Reptile & Amphibian Forums

actually have legitimate business licenses in selling reptiles? Was it hard to get a business license selling out of your homes? What is the process?

That it is easy to get and $150 or less yearly, but this is
second hand knowledge
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Kenny Bowman

"Symetry Exotics"
Honesty is my only way, you dont like it? Sorry!

The license information depends on what state you live in (regulations, price and the like). For any state, you fill out paper work and send in the money. Be prepared to know basic accounting and book keeping.

I am not saying the above is wrong, but when I had a business all I had to do was have a "fictitious business statment" or a "doing business as" document and a business lisense from just the City alone. Now I did have to contact the state so I could pay them the sales tax I collected, but there was no state lisense.

Now this has me curious....Are breeders collecting sales tax and forwarding it to the state?

To explain the fictitous business statment, or the doing business as (DBA)...

If the name of your business is something like KILLER REPTILES you have to reguster the fact that you, John Doe, own and operate the business under the name killer reptiles. That keeps someone else from opening up a business in the same name in your area. If your business is John Doe Reptiles you dont HAVE TO HAVE a fictitous business statment because that is your proper name. But it is always a good idea to register that anyway. If I remember correctly it was like 15 bucks.

is it absolutely necessary to have a liscence to sell reptiles?
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2.3 Columbian Boas (TH moonglow, Dh Ghost, DH Snow, two normals)
1.2 Central American Boas
1.1 Argentine Boas (66% het T )
1.1 Argentine Boas (normal-pure)
1.1 Bredli Carpet Pythons
0.4 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Tokay Gecko
0.0.1 Nile Monitor
1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.0.1 Hermanni Tortoise
2.3 RES

...horses, cats, dogs...and many rats!

Not sure what the laws are from state to state, or city to city But.....

Even though I am just getting started, and will not produce babies for another couple years, I do run my "hobby" as a business. Why you ask? Taxes!!!

I get to wright off
-All my reptile purchases
-Vet bills
-All the food
-All the caging
-Fuel to go to reptils shows
-A portion of my truck payment (Vehicle used for business)
-Part of my house payment (run the business from my home)
-Small portion of my power bill
-And any darn thing else I can think of

Its perfectly legal...

of the best reason to have a license - being able to claim your expenses on your tax returns.

One other point davenkelly missed - at least here in CA a resellers permit is required to vend at any show.

I have the full license and permit. And claim everything I legally can on my taxes. And have to pay state sales tax on all CA sales.

Warning though, the license is a "business license" not a "hobby license" If you go the license route you will be expected to turn a profit. Not necessarily in the first year or two, maybe even three "lean and rough startup years". But eventually your income from the "business" should be greater than your expenses. Kinda the definition of a viable business, one that makes you money.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

>>Warning though, the license is a "business license" not a "hobby license" If you go the license route you will be expected to turn a profit. Not necessarily in the first year or two, maybe even three "lean and rough startup years". But eventually your income from the "business" should be greater than your expenses. Kinda the definition of a viable business, one that makes you money.

Yup and this is exactly why I quite trying to do mine as a business. I set everythig up for 2 years back in the early 2000s but realized it was going to be years before I made a 'profit'. Years and years of only losses could possibly make oneself a target for an Audit.

Eventually I'd like to do it as a 'business' again but for now, just a hobby that I pay an arm and a leg for. lol
-April
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'There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."' -Rainshadow

okay all that def. makes sense mine is just a hobby and i wont be breeding for a little while. and i plan on moving to texas in the next 1 - 1 1/2 yrs, so i wouldnt want to get a liscence til i was out there. anyone know of the laws out in texas? do you need a liscence to sell at shows? are they hard to get?
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2.3 Columbian Boas (TH moonglow, Dh Ghost, DH Snow, two normals)
1.2 Central American Boas
1.1 Argentine Boas (66% het T )
1.1 Argentine Boas (normal-pure)
1.1 Bredli Carpet Pythons
0.4 Leopard Geckos
0.0.1 Tokay Gecko
0.0.1 Nile Monitor
1.0 Savannah Monitor
0.0.1 Hermanni Tortoise
2.3 RES

...horses, cats, dogs...and many rats!

The IRS has a "kinda" rule of thumb....Red flags dont go up untill you loose money for over 3 or 4 years.....

But I dont worry, I dont cook the books so I can back everything up if they come looking for me...LOL

And I would bring a hand full of my biggest and best to the audit....It would be a short meeting.

I just moved & unfortunately I bought a house that has a Home
Owner's Association. I looked over their rules and there were
some not so friendly sounding lines about breeding animals as a
business. I'm sure they were put there for dogs/horses &/or
chickens but it was unnerving to see regardless.

I have a company started already, but I'm more than a little
reluctant to get the license for fear of the HOA finding out
and having to deal with that cursed bureaucracy. (It's a pain
just spelling that word!)

Any advice or experiences anyone can relay?

Sucks to say but thy enemy is thy neighbor.

If you're quite about it and don't talk about it to your neighbors, they might never find out about it. Unless you're gonna sell a lot, probably not worth the business license. Of course that means you might not be able to sell at shows but trust me, internet sales are far stronger anyways.

And bottom line, if the HOA does find out, you might be screwed!!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

No HOA, was one of my top priorities, but the only house I
actually liked & could afford was in a HOA.

It's not so bad. The fee is under 90 bucks & includes the
garbage pick-up.