Would you register a LLC?

I don't know much about IM, but I suspect if that is all you are doing is IM, you probably don't need it. However, I'd like to throw some stuff out there for anyone who might come across this thread with the same question in mind.

Now, as was just pointed out, this is not professional advice, so you should probably just ignore it.

But if you are still reading... If you plan to move on to any other type of business, you may want to consider some form of incorporation (a tax professional will be able to best advise you on which type.) And not because of legal protection (far too much case law already states that "There is no veil of corporate protection available to the single-member LLC.")

However, more importantly, there is probably not one legitimate manufacturer, distributor or wholesaler that will even talk about selling merchandise to anyone who cannot produce a tax ID and a reseller license. This means getting cut out of 99% of legitimate business opportunities, restricted access to trade shows and limited options for sourcing.

Oh yeah, any "Wholesaler" or Wholesale" website that shows you prices or offers to do business with you before verifying your tax ID, etc., is probably not a real wholesaler, but rather a middle man.

Just a few reasons why an LLC (or other type of incorporation) might be worth discussing with a tax professional.

It's not the word itself, but rather the fact that they give out a new car when you go with the LLC option, but you're only looking a at new blender at best when you go with the standard Corp. option. And you don't even want to know what the S-Corp. folks get...

Okay, seriously, I think LLC is more of a generic term that represents some sort of invisible line between where someone thinks they are and true success. Now, I didn't take that personally (as I fully support your position) but I would like to make my position clear for others that read this thread three months from now (in the hopes that they won't consider the move until they seek professional advice.)

I went with LLC based on the advice of my wife's uncle (a tax attorney.) At that time, it was because of the tax laws in Ohio more than anything else. Now, as I am trying to stretch my arms across the ocean, I need it for other reasons. But every post I make on here is often written with the suggestion of seeking professional advice, whether investigating a corporate structure or simply finding a mentor for people wanting to operate in a field they know little about.

As I (also) often state, I know all-too-well the price of just running off after things with the belief that I am "well-informed" because I read it on the internet. I always advocate seeking professional advice these days.