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.

True enough.

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.

If one had a separate business account and bought these checks specifically for business, might there be some tax advantages? Business expense deductions or whatnot? [/not-a-tax-professional]

I wish I knew a definitive answer on the business account question. My business name is not my name, mostly because a lifetime of spelling my last name to people indicated that wouldn't be a good idea. My bank, which used to have free business checking, now charges $10 a month. I'm thinking about going to an online bank or credit union that has free business checking.

If you receive checks in a business name you *must* use a business account. My local bank actually does offer a free business account, but then fees you to death for everything you would actually do in the account. When you look for another bank with free business checking, make sure the stuff you must do through the bank (like debit card, on-line banking,) etc is free or reasonable. Unless you know of a business account that offers free checks, don't worry too much about pricey checks and deposit slips, cause those you can get through a third party. (And if anyone knows a place besides Costco that offers reasonably priced check and deposit slip printing, please let me know.)

I've used Checks in the Mail [link] for years.

I have a Business Economy checking account through BofA. It is BofA which many folks hate, but as long a there's a minimum balance in the account there aren't many fees. Where BofA can be pain is playing games with holds on large checks and their penalty fees if you do go into overdraft for any reason.

I met with the accountant today. I honestly feel better even thought he hasn't done anything yet. I think we have figured out how to resolve the problems I was having.

Re: business checks. My bank charges 67 for 3 books of business size checks or 15 for 5 books of regular checks. So my business checks are regular size. Sometimes I run out of room but I'm cheap and I can write small.

Calli, if you purchase checks to use solely for business, then yes, they can be deducted.

I just have a debit card tied to the my business account -- which is a regular, no fee account, and the bank I use -- Commerce -- had no issues with me setting it up to be used for business. To get a what's CALLED a business account there, you need you carry a balance of $7000 which -- no. No can do at this point in my business.

I pay $9.95/ month to use Outright for my business accounting needs and it's worth every penny. And it's deductible also.