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Do I Have to Put LLC on Everything?

By Lindsey Rudy

Published on 24 May 2023 4 min read

An LLC or limited liability company is a business entity that offers significant legal protection to its owners. Most states require LLCs to include the terms limited liability company or LLC or a variation in their registered business name. But, the important question is: “Do I have to put LLC on everything?” The answer is: “No! You don’t.” 

Read on to learn where you need to put LLC, why it’s important, and where it’s okay to leave it out. 

Understanding the Nature of LLCs

An LLC or a limited liability company is a legal business entity. An LLC is easy to form and doesn’t require the same filings as a corporation. The primary benefit of an LLC is that it limits liability to its members, which means that if the business has debts or is sued, you won’t be personally responsible for them, and your personal assets are protected. This is a major advantage over a sole proprietorship or partnership, which doesn’t limit liability. 

LLCs can be single-member, partnerships, or have many members. Members have a share in profits and losses. An LLC is a different business entity from a corporation, although you can elect to have your LLC taxed as an S-corporation. This also allows you to pay yourself as an employee. 

LLCs are governed on the state level. Each state has its own requirements for LLC formation. Generally, LLCs are easy and inexpensive to form and are the preferred business structure for many small and medium-sized businesses. LLCs work for creators and other creative businesses as well as brick-and-mortar companies. You can also use LLCs for investing or creating a family LLC.  

You can set up an LLC yourself as it offers structure and legal protection, and requires minimal paperwork fees or formation documents. Learn more about forming an LLC in Delaware or Wyoming to understand state-specific requirements. 

When Should You Put LLC?

Logos and branding help establish your brand presence and build consumer recognition. However, you don’t need to include LLC in your logos or branding. You only need to include LLC in official business documents. Here’s a detailed list:  

1. Business Registration Forms

Business registration forms include official LLC filing documents and registration for any business licenses or permits. As these are official documents, you must include your full business name, including LLC or limited liability company. 

If you forget to put LLC on these documents, you can request to amend the documents. Without LLC, your company might not qualify for certain licenses or permits. For example, you cannot designate a North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code without a legal business entity like an LLC or corporation. 

2. Invoices, Price Quotations, Receipts, and Purchase Orders

Invoices, price quotes, and receipts are official business documents that should include the full business name. If you forget to put LLC, you’ll want to amend these documents to include your full business name. While it’s unlikely to create an issue, including the full business name builds trust and credibility with clients and suppliers. 

3. Contracts, Leases, and Legal Documents

Like business registration and the documents used to do business, you’ll want to include LLC on all legal documents. This is especially important because the LLC entity offers legal protection and establishes the business as independent. If you forget to put LLC, amend the documents and speak to a lawyer to ensure that you don’t need to implement additional steps. 

4. Tax Filings

You should always use the business’s full legal name on tax filings. While LLCs offer the option of flow-through taxation, which means you can file the LLC’s income taxes as part of your individual tax return, it’s still important to correctly reference the legal entity. The full legal name of the business should include LLC or a variation. You’ll also need your full legal LLC name when filing quarterly business taxes and applying for an Employer Identification Number (EIN). 

If you didn’t change the name but filed taxes with an incorrect or partial name, it could result in a delay in the IRS processing the return. 

5. Company Letterheads

Company letterheads are the headers used at the top of official company documents. The letterhead usually includes the company’s logo, full business name, address, and contact information. Include the full company name with LLC as part of the letterhead. This is the company’s full legal name and should be included in all official company documents. 

When Should You Not Put LLC?

You don’t need to put LLC in most of the marketing and promotional material such as:

• Logos
• Domain names
• Social media pages
• Marketing material

However, it’s recommended to put LLC for:

• Legal protection
• To distinguish your company from competitors
• To build trust and demonstrate transparency

DBAs and Fictitious Names as an Alternative

Some companies may opt to do business under a different name than the legal LLC entity. This can be because of a change of purpose, a merger with another company, or because the LLC name doesn’t clearly reflect the business. 

Companies will set up “Doing Business As” or a DBA in that case. State and local governments usually require you to register any alternate names used for the business. A DBA filing allows the company to operate legally under a trade name, sometimes known as an assumed or fictitious name.

For example, suppose you established Grey LLC, but you’re marketing auto parts and want to do business under the name Grey Auto Parts. You could file a DBA to be Grey Auto Parts or any other fictitious name. 

Use LLC Status to Grow Your Business 

While you don’t need to put LLC on everything, it can help build trust and establish authority for the company. An LLC offers many benefits that can help drive business to you and expand your brand presence. 

In order to focus on business expansion, you’ll want the best tools to manage bookkeeping and other necessary routine tasks. Doola bookkeeping services are designed to help founders with simple, intuitive bookkeeping software so you can focus on company growth. Get Doola bookkeeping services here. 

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