fadedmoose4 said:Look, once we're in the USA, nothing about bookkeeping is actually going to change.
I honestly have no clue what you were trying to get at with that comment. If anything, keeping the books here in America is way more of a headache because the rules are constantly shifting under our feet compared to somewhere like Germany.
What I meant was that I’m hoping our profession finally starts getting the respect it deserves, but look at where we are right now. Sure, keeping the books in America—especially over this past year—is harder, and anyone in the industry in an EU country knows that too. But unfortunately, very few business owners actually realize that. Whether they handle accounting in-house or hire an outside firm, you almost always hear them complaining that accounting is just another unnecessary expense. In my circle, that's unfortunately the standard attitude.
ketty66, let me apologize again. It's true, I can be a bit toxic sometimes, and I'm fully aware of that flaw. I didn't mean to turn this thread into a personal vendetta, and I won't bring it up again. But I truly believe that the accounting professionals lurking on these forums know exactly what I'm talking about because they've dealt with it firsthand at least once in their careers. Regarding setting up an LLC, the link lili p. posted should help you out. If everything goes perfectly, the startup costs should be roughly $283 (this includes the notarized statement of non-indebtedness). The whole process can vary depending on your state or which court handles your filing, so everyone's experience is different. In my case, we hit a snag right at the start when the court rejected our proposed business name. Luckily, we found out just two days after submitting it, so we didn't waste too much time 🙂 (which would have cost $3.25). As for the other costs after the initial setup—like meeting minimum technical requirements for retail, for example—I can't speak to those from this position, though another user touched on them in her reply. Generally speaking, the costs of forming an LLC are similar to starting a sole proprietorship, though there are specific pros and cons to choosing a corporation over a small business, depending on what the owner expects. You can find plenty of comparisons and experiences online if you want to dig deeper.