Forming a Small Business
Business Entity Comparison Chart
This chart compares the various entity choices when incorporating in Washington, DC.
DC Zoning Guide
This guide is intended to introduce small businesses and nonprofit organizations to the District of Columbia's zoning laws and regulations and provide guidance to those navigating the zoning process.
Doing Business in DC
This guide, created and published by the Washington DC Economic Partnership, covers information essential to relocating, starting and expanding your business in DC. It covers start-up considerations, business registration & licensing, financing, taxes and other important issues about creating a successful business in the District of Columbia.
Formation of a Limited Liability Company in the District of Columbia: A Guide for Business Owners
This handbook is designed to clarify some of the technical requirements for starting an LLC such as naming your business, obtaining the certificate of organization, designating a registered agent as well as preparing a clean hand certificate. It also provides a copy of our single member LLC template and DCRA forms. The DC Bar Pro Bono Center would like to thank Kasey Levit Robinson of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, LLP for her insight and assistance in creating this manual.
Forming a Benefit Corporation
This alert discusses the advantages and disadvantages of forming a Benefit Corporation in the District of Columbia.
Forming a C-Corp
This alert discusses the advantages and disadvantages of forming a C-Corp in the District of Columbia.
Forming a General Partnership
This alert explains the advantages and disadvantages of forming a General Partnership in the District of Columbia.
Forming a Limited Partnership
This alert explains the advantages and disadvantages of forming a Limited Partnership in the District of Columbia.
Forming an LLC
This alert explains the advantages and disadvantages of forming an LLC in the District of Columbia.
Forming an S-Corp
This alert discusses the advantages and disadvantages of forming an S-Corp in the District of Columbia.
Home-Based Businesses and Their Tax implications
This trifold gives some guidance about potential uses fraudulent of homebased businesses and their tax implications.
Podcast: Benefit Corporations - Positives & Misconceptions
Benefit corporations, like B Corps, are for-profit companies that meet certain standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency. In essence, benefit corporations aspire to move beyond wealth creation for owners and shareholders, possibly to combat a social issue or to address a disadvantage community. Learn more on how benefit corporations are similar or different from other entities and the requirements for running one in DC. Join Darryl Maxwell, Assistant Director of D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, and Alicia Plerhoples, Director of the Social Enterprise & the Nonprofit Law Clinic at Georgetown Law, for this podcast.
Podcast: Equity Investing for Small Businesses
Once you’ve started your business, family and friend circles are typically the first groups entrepreneurs will tap to raise funds. Once that capacity is met, business owners have interesting considerations to make. Check out this podcast with Darryl Maxwell, an Assistant Director at the D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, and Rami Turayhi, Partner at McDermott Will & Emery, as they discuss some of the pros and cons of Equity Financing.
Small Business Health Care Tax Credit: FAQs
The new health reform law gives a tax credit to certain small employers, both small businesses and nonprofits, that provide health care coverage to their employees, effective with tax years beginning in 2010.
Tax Issues for LLCs
This publication offers brief tax assistance for owners of Limited Liability Corporations.
Webinar: Back to Basics - D.C. Small Business Legal Compliance and Best Practices
This 2021 webinar goes over legal requirements for small businesses in D.C., best practices, and what the business’ chosen entity means for the owner(s). This webinar was presented in collaboration with the D.C. Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD).
