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Starting a(n) Business Licenses & Tax IDs

Hi, I'm What Do I Need To Import And Sell Perfume Perfume Perfume Sales Online What You Need to Import and Sell Perfume Online Required Licenses & Registrations Business Entity Formation (LLC, S-Corp, etc.) ✅ Business Name Registration (DBA if needed) ✅ Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN) ✅ Seller's Permit/Sales Tax License ✅ Import License ✅ Specialized Perf..., .

# What You Need to Import and Sell Perfume Online

✅ Licenses and Business Registrations You'll Need

✅ LLC (Limited Liability Company) or S Corporation Registration

✅ Seller’s Permit

✅ EIN (Employer Identification Number)

✅ Business Name Registration (if using a name different from your own)

✅ Home Occupation Permit (if you're operating from home)

✅ Import Permit (for bringing perfume into the country)

✅ Certificate of Label Approval (for cosmetic labeling compliance)

✅ Sales Tax Registration (required if you're charging sales tax)

✅ Do I Really Need an LLC or S Corp?

Absolutely. If you're selling imported perfume, an LLC gives your business its own legal personality — meaning if someone tries to sue over a leaky perfume bottle that caused chaos, they go after the LLC, not your house. An S Corp can also be useful if you're looking to optimize how you're taxed, but it's more paperwork-heavy. The LLC is the fan favorite for ease and flexibility.

✅ Why You Need a Seller’s Permit

If you're collecting sales tax from customers (which is very likely when selling online), you’ll need a seller’s permit. It essentially tells the tax authorities, “Hey, I’m charging folks tax and not just pocketing it like a bandit.” It also allows you to buy your inventory wholesale without paying sales tax upfront. That’s perfume math that smells like profit.

✅ What’s This EIN Everyone Talks About?

The EIN (Employer Identification Number) is your business’s Social Security number. It's required for filing business taxes, opening a business bank account, and hiring employees. Even if you’re not hiring right now, getting an EIN is a smart move because most financial and business tools ask for it. Plus, it just sounds cool to say, “Yeah, I’ve got an EIN.”

✅ Business Name: To Register or Not?

If you're using anything other than your full legal name, you'll need to register that snazzy perfume empire moniker. Let’s face it — "Jessica Martinez" sounds nice, but "Heavenly Notes Fragrances" has a little more pizzazz. Registering your name helps with branding, bank accounts, and, of course, protecting your glorious scent empire.

✅ Special Permits for Perfume?

Perfume, since it's flammable and considered a cosmetic product, might require some additional paperwork. Depending on the ingredients, you'll need compliance with labeling standards, possibly MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheets), and definitely import permits to bring that sweet-smelling stock across the border. You want your paperwork to be as polished as your product packaging.

✅ Equipment and Capital to Kick Things Off

✅ Starter Inventory (Perfumes in bulk or dropship contracts)

✅ E-commerce Platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, or similar)

✅ Packaging Supplies (Boxes, tissue paper, shipping labels)

✅ Computer or Laptop (Nothing fancy, just something reliable)

✅ Printer and Label Maker (Because handwriting shipping labels is not it)

✅ Startup Capital: $2,000–$10,000 depending on inventory size and marketing plans

✅ Some Industry Numbers That’ll Make You Say “A-ha!”

✅ The global perfume market is expected to hit over $50 billion by 2027

✅ Online perfume sales in the U.S. alone make up about 35% of the total fragrance market

✅ The average profit margin on perfume sales is between 60% to 80% — that’s a lot of sweet-smelling revenue

✅ Indie and niche fragrance brands have seen a 20% year-over-year growth thanks to online exposure and influencer marketing

✅ Ready to Make It Official?

✔ Biz Structure

You can choose to be a(n) Perfume Sales Online :

Sole Proprietor,
LLC,
Corporation or
Partnership.
After you decide and select your business entity, you need licensing.

✔ Biz License

Los Angeles Business Tax Registration ( Business License)
All businesses including home, online or mobile BUSINESS need a BUSINESS license because they are BUSINESSES.

✔ DBA Biz Name

A(n) Perfume Sales Online business doing business under an assumed business name in Los Angeles County i.e. you are a business with a trade name other than the owner's legal (full name) name are required to get a(n) assumed business name certificate. E.g. you venture into a(n) Perfume Sales Online business and you give it a trade name such as "Excellence Perfume Sales Online & Associates". You will need to register an assumed business name certificate.

✔ Seller Permit

In addition note that in CA you may also need a seller's permit if you sell merchandise that is taxable. (A.K.A state id, wholesale, resale, reseller certificate, about $39 for most states).
Seller's Permit

✔ Federal EIN

Note: All businesses need a federal tax ID number except sole proprietors that are not employers and are not independent contractors.
An independent contractor is a self employed business person that receives more than $600 per year from anyone of his or her clients.
IRS rule: The client must issue a 1099 form to the independent contractor and the independent contractor must have a federal tax ID. However, even sole owners may obtain a federal ID and use it as a business tax ID instead of using their own social security number as a business tax ID number.
However, all other licenses that apply to sole proprietors as discussed here are requited regardless of getting a federal tax ID number.

✔ State EIN

Also keep in mind that employers will need to obtain a federal EIN and a State EIN tax identificattion number. I.e., a CA Federal Tax Id Number ($29) and a(n) CA State Employer Tax Number

✔ L L C

Instead of filing a fictitious business name DBA Filing (about $49 plus state and legal newspaper publication fees) in Los Angeles, Incorporate in CA or form a(n) CA LLC .

You have a choice to file a DBA or form an LLC or incorporate. There is a cicrcumstance that you may not need to register a trade name and that is when you use your full name as a business name if you use your full legal name as a trade name.
Using any language that connotes additional owners in the name of the business makes filing a fictitious business name mandatory.

✔ Incorporation

If you do form an Online Selling Stuff llc or incorporate (about $49 plus state fees for most states) your Perfume Sales Online business instead of just filing a fictitious business name (dba), it will help you avoid personal liability from wrongs arising from your business dealings and you will not have to file the Los Angeles business name. Instead of just registering your Los Angeles County assumed business name (our fee includes assumed business name registration and legal newspaper publication) you can choose to setup a corporation in CA or form an CA LLC (starts @ $49 plus state fee for most states & includes required documents such as bylaws for the corporation and Limited Liability operating agreement for the LLC). .