DBA’s name, owner’s name or file number. Ok, I will get in contact with them. I hope they don’t think I’m a weirdo or anything of the sorts. Thank you so much for your help and answer. I’m a follower now 😁

[@salianishaikh8369]

Hello madam I from Saudi Arabia how can I contact you can you give me email address I want to apply a tredmark for e-commerce business Amazon .

[@ElizabethPW]

Thanks for asking but I'm not taking new trademark registration clients. You might try trademarkia.com