- Serving Taxpayers Since 1993
- File In Person or Fully Virtual
- Year-Round Help, Not Just Tax Season
- Nonprofit & Church Specialists
- Flexible Refund & Payment Options
Opening a business in Katy takes a handful of filings, and the order matters. The company has to exist before it can get a tax ID. It needs the tax ID before it can open a bank account or apply for a sales tax permit. Get the steps out of order and you can spend months untangling it. We help new owners sort out the structure first, then help prepare and file the paperwork one piece at a time.
When You Need Business Startup Help
Call us early, ideally while the business is still a plan and a target opening month. Owners also reach out after setting up an LLC through a website, then realizing nobody explained the tax side. A first employee on the way, or a product line that Texas taxes at the register, are two more good reasons to sit down with us.
Keep the franchise tax in mind from day one. The Texas Secretary of State’s instructions for an LLC Certificate of Formation note that LLCs are subject to a state franchise tax. Most small LLCs owe no franchise tax, but they still file a yearly report with the Comptroller.
Our Business Startup Process
First we learn about the work you plan to do, who will own a share, and a rough guess at year-one sales. With that in hand, we compare running it in your own name, forming an LLC, or setting up a corporation, and show what each means at tax time.
From there we help prepare and file the paperwork. For an LLC, that begins with the Certificate of Formation filed with the Texas Secretary of State. Keep in mind that an LLC cannot act as its own registered agent. Next comes the federal EIN, which the IRS issues for free. If you sell goods or taxable services, you need a sales and use tax permit from the Texas Comptroller, which says to allow two to three weeks to receive it. If you hire, the Texas Workforce Commission requires you to register within 10 days of becoming liable for state unemployment tax. Questions about contracts or a partner agreement belong with a lawyer, and we will tell you when you have reached that point.
Moving a Business to Katy From Another State
Many owners in Katy arrived from California, Illinois or Louisiana and brought a company with them. An LLC formed in another state does not become a Texas company just because you moved. It usually has to register with the Texas Secretary of State before doing business here, and then it files Texas franchise reports like any other company. Some owners choose to form a new Texas LLC instead. We help you compare the two paths before you pay for either.
Business Startup Cost in Katy
Pricing turns on the type of company, how many people own it, and how many state accounts it needs. A solo LLC with no payroll is a lighter lift than two partners opening with three employees. You get our fee up front. Fees the state charges for its own filings are paid on top of ours.
Why Choose Us for Business Startup Help
Setup paperwork is not new to us. We have handled EINs and payroll registration for new ministries and charities for years. Our firm has prepared business tax returns since 1993, so we build your setup around the first return you will have to file. Later on, the same office can keep your books, run payroll and file each year. Our doors are open six days a week, in every month of the year.
Once you are open, we offer ongoing accounting for new Katy companies.
Common Questions
Do I need a registered agent for my Texas LLC?
Yes. Every Texas LLC names a registered agent who can receive legal papers at a Texas address. You can serve as your own agent if you live in Texas, but the LLC itself cannot be its own agent.
Will my new LLC owe Texas franchise tax right away?
It will owe a yearly franchise report. Most small LLCs fall under the no-tax-due line, so the report is usually a Public Information Report with no tax to pay. We put your first due date on the calendar when we set you up.