Kansas Sole Proprietorship

How to Become a Kansas Sole Proprietor

When it comes to being a sole proprietor in the state of Kansas, there is no formal setup process. There are also no fees involved with forming or maintaining this business type. If you want to operate a Kansas sole proprietorship, all you need to do is start working.

However, just because it’s so easy to get started doesn’t mean there aren’t some additional steps you should take along the way. While these parts of the process aren’t strictly required, many sole proprietors find that they are in their best interests.

DBA Acquisition

A doing business as (DBA) name is a crucial part of many sole proprietorships, as it enables you to use an assumed name for your business, rather than your own personal name. The advantages of acquiring a DBA start with image ― most customers feel that an assumed name is more professional and trustworthy than doing business with a company that uses its owner’s personal name instead.

That said, sole proprietors can sign up for a business bank account using their DBA name, which is another step that goes a long way toward making customers feel more comfortable doing business with you.

Unlike most states, Kansas does not have any statutes that requires or permits the registration of DBAs or other similar fictitious names. Sole proprietorships operating within the state are required to use the sole proprietor’s name for its official business and banking needs. Otherwise, you may choose to use an unofficial name without registering it.

Determine Taxation Requirements

Sole proprietors without employees usually don’t need to acquire a federal tax ID number (EIN), because as a one-person business, you can typically just use your own social security number for most things an EIN is used for. Still, if you would rather not use your SSN for privacy purposes, it would be a good idea to get an EIN regardless.

Beyond that, the nature of your business will determine which taxes apply to you as a sole proprietor.

While sole proprietorship income is ultimately taxed through the owner’s individual income tax, the business may be subject to paying several other business-related taxes. These may include self-employment tax, sales tax and use tax. More information on your sole proprietorship’s state tax liabilities can be discovered through the Business Taxation Page of the Kansas Department of Revenue. To register to pay your business taxes online, use the Kansas Business Center service.

Obtain Business Licenses and Permits

There isn’t a requirement in Kansas for sole proprietors to acquire a general business license, but depending on the nature of your business you may need other licenses and/or permits to operate in a compliant fashion.

Many of the Kansas licenses and permits that may apply to your sole proprietorship are industry-specific. Which ones your business may require is determined largely on what business activities your sole proprietorship participates in. Thankfully, Kansas has compiled a comprehensive list of common business licenses to help business owners determine their tax liabilities. Many necessary licenses can be acquired online through the Kansas Business Center system.

In addition, you should check to see if your business needs any licenses or permits on the local level.

In addition to meeting state-level licensing requirements, you’ll need to check the licensing and permit standards of the municipality in which your sole proprietorship operates. Cities such as Kansas City and Overland Park have their own local business licenses.

What Is a Kansas Sole Proprietor?

As opposed to a corporation or limited liability company (LLC), the sole proprietorship is not a legal business entity. The sole proprietorship is a one-person business that is not considered to be a distinct entity from the person who owns it, and it is frequently operated using the owner’s personal name.

Here are the three main things you need to know:

Tax Responsibilities

Because there’s no distinction between the owner and the business itself, sole proprietors don’t need to file business tax returns ― they instead simply claim any business profits or losses on their personal tax returns.

Contracts

Sole proprietors are allowed to sign contracts using their personal name, and along those same lines, customers can write checks to the business by using the sole proprietor’s name.

More Flexible

The other big difference between sole proprietorships and more formal business structures is the fact that sole proprietors are allowed to commingle business and personal assets as much as they want to. With LLCs and corporations, ownership is required to keep their assets separate from those of the company. The downside of this aspect for sole proprietors is that if your business is sued, creditors are free to pursue your personal assets like your house, car, personal bank accounts, etc. For corporations and LLCs, creditors are limited to your business assets.