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Business License
updated: Oct 25, 2012, 4:20 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Does an individual consultant need a business license in Santa Barbara? No clients come to the house, no merchandize is being sold.

Would a person selling personal items on eBay need a business licence?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 335637	2012-10-25 04:31 PM
Yes.
COMMENT 335638	2012-10-25 04:34 PM
If it's a business in Santa Barbara then you need a business permit. There are plenty of businesses that don't sell merchandise or have clients come to their place of business. They are businesses just the same. Only certain specialized consultants need a special license to operate. Generally, consultants can ride on their smarts (and good looks doesn't hurt either).
COMMENT 335644	2012-10-25 05:00 PM
All businesses need a business license.
COMMENT 335669	2012-10-25 06:00 PM
yep, without a doubt. i went through it- but it's worth it. ever wonder why there are so many fictitious business name licenses listed in various newspapers? It has to appear 3 times. this is part of the licensing process.
COMMENT 335676	2012-10-25 06:37 PM
Its much easier to have a non - fictitious business name.
COMMENT 335712	2012-10-25 08:25 PM
I don't have a fictitious business name. I am consulting for the Army in Virginia as myself.
COMMENT 335718	2012-10-25 08:34 PM
You don't need a biz license to sell stuff on ebay. But Obama made it that if you sell over $20,000 worth of stuff you have to pay taxes on it.
COMMENT 335735P	2012-10-25 09:55 PM
I don't have a license as my work and clients are all located out of the area, working as a independent contractor/consultant. My home office is here but the corporate status is located out of state also for tax reasons.
LALALALA	2012-10-26 04:51 AM
I've run my at home consulting/design business as a 'Sole Proprietor' for the last 15 years using my SS# as my tax ID no.
COMMENT 335808	2012-10-26 08:46 AM
call the city and tell them your specific business and location. The rules are varied by business type and physical location. If you're in the County its different than in the city... and yes, its way, way too complicated to sort out but its not that hard. Just takes time and effort.
RHS	2012-10-26 11:10 AM
It wasn't Obama that made one pay taxes on Ebay sales--it was Dick Cheney as I recall. Actually it was a 2011 IRS regulation that requires people with more than 200 transactions and $20K in sales to pony up some taxes just like the rest of us have to do with withholding. If you don't owe taxes at the end of the year you get it back. Not a tax increase. Not a new tax. Stop blaming Obama and start paying attention to facts. Or is that too much to expect of a participant in a democracy?
DILLYDALLY	2012-10-26 02:20 PM
RHS, facts have a liberal bias so they should be summarily dismissed.
COMMENT 335977	2012-10-26 03:38 PM
It's okay with me if you don't pay any taxes on your sales, as long as you don't use any public facilities in selling your products such as roads to transport your goods or FAA workers guiding the planes carrying them to your destination. Otherwise you are dumping your share of the money that pays for these public things on the rest of us. By any chance do you work for Wall Street?
ACF	2012-10-27 04:33 AM
When dunned by the City of S.B. for not paying business fees, I triumphantly pointed out to them that I live in the County!

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