Now that you have filed your Assumed Name Certificate with the County Clerk’s Office you may believe you are free to use that name for your business. But nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, an Assumed Name Certificate (or "dba" as it is called by most people) is for the protection of the public in dealing with your business.

The idea behind the Assumed Name Certificate is to give members of the public a central location to search for the owners of a business.  If you are doing business as “Fred’s Garage” and someone wants to know who owns Fred’s Garage they look in the County Assumed Name records. In almost any instance in which your business name is different from your last name, or doesn’t include your last name, you need to file an Assumed Name Certificate.

This form of business is the least protective and most flexible. An individual simply conducts his activities under this own name and controls the business as an extension of his own affairs. The owner is completely responsible for all debts and obligations of the business and even his personal property and assets may be at risk. Business expenses are usually tax deductible and self-employment tax (essentially the same as Social Security and Medicare taxes) must be paid. The individual is also responsible for making sufficient tax deposits during the year to cover income taxes, and the owner can be penalized by the IRS for failing to make sufficient and timely deposits.

Mike Hrabal offers free information about the Assumed Name process and what it accomplishes. CLICK HERE or call to receive this information in the following formats:

• HTML (Read the info on a web site);

• First Class Mail (street address required); and

• Adobe Acrobat (useful to read the info and print it out for later reference).