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How do I register the business name E&C Janitorial Company in Texas?
Carolina wrote: “I supply janitorial services for commercial businesses, along with floor stripping, cleaning and other janitorial services.”
Hi Carolina, E&C Janitorial Company sounds like a promising venture. In Texas, registering "E&C Janitorial Company" comes first, and the state calls that filing an Assumed Name Certificate. Below you will find how Texas treats a business name, whether a newspaper notice is involved, and the other registrations E&C Janitorial Company needs.
With commercial clients, the name on your contract is what the accounts payable desk will type into its system, so E&C Janitorial Company should be registered if it is not your own legal name. In Texas that means an Assumed Name Certificate, and Texas shows no newspaper-publication requirement for it. Fifteen employees and floor-stripping work also point to a business that may eventually want the liability protection a DBA does not give, since a DBA is only a name and not a separate entity. For now, getting the name on record makes your invoices, bank account and bids line up, which office managers love.
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 E&C Janitorial Company needs
- Assumed Name Certificate – Filing an Assumed Name Certificate for "E&C Janitorial Company" ties the name to you as the owner, which lets customers, vendors, and banks know who stands behind it.
- 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.
- 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 a cleaner breaks an expensive vase or a client claims something went missing, an LLC keeps the claim against the business. If you form the LLC under the exact name E&C Janitorial Company 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.
- EIN (federal tax ID number) – You plan on 15 employees, 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.
- Texas sales and use tax permit – A pure service usually is not taxable, so you may not need it. If you also sell products, supplies, or gift cards, register before the first sale.
- Texas employer ID – With 15 employees, 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.
- Business license – Most places require a local business license to operate, including home-based businesses. Check the rules where E&C Janitorial Company will operate in Andrews, and ask about home occupation and zoning rules if you work from home.
By the numbers: Banks, insurers, and tax forms will ask for your industry code. For a janitorial service it is NAICS 561720 (Janitorial Services). With 15 employees planned, you are already creating jobs in Andrews. That makes 7 items on your list.
Tip: Use written contracts that spell out tasks, frequency, and who supplies cleaning products.
To recap: E&C Janitorial Company in Andrews, TX needs an Assumed Name Certificate, a name check, an LLC, an EIN, a state employer ID, and a business license. 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. |