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Sole Proprietorship

By Randy Duermyer, About.com

Definition: A legal form of business where the individual is personally responsible for the financial and legal aspects of the business. Business revenues and expenses are reported via Schedule C and net profit or loss becomes a part of the owner's personal income tax return.

This is usually a one person business, but the proprietor may have employees. All assets are owned by you and all business liabilities are also your personal liabilities.

The business may be sold or transferred to someone else at any time. Otherwise, the business exists as long as the owner is alive.

This is the easiest form of business entity to establish but it is also exposes the owner to the most risk. Your business debtors can make claims directly against your personal assets directly.

Most states require that the business be registered as a sole proprietorship with the state, usually with the Secretary of State's office. Other official documents may also be required, depending on the state and municipality where the business exists. An attorney is generally not required.

Pronunciation: sole pro pry it or ship
Also Known As: Mom and Pop operation
Common Misspellings: soul propietorship
Examples:
Establishing my business as a sole proprietorship was really easy in my state - I just filed a document with the Secretary of State's office on the Web.
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