Business name must be "Joe Schmoe electrician" or "licensed electrician".

Only problem I have seen with this is that any checks received as payment must be deposited into your business account, not cashed. This creates a record of payments that can be used to determine income.

The temptation is very great for "Joe Schmoe" to cash a check made out to him rather than deposit it. Of course the income then usually goes unreported. With any other D/B/A company name the bank would not let you cash it.

I have known guys who purposely used their own name as their business name just so they could cheat on taxes.

Matter of fact I know one guy who only has one checking account for both business and personal.

-Hal

[This message has been edited by hbiss (edited 02-11-2005).]