Hi all!  I'm hoping y'all can help me out.  I'm a military wife who wants to open my baking business from home in Prince William County, VA. I've talked to the Dept of Ag. in VA, They already sent me the packet of info which I'm going through now.  

We are buying a house in Prince William County and will be moving there soon (less than 3 weeks).  I've seen so much information on what is needed and what isn't.  I was hoping someone would be kind enough to lay it out for me in an A, B, C, D format.  What do I need to do first?  

Do I need a business license?  Where do I get it?  Do I need a Tax ID number, where do I get?  I have no clue.  Any help or advice is greatly appreciated.

TIA.

AYou'd go to the county clerk's officefor both of those. I'd go there and ask them if you need a license, it varies apparently from county to county. You'll need to collect sales tax regardless. And if you're baking under the cottage food law the rules are different too. You're also going to get different answers from different people even at the clerk's office, which is why I say tht you should go there, don't call. If you're standing in front of them they'll be more likely to make an effort to give you the right answer instead of just telling you something to get you off the phone..

Outside of the stuff in the packet you should look up if your county specifically has something online about starting a new business.  You will also need an EIN (eventhough you don't have employees) because Virginia requires one for their tax ID.  So you need to get a Federal EIN and a Virginia Tax ID, both of which can be done online.  Also, if you plan on creating an LLC then you can do that online in Virginia as well.  If you register an LLC, you won't have to bother with registering a trade name as it provides you with enough protection.  You may or may not need a license or permit in your county, but you may have to look that up.  Many times there is a profit requirement that says if you don't make over a certain amount per year, you don't need one, etc.  Also, you'll need to get insurance.  I'll keep thinking and write more if I forgot anything.