Sooo... What DO I need?

I have paints, brush, sponges, etc.

Besides business cards/flyers, what do I need to start?

Do I need to get a tax id?

Do I need to charge sales tax when I paint?

Do I need to register a business name or something?

What technical things are needed to start?

Thanks!

Here's my advice:

Don't worry about any of that stuff! LOL.

Tax ID: A tax ID number is to protect your SS number from being handed out to a lot of people. You really only need this if you are going to be dealing with a lot of clients who will be asking for W-9 forms from you. These will usually be corporations and big time companies. So I wouldn't worry about a tax ID number unless you start getting asked for W-9 forms frequently. I've only been asked a handful of times, and I just give them my social instead - no problem.

Sales Tax: You'll need to check with your state to make sure, but in Texas face painting is considered a service (rather than a tangible product) and sales tax is not required for services. This is likely true in your area too.

Registering Business Name: Not unless you want to! Registering your business name simply protects you in the event of someone else in your state deciding to use that same name. (People in other states where you haven't registered could still use it anyway.) Complete waste of time and money in my opinion for a sole proprietor with a small business.

As far as paying taxes, you can either claim your business on your taxes to deduct your expenses and claim your income that you make, or you can simply list that income as "other income" on your tax forms. Later on after you start making more money you'll want to claim all expenses and income, but for a new face painter I wouldn't bother with it unless you have a lot of overhead you need to deduct.

These are all things that I stressed about when starting out, and it was very daunting and scary, but in truth, most of it wasn't necessary, and the rest was much easier than I had imagined. So for now just relax and concentrate on growing your business, your skills and your client base. Have fun!!

Wow!! Thanks so much.


Glad to know that it isn't as complicated as I was thinking it would be.

Ok, I have the same question, read this and am a bit confused
Do we need ANYTHING, or do we just start advertising and painting, without any extra stuff from the state?

Usually... and this does vary, business licenses are a LOCAL thing. City, county... check it out in your town/area. Online is often easy to do if you go to the local government website.

In many places if you are not actually operating a fixed location (store or shop) they don't require you get one.

Oh! Ok!
Thanks shannon!

Here in NY, though, I think there are laws against doing it without a license...at least if you want to set up outside in the park. You need some sort of vendor permit or a tax id in order to "sell your art"...I think. That's what one of the guys selling shirts in Union Square said.

Side fact that I found interesting...even with the permission to sell your art, if you are designing tshirts they MUST have a political message...isn't that weird? SO the guy I talked to makes these insanely cute shirts that have nothing to do with politics...but he paints on the back at the bottom "World Peace" in tiny letters, just for the sake of legality. Strange! So yeah, check out your local laws, bc some are just weird.

Hey color,

Actually we DON'T need a license to set up anywhere here in the city - because we're providing a service, not a product.

I've signed up for stuff just because you DO need paperwork to get into many of the street fairs and festivals around here, but just to set up on a street corner (or in the park, or in Union Square...), you don't need anything.

hth

Oh wow, good info, Heather, thanks! Definitely good to know. But I thought without a vendor license you can't technically charge, instead you can work for tips. Is that not true?

Nope. Not true.

You're good to go.

A lot of fairs and festivals require a vendors license, but you don't need one to set up on the street.

Thanks .

I know you are probably talking about NYC and this might be true in NYC but I know it's not true in Tucson, AZ for instance! I'm a massage therapist and do chair massage and you have to get a permit to do it on the street. (I'm sure these both fall under the "services" category!) I am not sure about other states/cities. I'm sure it varies! Just wanted to make note of that!

Heather wrote:Nope. Not true.

You're good to go.

A lot of fairs and festivals require a vendors license, but you don't need one to set up on the street.

If you want to set-up on the street HERE you need a business license and/or a vendor's permit to be out on the street ... and generally you have to pay for it.

You don't necessarily require one to operate in venues or places where you've been HIRED to paint, but if you are setting up to charge people in a public place... you'll need a permit at least!

oh and also on an alternate note let's talk about "busking". (My above post referred to setting up with PRICES) but there is a way to get around that..

In my experience if you set up on the street as an "Artist" you can NOT post prices and just take donations (Most people would probably ask you how much you are charging when they realize you have no prices up. THEN and you would SAY this "Typically people pay per face.) This is legal to do in many places!!!

Legally if the cops do hassle you (And they are really the only peeps who will in my experience and what you have to worry about) but they can't do much more than write a loitering ticket if you claim you are an "artist". other types of "service" folks get around this by saying they take donations just in this fashion.Alot of cities allow it under thier busking laws. some cities don't have them. Like in Nogales, AZ they don't and you will see Tacorias and things lsong those lines set up on the side of the road.

Some people that could fall under busking are musicians, artists, shoeshiners, and anyone creating or selling something, even massage if you were careful, etc.I really DO honestly think face painters can get away under the guise of busking..there are busking laws in most major cities so I'm pretty positive NYC likely has some!

Anyway, I used to sell handmade items in this fashion around popular tourist spots and public festival /fair type things, mostly jewelry and herbal concoctions like soap and candles but I have also done things like hairwrapping and braiding too at one time or another!! (not in NYC but other cities like Phoenix, Tucson, San Franciso, San Diego, Myrtle Beach, Rochester, Buffalo, Vegas) I never was hassled but was prepared for it through other folks I knew doing the same thing...just be sure to stay on public property. (And check your cities busking laws!)

Anyway the thing is if you do this you CAN'T post prices is all. and you are working as an "artist" for donations. Not for free per say but donation based.

heres some info about busking..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Busking

Busking... not my idea of a fun way to spend a day!! But I'm glad other people do because some are awesome entertainers!