How To Register Your Business In Houston Texas

Step 2 choose your business location.

How to register your business in houston texas. Business entity registration sole proprietorship general partnership a sole proprietorship or general partnership doing business under a name other than the name of the owner requires a dba doing business as certificate from the clerk s. Use the startup guide for a list of general requirements necessary to start a business in houston. To open a business in houston you must register with the harris county clerk the texas comptroller office and the internal revenue service. Here is some useful information to help guide you through this process. Startup guide use the startup guide for a list of general requirements to start a business in the city of houston.

Start a business registration. It should outline the main purpose and value proposition of your business its structure financing and competitive advantages. The sba has some great templates. You ve decided to start a business and now it s time to legally register it. A franchise tax is a privilege tax imposed on each taxable entity chartered organized in texas or doing business in texas.

Check your business name by calling the county recorder or visiting their website search for yourcounty county recorder should find it. A business plan is a dynamic road map for your business. Choosing a business location will depend on the type of business you operate. The following are four main requirements for a business to legally operate in the city of houston. The texas registration fee is comprised of the base registration fee for your vehicle type and 1 for the maintenance and operations of the insurance verification project texassure.

Instead the city requires prospective proprietors to register with several city state and federal tax and business related entities. There is no fee for the texas sales and use tax permit but a business could be required to post a security bond. Texas law does not provide for registration of a business s trade name whether that business is incorporated or unincorporated. Individuals and unincorporated entities that do business using an assumed name often referred to as a dba must file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk in each county in which business premises. Without properly registering you cannot operate your business.

Some counties let you search the name and register online. The city of houston does not issue general business licenses. Also review our starter kits for more specific requirements depending on your type of business. 100 percent of your base registration fee goes directly to the state highway fund for the construction and maintenance of the state s transportation system. Texas sba enables business owners to give purchasing managers contractors lenders customers and others business partners evidence their company is owned by one of more minorities 1 and is registered with minority owned business certification.