Just found out that if I want to sell my stuff at a Green Market here in town I have to have a business license, file for a fictious name, get tax exempt (to buy stuff without paying taxes) number and pay for that... so many things just to sell a few things... I know, I know - - - they have to get their money - but here, it seems, I have to pay extra because my 'business' is out of my home... Guess I won't be doing this any time soon :(

I don't blame you!

Its not as hard to do as it seems. I filed and got a federal tax ID, registered my business name Earlylace Collectiques, I have a store on ebay, don't have much on it right now, got a business checking acct. and I file qtr sale taxes with my state NJ. It really is not hard to do. and it didn't cost a lot of money. Lace

Ebay :thumbup:

Oh, and if you do all this you can take a deduction on your Federal taxes for business expenses, heat, elect, phone, office supplies, milage etc.

I'm in Iowa and I have my own business out of my home. I have a tax number didn't cost me anything just paper work and I have a business name that I just called mine Patchwork by Rhonda. I didn't have to file anything for that. When I sold my stuff at a craft show I didn't have my tax number yet and I just used my social security number instead, that is what the IRS told me to do.
Maybe your state has differant rules tho I don't know.

Nope, not hard to do at all, and when you have a business registration you have more credibility with potential customers. In addition to the tax benefits, you can also get a business discount at various places.

Same for NJ, but I got a Fed tax ID so I didn't have to use my ss#, safer I think. Lace

It does seem like a lot of hoops to jump through just to sell a few things.

You will always have it, and who know once you have it, you may take advantage of more selling ops.