Business
Registering, licensing, and maintaining a small business in Utah — DBAs, LLCs, and the paperwork that keeps them in good standing.
Utah LLC Member Disputes: Information Rights, Votes, Leaving, and Court Dissolution
Utah LLC members have default rights to information and votes, a court can dissolve an LLC for oppression or impracticability, and the company or other members can elect to buy out a petitioning member.
Protecting Your Business Name in Utah: State vs. Federal Trademarks and What an LLC Name Doesn't Do
Registering an LLC or DBA name does not give trademark rights; Utah offers a state trademark registration that lasts five years, but federal registration gives broader protection.
When Does a Contract Have to Be in Writing in Utah? The Statute of Frauds Explained
Utah law makes some agreements void unless they are in writing and signed, including deals that can't be completed in a year, promises to pay someone else's debt, and real estate agent agreements.
Selling Homemade Food in Utah: The Home Consumption and Homemade Food Act (Cottage Food Law)
Utah lets home cooks sell homemade food directly to informed final consumers without state or local food licensing, with required labels and limits on meat, raw dairy, and sales to restaurants.
Utah General Partnerships and LLPs: How a Partnership Forms Without Paperwork and Who Is Liable
Two people running a business for profit together can form a Utah partnership without any filing, and each partner can be personally liable for all partnership debts unless it becomes an LLP.
Do I Have Personal Liability if I Own an LLC in Utah? What the Shield Covers and What It Doesn't
A Utah LLC's debts are the company's own, and failing to follow formalities isn't a ground for personal liability, but personal guarantees and your own wrongdoing are not protected.
How to Start a Nonprofit in Utah: Incorporating, the Board, and Applying for 501(c)(3) Status
To start a Utah nonprofit you file articles of incorporation with the state, form a board of at least three directors, and separately apply to the IRS for tax-exempt status.
Can You Be Your Own Registered Agent in Utah?
Yes. You can serve as your own registered agent in Utah if you have a Utah street address where papers can be delivered, but your address becomes public record.
How to Change Your Registered Agent in Utah: Steps, Form, and Fee
To change a Utah registered agent you file a statement of change with the Division of Corporations. The fee is $17 unless filed with your renewal, and a resignation takes effect after 31 days.
Utah Business Name Search: Checking Availability Before You File
Utah's free name search only tells you a name 'appears' available — it isn't a hold, and the Division makes the final call only when you actually file. A name reservation is the way to actually lock one in.
How to Get an EIN for a Utah Business
An EIN is completely free directly from the IRS — you can apply online and get one immediately if approved, so there's no real reason to pay a third-party service for it.
Utah LLC vs. Corporation: Which Is Right for You?
The core difference is tax treatment: an LLC is a pass-through entity by default, while a corporation pays its own tax and can face double taxation when profits are distributed to shareholders.
Utah LLC Name Requirements
Utah's name rule isn't just 'no exact duplicates' — it's distinguishability, and the bar is stricter than most people expect: 'Eight O One Cafe' and 'The Eight O One Cafe' are officially not distinguishable.
How to Form an LLC in Utah: Step-by-Step
Forming a Utah LLC means filing a Certificate of Organization for $59 — but the certificate itself is just one step in a longer checklist that includes a registered agent, an EIN, and often an operating agreement.
Utah LLC Operating Agreements: Do You Need One?
Utah doesn't legally require an LLC operating agreement — but without one, your LLC defaults to Utah's own standard rules, which may not fit your actual business at all.
How to Cancel a Utah DBA
Canceling a Utah DBA is free — just a signed letter of cancellation to the Division of Corporations — but there's one catch: you can't cancel one that's already expired.
How to Change a Utah DBA
You can update a Utah DBA's address or owner information for $17, and transfer or cancel it for free. Changing the name itself generally means filing a new DBA.
Can Two Utah Businesses Have the Same DBA?
Utah blocks a DBA that's identical or deceptively similar to one already on file — but registering a DBA doesn't actually give you exclusive legal rights to the name, which surprises a lot of filers.
Utah DBA Cost: Full Fee Breakdown
Filing a Utah DBA costs $22, renewing every 3 years costs $18, and changing information on an existing one costs $17. Cancelling is free. Each is a separate filing.
Utah DBA Renewal: When and How
A Utah DBA lasts 3 years. Renewal opens 60 days before expiration, and after it lapses you get 30 days from the Division's notice before the name is released to others.
Utah vs. Neighboring States: Where Should You Form Your LLC?
Nevada and Wyoming market themselves hard as business-friendly states — but if you actually live and operate in Utah, forming your LLC there almost always costs more overall, not less.
Utah Corporation Formation: C-Corp and S-Corp Basics
You don't form an 'S-corp' with the state of Utah — you form a regular corporation, then separately elect S-corp status with the IRS. Conflating these two steps is one of the most common business-formation mix-ups.
Utah Employer Registration: Unemployment Insurance and Withholding
Hiring your first Utah employee means registering with two entirely different state agencies — the Tax Commission for withholding, and the Department of Workforce Services for unemployment insurance.
Utah Sales Tax Registration for Small Businesses
Selling taxable goods or services in Utah means registering with the State Tax Commission using Form TC-69 — a separate step from forming your LLC and separate from registering as an employer.
Utah Non-Compete Agreement Laws
Utah caps most employee non-compete agreements at one year — anything longer is void, not just unenforceable — with special, even tighter rules for broadcasting employees.
Starting and Maintaining a Business in Utah: Complete Guide
The complete path from choosing a business structure through ongoing compliance for a Utah small business — sole proprietorship or LLC, registration, licensing, and what keeps it in good standing.
How to Dissolve an LLC in Utah (and Close a Corporation)
To close a Utah LLC you file a Statement of Dissolution; to close a corporation you file Articles of Dissolution. Voluntary dissolution has no filing fee, but just stopping operations doesn't close the entity.
Independent Contractor vs. Employee in Utah
Utah doesn't use the 'ABC test' many states apply, and different state agencies use different classification tests depending on context — misclassifying a worker can create real liability.
Sole Proprietorship vs. LLC in Utah
The practical difference comes down to one thing: personal liability protection. Here's what that actually means, and what it costs to get it.
Utah LLC Annual Renewal: What You Need to File
Utah LLCs must file an annual renewal — a relatively simple, low-cost filing, but missing it repeatedly can lead to your LLC being administratively dissolved by the state.
Utah Business License Requirements by City
State-level business registration doesn't cover local business licensing — most Utah cities require their own separate license, with their own fee and renewal schedule.
Registered Agent in Utah: Requirements, Who Can Serve, and Cost
Utah LLCs, corporations, and DBAs must designate and maintain a registered agent with a street address in Utah. Here's who can serve, how to change one, and what it costs.
How to File a DBA in Utah: Registering an Assumed Name
Operating under a business name that isn't your own legal name in Utah requires registering an assumed name — a $22 filing, due within 30 days of first using the name.