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Subject:Re: LICENSE for WRITING required in LA From:Win Day <winday -at- IDIRECT -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 11 Nov 1997 13:17:31 -0500
At 10:00 AM 11/11/97 -0800, "Dimock, Dick" <red -at- ELSEGUNDOCA -dot- NCR -dot- COM> wrote:
>And you thought the Certification Wars were intense.
>
>Technical Writers, working out of their Los Angeles
>homes, must be licensed and taxed. This law holds true
>even if the writing is done away from home, "on location"
>outside the City.
>
Why should this surprise anyone? I've been freelancing in Canada now for
years, and have lived in several communities in two provinces. EVERY
municipality I have ever lived in has required some kind of license or
permit for home-based businesses. Doesn't matter what kind of business you
run, you need a license.
I work mostly from my home, but occasionally from my clients' sites (or
their clients' sites). Personally, I like having a business license. It's
one more piece of data I can show to Revenue Canada at tax time to PROVE I'm
an independent contractor.
Holding a local business license also gets me into the chamber of commerce,
and is good for various discounts at places like Office Depot or Costco.
I'm also registered with the federal government. Not just for income tax
purposes, either -- Canada has a Goods and Services Tax (GST). Even though
my *taxable* income is barely enough to require me to register for the GST,
by being registered I can recover all GST *I* pay on office supplies,
printing, etc. Of course, I have to charge my clients GST. But they expect
it -- charging GST is a sign that you're serious about your business.
So is getting a license.
Win
-----------------
Win Day
Freelance Technical Writer/Editor
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada mailto:winday -at- idirect -dot- com
