Many artists, musicians, and bands build their name, brand, and network the same way any business would. However, when analyzed from a legal perspective, many of these same artists, musicians, and bands are working under an assumed or fictitious name and often operate as either a sole proprietor or, in the case of bands with multiple musicians, a partnership or, at the very least, a de facto partnership. In Virginia, whether you operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership or LLC, no person or partnership shall conduct or transact business under any assumed or fictitious name unless such person or partnership signs and acknowledges a certificate with the statutory requisite information. See Virginia code § 59.1-69. Failure to comply with this statutory requirement may result in a fine of up to $2,500 or up to a year in jail or both.
A sole proprietorship is a type of business entity with a single individual owner, whereby there is no legal distinction between the owner of the organization and the entity itself, meaning that the owner is personally liable for all debts and obligations of the company. A partnership is a type of business entity that includes two or more persons to carry on as co-owners of a business for profit. This can occur whether or not the persons intend to form a partnership. See Virginia Uniform Partnership Act § 50-73.79 et al. A de facto partnership occurs when two or more persons appear to operate as a partnership but have not officially established themselves. In either partnership scenario, absent some written agreement. Generally, all partners are liable jointly and severally for all partnership obligations. Each partner is personally responsible for all debts and obligations of the company (and the other partners), with some exceptions.
As a result of the exposed liability, especially to personal wealth, it is much better practice and protection for an artist, musician, or band to create a formal business structure to assume liability for their decisions. A Virginia Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) can help satisfy this objective. An LLC is owned by its members and is operated by either its members or one or more hired managers. In Virginia, no member, manager, organizer, or other agent of a LLC shall have any personal obligation for any liabilities of a limited liability company, whether such liabilities arise in contract, tort, or otherwise, solely because of being a member, manager, organizer or agent of a limited liability company. See Virginia Limited Liability Company Act § 13.1-1000 et al.
Setting Up an LLC
On its face, setting up a Virginia LLC and obtaining its tax identification number (TIN) in the form of a federal employment identification number (EIN) is a relatively simple process. However, there are many legal considerations that organizers fail to take into account when filing the necessary paperwork. Such considerations include the name of the organization, which may have costly trademark law implications; selecting the appropriate type of physical office address, as PO boxes and UPS boxes are not acceptable due to statutory requirements; selecting a proper registered agent, as some agents do not forward significant legal and tax correspondences; and electing the appropriate tax structure, as an LLC can elect several different tax options including applying for IRS Subchapter S treatment. Consequently, consulting with an attorney knowledgeable about LLC organizations, business tax implications, and intellectual property considerations is essential.