Big Firm Start-Up Forms Library

Big Law Firm Orrick put a Start-Up Forms Library on its website.  Rest assured that a simple start-up of a business in New York does not need all these documents.  But if you are forming a Delaware entity and have aspirations of…

New Website and Ipad Review

My new website just went live at www.ratschko.com.   A shout-out goes to the people at Joomla Shack, Joomla Forms and Joomlaworks.  Because I was so busy figuring out Joomla (yup, I did it all myself), I kind of neglected to…

New York Sales Tax on Software

Sales tax, the stuff that keeps you awake at night.   In New York, you are required to collect sales tax from your customers on receipts from the sale or rental of tangible personal property and certain services (except for food, drugs…

DIY Incorporation Kits by Stephen L. Nelson

I am a big believer in bootstrapping and DIY, especially when it comes to starting a business. One, you don't have much money to waste, and two, knowledge is power.  Thus, before you pay some incorporation service to essentially operate…

Don’t mess with the Workers’ Compensation Board

I recently got a pleasant letter from Dun & Bradstreet, acting as a debt collector for the New York Workers' Compensation Board. Supposedly, I owed the New York Workers Compensation Board $60,000 in penalties and outstanding insurance…

Free (or almost free) Legal Resources

Cases: Fastcase Westlaw/Lexis through NYC Bar Association (members only) LexisOne Sample Agreements: SEC Docstop Onecle Realdealdocs Cori Legal Information/Articles: JDSupra Codes/Regulations: U.S. Codes U.S. Regulations New York Laws New York…

Online Bookkeeping with Outright.com

Outright.com offers free online bookkeeping for self-employed folks and small businesses. It's very basic, but seems to have everything you need. I always wonder how sites like that are going to make money if the service is free and expect…

Tax Changes for 2009 (when filing in 2010)

Get up to date with this article from the Journal of Accountancy and use their useful Filing Season Quick Guide.

NY S Corporations v. LLCs

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Many small business owners end up deciding between a New York S corporation and a New York limited liability company (LLC) when choosing a formal legal structure for their New York business. Both entities offer limited liability and a startup…

E-Verify – Your Form I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification Online

E-Verify is a free and voluntary system offered by the Department of Homeland Security that lets you check your employee's employment eligibility.  It doesn't save you the step of completing Form I-9, but it gives you a system…