Typo, I think you can get a personal account with dba [TypoBoy Info] and then can take checks made out to [TypoBoy Info], if you're a sole proprietorship. I think.

Typo

I agree with amych that most corporations are used to consultants being independent proprietors and AP departments will cut a check to whatever name is on the invoice so I don't think using your name for the payment process for services will be a problem. I think the place where using your personal account may be an issue is sales tax on the books you sell. You will need to register as a business entity with the state for that purpose and the procedures for collecting and remitting sales tax may be more than you want to run through your personal account in terms of accounting for the transactions. You may want to think about setting up a Paypal account for book sales and getting a credit card solely for your business expenses; those two things will help you with tracking but allow you to avoid the fees and minimum balances that many banks impose on commercial accounts.

My reseller license is in my own name (it also has a couple of DBAs on it, but the truth is, I have never actually used any DBA's I always end up doing business as me.

I talked to the Department of Revenue and they say they see no reason why handling sales taxes through a second personal account will be any harder than handling sales taxes through a business account - as long as it is a separate account, the accounting labor should be about the same. But I certainly could be missing something, and the DOL is more concerned that I comply with the law than make things easy for myself. Can you explain a little further why a 2nd separte personal account will be tougher to run sales tax through that a business account. If it is a separte personal account used only for business, is it in practice acting as a business account?

I'm sorry - I was addressing a secondary question (which, in looking back, wasn't one you had asked!) about whether you should conduct a business using a personal account. In my experience, (which was several years ago so may be out of date) as soon as a bank gets the indication that the account is handling business transactions, it makes the owner switch to a commercial account which generally involves more fees and higher minimum balances. If your bank takes that stance, the sales tax remittance will be a major flag; my Paypal and business credit card suggestions were possible ways to work around that so you could keep a personal account while still being able to easily track the tax transactions.

Ah, I will disclose to my bank in advance that the second account will be used for business. If they insist on a commercial account I will get one and then buy my checks from a third party. But the kind of thing you are talking about varies from bank to bank and from state to state. I know they don't have a monthly fee for business accounts - or charges for ATM transactions and interaccount transfers. JUst high fees for checks and deposit slips which I could get from a third party.

But that is very helpful. Thanks to you, I know to make sure the bank is OK with a personal account being used for business purposes.

I think i got a few benefits with a business account but I do my know what they are.

ION,, I think I am going to hire a bookkeeper tomorrow. I'm just spending too much time fixing invoices and tracking payments. Does anyone have any advice or lessons they learned the hard way? I want this guy to track payments and make sure all the tax stuff is right at the end of the year.

A business account gives you better checks - a book that lets you keep detailed information on each check as you tear it off, and maybe more room in the memo field besides. But my checks will still go to few enough accounts that that is not a big deal for me. Also business accounts offer positive pay at a reasonable price which is a really good guard against stuff like a hacked paypal draining your account. (Positive pay means even afteer everything is approved by the bank, the money still does not come out of your account until you approve the transaction.)But again, I'll live for the moment without positive pay until my business is making more than I really expect this year.

A business account gives you better checks - a book that lets you keep detailed information on each check as you tear it off, and maybe more room in the memo field besides.

There's nothing stopping you from buying these kinds of checks for your personal account.