LLC; What to use for business address

I’ve searched through the forum and can’t find anything about this topic. I live in Texas, so for those of you who live here, and have an LLC, who do you use as your registered agent? I don’t mean the name of the specific individual; is it a company, an attorney, or possibly a business partner? Do you use your home address as your business address, or a virtual office, or a UPS mailbox, or something else?

I am not asking for legal advice. I just want to find out what is commonly done. It might help me think of other questions to ask an attorney so I can make sure I’ve got everything done correctly.

Again, I’m not asking for legal advice; I’m just asking how you handle address(es). Earlier this week, I read that an LLC must have a Registered Agent. While researching that, I read that there are situations where your personal assets may not always be protected by your LLC; it seems like it was called “piercing the veil” or “piercing the LLC veil.” One reason given was concerning legal action, and the other attorney trying to prove something regarding the address that is used for your business. I’m simply paraphrasing what I understood that I read; I am not stating any legal opinion, fact, nor advice.

The answer depends on your state requirements; You can be your own registered agent in any state you physically do business in. Example, my C Corp is registered in the state of Delaware. Since I don’t actually have an office in Delaware, I must use a licensed 3rd party Registered Agent service in Delaware.

Your address is not an issue. I don’t know why that could even be a thought. When you file your Entity with your secretary of state, you will most likely be asked for the physical address of your business, and as a notary, it would be your home address that you applied for your notary public commission unless you have an actual physical office, You will also be asked for a billing and or mailing address if different. Here you can use a UPS Store box and in some cases, a USPS PO Box.

Piercing the Corporate veil is not about what address you use but rather how you structure your LLC. I assume your LLC is a single member structure; if so, that means for tax purposes you are considered a disregarded entity by the IRS; this simply means you will be taxed using your SSN regardless if you have an EIN from the IRS. Second, in order to keep your personal assets protected, you must operate your business as a separate entity. This means you must have an operating agreement for your LLC. Never ever pay your personal bills using funds from your LLC. Your operating agreement should establish how much of the earnings you withdraw from the LLC and how much the LLC keeps for operations and taxes and the like. You also need to fund your LLC. As an example, I funded my LLC $2,500 plus other tangible assets like office equipment and supplies. I used a hybrid method of funding; I put in my own $1,000 then let the LLC retain all the profits until the it had earned the $1,500.

All of these steps are vital to keeping your personal assets protected. You should also consider business insurance. BiBerks is really inexpensive. Most Notary E & O insurance does not cover loan signing suits. It would cover any bad notarial act, but does not cover things like documents not being shipped or lost in shipment which you could be liable for losses, which is why it is 100% required as a business to always get your shipping receipts. Also, did you know that all E & O insurance requires you to keep a journal regardless if your state requires it or not. If you fail to do so, if you are sued, your policy will not cover you in most cases.

In Texas you’ll have to list a business address that you’ll be receiving correspondence. This business address is where the IRS, Texas Comptroller, and SoS will send you mail. You’ll also need to have a registered agent who can receive ‘official and legal’ correspondence. The Registered Agent is the one who receives Subpoenas, Court orders, and Notices to appear. The address for the Registered Agent and your business address can be the same. You can be your own registered agent. You can use a different individual to act as your Registered Agent. Popular businesses are law firms, insurance agents, other notaries, Virtual Office services, etc…

Your business address doesn’t have to be your physical or home address. You can use a PO Box, Mail forwarding service, Virtual Office service, Private Mailbox, etc. If you’re your own Registered Agent you’ll need to use a physical address.

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Thank you. I appreciate your help and your time doing so. It definitely helps to hear from someone who knows more than I do.

NOLO has a book titled “Working for Yourself”. I highly recommend it for those starting out. The other is a book titled "A Company of One’, by Paul Jarvis. This one is especially for those wanting to stay small and profitable.

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Thank you for the book suggestions. I’ll take a look at them.