Missouri. The Show Me State. Home of the Blues. We kiss your feet for the creation of iced tea and the ice cream cone, both invented at the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. Before that, in 1889, you gave us Aunt Jemima pancake flour, the first commercially ready-mix food ever. And, of course, you're home to the largest beer producing plant in the nation. Thanks, Missouri.
Missouri is also a healthy state in which to register your small escort business, and in this article you'll find clear step-by-step advice on how to do just that. 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.
For some helpful advice on picking out a business name, visit Business.gov. You can run the name through at the Missouri Secretary of State Search For Business Entity. Also, remember that in more conservative communities your business may be more publicly scrutinized—take this into account when taking on a business name.
Step four: Register your business / business name
Sole Proprietorship:
In Missouri 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 full name and service: "Jane Doe's Escort Service". However, if you take on any other form of a DBA name, including something as simple as "Doe's Escort Service", you must file a Registration of Fictitious Name online with the Missouri Secretary of State. There is a $7 fee for filing this form and it gives you ownership of the name for five years in Missouri.
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?
Partnership:
In Missouri you are not required to register your general partnership business as a separate business entity. However, it is highly recommended that you draft a partnership agreement. This is not filed with the state but defines and protects your business should you run into legal trouble. And you will have to file tax returns come the end of the year, so having your books in order is very important. More on that below.
You are also not obligated to register your business name in Missouri if it is the collected names of the partners outlined in your partnership agreement. But if you choose to take on a DBA name you must file a Registration of Fictitious Name online with the Missouri Secretary of State. There is a $7 fee for filing this form and it gives you ownership of the name for five years in Missouri.
Corporation:
To register your escort corporation in Missouri you'll need to file your Articles of Incorporation with the Missouri Secretary of State. You can find instructions and download this form at the Missouri Secretary of State: Download Fees and Forms. You'll include information on the amount of shares for the corporation and the incorporating persons, and a fee depending on the amount of shares in your company. Because of the intricate information required when starting a corporation, it is highly recommended that you seek advice from a business lawyer and accountant.
Registering your Articles of Incorporation will register your business name, so you will not have to file any additional paperwork for this.
LLC:
To register your escort LLC in Missouri, you'll need to file your Articles of Organization with the Missouri Secretary of State. You can find instructions and download this form at the Missouri Secretary of State: Download Fees and Forms. The form includes basic information about the members and managers of the LLC.
Registering your Articles of Organization will register your business name, so you will not have to file any additional paperwork.
For more information on these models and their requirements, visit Missouri Secretary of State—Starting a Business
Step six: Register for your federal and Missouri state taxes
There are a few basic types of taxes small businesses in Missouri 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. More information, online filing and downloadable forms can be found at the Missouri Department of Revenue—Individual Income Tax.
- Business Taxes: Businesses in Missouri have to pay corporate taxes and file year-end reports. More information, online filing and downloadable forms can be found at the Missouri Department of Revenue: Corporate Income Tax and Partnership Tax.
- Unemployment Insurance: All businesses with employees pay unemployment insurance to safeguard the state's unemployed. More information, online filing and downloadable forms can be found at Minnesota Department of Labor—Unemployment Insurance Tax.
- Withholding Taxes: Employers must withhold taxes from employees for their personal income taxes. More information, online filing and downloadable forms can be found at the Missouri Department of Revenue—Withholding Tax.
- Workers Compensation: If you have employees, you'll have to pay Worker's Compensation. More information can be found at the Missouri Department of Labor—Employers.
- 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. You can find this Schedule C / 1040 form and get more information at IRS.gov. Get more information at IRS.gov » Self-Employment Tax.
For more information and to register for several of these business taxes at once, visit the Missouri Department of Revenue—Business Registration.
Step seven: Get necessary licenses and permits
There's no specific "escort license" in Missouri, and chances are you won't need any other permits to conduct your escort service, 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.
For more information about registering an escort business in Missouri, consider the following online destinations:
The state is wonderful in providing you many resources for starting a new business in Missouri. While the information above is meant to be a helpful guideline in charting out a path, we strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the services below. The Missouri Business Portal is especially helpful in making sure you've checked off all necessary requirements from your list, depending on your business structure.
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.
