What does Texas call a DBA, and how do I file one for The Evolution Lab?

The Evolution Lab sounds like a promising venture. Your first step is the name itself: in Texas that means an Assumed Name Certificate, which most people simply call a DBA. We cover the name registration, the tax IDs, and the licenses that let you open in Carrollton, and finish with a quick recap.

How Texas handles a business name

In Texas, a business name other than your own legal name is registered as a Assumed Name Certificate, which you will also hear called DBA, assumed business name, or fictitious name. A sole proprietor or partnership using a name that does not include the owners' own names must file one, and so must a corporation or LLC that uses any name other than its exact registered name. If you operate under your exact legal name, there is nothing to file.

Newspaper publication: Texas does not require this name to be published in a newspaper.

How long it lasts: A Texas certificate lasts up to ten years, and a new one has to be filed before it expires if you want to keep using the name.

What The Evolution Lab needs

1. Assumed Name Certificate – Filing an Assumed Name Certificate for "The Evolution Lab" ties the name to you as the owner, which lets customers, vendors, and banks know who stands behind it.
2. Name check – Before you file, search for the name: look for similar registered names where you operate, and check that the web address and social media handles are available. A registered DBA is public notice that you use the name, but it does not give you exclusive rights; a trademark does.
3. LLC (limited liability company) – A DBA only registers a name. Forming an LLC is what puts a legal wall between the business and your personal assets. If hot wax leaves a client with a burn, an LLC keeps that claim aimed at the business. If you form the LLC under the exact name The Evolution Lab LLC, the LLC filing itself protects that name and you will not need a separate DBA for it. Once profits grow, an LLC can elect S corporation tax treatment; ask a tax adviser when the numbers justify it.
4. EIN (federal tax ID number) – You plan on 1 employee, so the federal tax ID number (EIN) is required for payroll, and you will use it for the business bank account opened in the registered name.
5. Texas sales and use tax permit – Needed for the products you sell alongside your service, and it lets you buy items for resale without paying sales tax on them.
6. Texas employer ID – With 1 employee, you need a state employer account number for unemployment insurance. Texas has no state income tax on wages, so there is no withholding account to open.
7. Business license – Governments license businesses so they can collect a modest tax and keep inspectors checking safety. Plan on a local business license for The Evolution Lab in Carrollton.
8. Esthetician license – Every state requires an esthetician or cosmetology license to provide facials, waxing, and lash services.
9. Booth rental or suite license where required – Some states require a separate license or permit for booth renters or suite owners.

By the numbers: Banks, insurers, and tax forms will ask for your industry code. For an esthetician business it is NAICS 812112 (Beauty Salons). With 1 employee planned, you are already creating jobs in Carrollton. That makes 9 items on your list.

Tip: Carry professional liability coverage for skin services and keep intake forms listing allergies and medications.

To recap: The Evolution Lab in Carrollton, TX needs an Assumed Name Certificate, a name check, an LLC, an EIN, a sales tax permit, a state employer ID, a business license, esthetician license, and booth rental or suite license where required. Get those in place and you can spend your time on customers instead of paperwork.

We can file your business name registration and the other paperwork for you: start here.