Originally Posted by MichelleJ

Hello! If you are going to conduct ANY type of business, you want to make sure you are legal. My best advice is that you go onto your local City's website and look up the information on starting a business in your area. That should help you out a lot. Also, look at your County's site, too. Many VAs are a sole prop. (like myself). There are many VAs who took the LLC route for good reasons, as well. There are a few threads that can help you determine what is best for you. Get an icy cold beverage (or hot), sit back, relax, and happy reading!

I have poured over the NY IRS website and it's all still very confusing to me. I called the IRS and was told that I could operate as a contractor with my EIN and work as a sole proprieter. Unfortunately at this time I cannot afford to file as an LLC.