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Option 2 is the only viable choice, of those you listed.

Or you could get a mailbox at the UPS store, and register your LLC to that address. Call it Ste #xxx instead of PMB xxx. Then make your PP to that address and show them the LLC reg'd for real to that address.

DummNutz LLC
777 N Southeast Way W
Suite LL-666
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

So Vic, if I take option two and photoshop my addresse, can this come back to haunt me? as in can paypal sue me or I get in trouble with the gov, and have to pay a fine/jail time?? lets hope not....

As long as you really have your LLC properly registered, using PS to correct the address won't get you in any trouble. If you don't truly have an LLC, using PS to produce would get you in very severe trouble.

I'm a wiz . Graphic Illustration & Graphic Design

Sevn

SevnSins: I might need your expertise soon then ;)

I think I actually might be able to do it, just changing the address to something different , doesn't seem too hard but who knows I never tried it myself....

Oh, and thanks Vic, I'm reassured...

That book was a good read..That guy is seriously paranoid, but very insightfull at the same time..I wonder what he would say about PayPal.

I didn't get the impression he was paranoid. I had the impression that he is a believer in privacy and personal liberty.

He would probably say Paypal is the Devil.

Aye Vic my old buddy! So i just got back the registration papers/articles of organization today and it said they were filed. Im assuming my next step is to get an EIN? Also do I need to get a business license of some sort/ id card too? What exactly is it that I send paypal as proof of an LLC?

You could have got the EIN first. You can get it now. Or later. That part can be done when YOU decide it most convenient for you. You'll need it before the end of the fiscal year.

You may need a retail sales tax permit if you will have customers in your own state. You may need a professional license for specific reasons.

Example:
You sell contact lenses=you need a license for dispensing prescription optics
You sell handguns=you need a special license for that (won't name it due to search engines)
Other things may be applicable, so you'd have to research your specific line.

For PP, unless they ask, don't send them squat. When they request something, provide the minimum you can manage. Just enough to satisfy them. When they want more info, make them come kiss your derriere first. Seriously. Gives you psychological advantage and enhances your level of business liberty.

If they do ask for LLC proof, you send a copy of your LLC papers with official stamp clearly visible.

What information would I have to provide to Paypal besides the EIN? More importantly, when I start selling high priced items (and they limit the account) what information are they going to request from me that I will have to provide? An exact list of this would be extremely helpful

^^^Post #75 is the best answer. Really a list is not needed.

Name,rank & serial number is enough ;)

Hm, wow. It seems like this is a much easier route to take. So once you provide them with your EIN and LLC papers you're pretty much set?

What official "stamp" are you referring to and where would I find this?

'official stamp' is the one put on your paperwork when you file your documents to say you are an LLC entity.

eg, if you go to your local PO & get a money order, it gets stamped with info that IDs the PO & thus is a legal representation.

Hey guys. Been following this thread. So what should I do first, DBA, LLC, then EIN or what? I want to LLC a website and open a merchant account under the LLC corp.

LLC and EIN docs
 

Thanks for all the info.

Based on the reading in this thread and elsewhere, I am considering registering a new LLC to protect my individual identity from PP.

I have not registered the new LLC yet; however, I did look over the documents I received from an LLC I had already registered (for a different purpose) back in January. I am concerned because the EIN doc (form SS-4) and the LLC Certificate of Registration doc both have my (real) name on the form.

The SS-4 doc shows the following:

XYZ LLC
JOHN SMITH SOLE MBR
123 MAIN ST STE 45
BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210

I assume that if one uses an EIN rather than SS#, PP would eventually ask for the SS-4 doc to verify the EIN, correct?

The LLC Certificate of Formation doc in my state also shows my name at the end of the form, in the section that says "Signatures: Authorized Representative".

I am curious -- how have other people dealt with this problem?

On this LLC, have another authorized representative with a 'clean' SSN :spy:

Thanks - that makes sense and should take care of the LLC Certificate of Formation doc.

Any ideas on how to handle the SS-4? My previously registered LLC states "JOHN SMITH SOLE MBR" (real name used) on the doc, which I imagine could be problematic down the line.

does any of this apply to Canadians?

They won't ask for the SS-4 form... they may ask for articles of organization to verify the business. The SS-4 form only shows who obtained the Tax ID on behalf of the company, and is not always the person who is a the sole owner, president, CEO, or corporate officer, for example.

Paypal is only as smart as you let them be. You can't reallly run credit with a business like you do a person... typically, almost everyone has a credit score. Whereas a business, may not. So it may be impossible for paypal to verify anything other than articles of organization for the company, a cc statement, bank statement, etc. Even at that point, they're not going to get the paperwork, and call the state just to make sure. Even businesses have privacy laws that prevent this kind of thing.