Idaho. Home to our beloved Earnest Hemingway, you are our country’s greatest potato provider. You have the deepest gorge in the United States—appropriately titled Hells Canyon—as well as 80 mountain ranges, 16,000 miles of rivers and streams and are 41% state forest. You truly are the Gem State, full of huckleberries, falcons and butterflies.
This peaceful, beautiful state is also a welcoming one in which to legally start a small business. The state of Idaho has made it easy to find registration forms, fees and dates for opening your small escort business, and doesn’t require general business licenses or a specific one for the escorting industry.
In this article you’ll find clear step-by-step advice on how to register your escort service in Idaho. For more information on why it’s vitally important to register your business, refer to our article Don't get busted for tax evasion: Why registering your escort business is the only option.
Also note that names that are filed with the State of Idaho are made public on the internet or with a hardcopy request.
For some helpful advice on picking out a business name, visit Business.gov.
Step four: Register your business / business name
Sole Proprietorship:
In Idaho you are not required to register your sole proprietorship escort business as a separate business entity: because the business is you, it is not recognized as a separate business and you’ll file your business information along with your own personal taxes.
You are also not required to register your business name if it is your name and service: “Jane Doe’s Escort Service”. However, if you take on any other form of a DBA name, you must register it with Secretary of State with an Assumed Business Name application. For more information on if taking on a DBA is a good choice for your business, refer to our article Do I want to be a sole proprietor?
To register your DBA name in Idaho visit the Idaho Secretary of State Business Entity Forms—ABN or download the ABN application. There is a $25 filing fee for this form.
Partnership:
In Idaho you are required to register your general partnership business as a separate business entity through a Statement of Partnership Authority form with your Secretary of State's. There is a $100 filing fee for this form.
If you register your partnership with the State, you do not need to register your business name separately. If you do not officially register your partnership you will still legally be considered a partnership, but your legal rights will not be as clearly defined. Therefore it is important to register your escort partnership in Idaho, to safeguard yourself from legal trouble down the road.
Corporation:
To register your escort corporation in Idaho you’ll need to file your Articles of Incorporation with the Idaho Secretary of State. You can find this form at the Idaho Secretary of State Business Entity—Corporation Forms. There is a $100 filing fee for this form.
While the form itself is rather simple, you’ll need to have your shares marked and your corporation’s board of directors defined. It is smart to have a business lawyer and accountant handle this information with you.
Registering your Articles of Incorporation will register your business name, so you will not have to file a separate Assumed Business Name form.
LLC:
To register your escort LLC in Idaho you’ll need to file your Articles of Organization with the Idaho Secretary of State. You can find this form at the Idaho Secretary of State Business Entity—Limited Liability Company Forms. There is a $100 filing fee for this form.
Registering your Articles of Organization will register your business name, so you will not have to file a separate Assumed Business Name form.
For more information, visit the Idaho Secretary of State Business Entities.
Register your business with the following Idaho organizations:
Step six: Register for your federal and Idaho state taxes
There are a few basic types of taxes small businesses in Idaho may register for.
- Individual Income Tax: If you’re a sole proprietor or LLC, you’ll file your business profits/losses in a Schedule EZ form that will go along with your personal income tax 1040 form. For more information go to IRS.gov. The Idaho Individual Income Tax Return form is available at Tax.Idaho.gov.
- Business Taxes: Businesses in Idaho have to pay corporate taxes. Partnerships must file a Partnership Income Tax Return, and corporations must file a Corporation Tax Return. More information and these forms can be found under Forms at the Idaho State Tax Commission.
- Unemployment Tax: All businesses with employees pay unemployment insurance to safeguard the state’s unemployed. More information on these taxes and forms in Idaho can be found at the Idaho Department of Labor.
- Withholding Taxes: Employers must withhold taxes from employees for their personal income taxes. More information can be found about withholding taxes in Idaho at the Idaho State Tax Commission.
- Workers Compensation: If you have employees, you’ll have to pay Workers Compensation. More information can be found at the State of Idaho Industrial Commission.
- Self-Employment Taxes: If you own and operate your business and are not paid as an employee, you'll need to file your own self-employment taxes for social security and Medicaid. This is particularly true for sole proprietorships, general partnerships and LLCs. Download form 1040 or get more information.
Step seven: Get necessary licenses and permits
There is no one basic “business license” in Idaho, and chances are your city won’t require you have any permits for your escort business. But it’s a good idea to run your city through the IRS’s Permit Me tool and get more information about specific filing from their site.
More information on starting a business in Idaho
Starting a business in Idaho at Business.gov
Visit the Idaho Secretary of State—Business Entities.
Visit the IRS’s site for Starting a business in Idaho
Find out how to register an escort business in each state of the USA.
Related resources:
Please note: Dating.com is not a legal service, nor are we tax advisors or accountants. We do offer you what we consider our best advice, but if at all in doubt, please consult a professional.
