HELP PLEASE!!!!!!

DaveK

True Grumbler
Joined
Feb 24, 2005
Posts
61
Location
Southern Maryland
I am a newbie to the framing business, I have run into a small problem. That problem is that I am not quite ready to open up shop, I don't have a tax ID, so wholesale moulding manufacturers won't sell to me. Any retail moulding companies out there?
 
If you are in the "framing business" go get your self a tax ID #. You will probably also need a Fed EIN # as well.

If you're not realy in the business and wish to frame for yourself as a hobby, try calling some local frame shops.
 
Why don't you have a tax number? That is one of the very first things you should have done so that you could talk to suppliers from the getgo and set up your opening order.

Go and get yourself a tax ID number today.
 
When you go to the tax office for your ID, ask about business classes, too. There are usually some free ones, and they can help a lot with the basics of taxes, forms, and procedures.

Get a DBA while you are at it, and open a bank account under your business name. Even though, as a sole proprietor, you don't have to, it just looks better if you pay your commercial accounts with a "company" check.
 
Go to www.state.md.us

In the left hand column, click on Business
On the page that opens, click on Starting a Business in Maryland

Plan on attending the show in NYC next weekend and taking all the classes that you can and meeting lots of vendors. Many will be happy to open accounts for you - but a tax number is basic. You need it now if you're starting to buy equipment/supplies.
Philadelphia will have a show with excellent classes in May.

Good luck.
 
Dave, here is another wet noodle for you. I had the same problem last year. In December I started preparing for a business that wouldn’t open until April. I got a State Tax Id. This is all I have even still today. Because this # if for tax collection purposes its remarkably easy to get. The form took about 3 minutes to fill out. That number gives you access to almost all the vendors except a few.

When I opened I called the tax office and changing my tax ID to the new address was just as easy. So my advice is get a state tax ID.
 
The EIN from the IRS is easy to fill out, we did it over the phone. They really insisted that we download the form first, so get it from their website irs.gov. and go from there. In Maine I think my tax number is a variation of the EIN so I had to get that before I could get my Maine number. But easy as a get out to do.
 
Oh yeah, and contact SCORE. Free, freindly, knowledgable and direct. They'll help you decide if you are serious or not. Better to find out BEFORE you hang a shingle and sign a lease!
 
Like Bob said, the EIN is easy. I actually filled out the form online and submitted it in a couple of minutes. I was e-mailed an EIN # within minutes.

https://sa.www4.irs.gov/sa_vign/newFormSS4.do


These sites have some helpful information, articles, and resources for starting a small business.

http://small-business-helper.thehelper.net/index.html

http://www.toolkit.cch.com/

Good luck. And ask questions. Lots of questions. My shop has only been open for a few months. I look back to last fall, and cannot believe how much I accomplished in just getting all the licenses & tax #'s, and learning how to pay sales tax, etc. Seems like framing is the easy part. That comes naturally (most of the time
) but I would not make a very good accountant!
 
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