What does it take to legally open a gift shop in Jackson, WY?

Linda wrote: “I want to sell photographs and artwork in gift shops and online. I am a photographer, painter, and sculptor.”

Hi Linda, congratulations on Awesome Art! Handmade gifts and fun finds make shoppers smile, and repeat customers return for every holiday and birthday. In this answer you will find the business structure, the tax registrations, and the local and industry licenses for Awesome Art, plus a short recap at the end.

Selling your own photographs, paintings, and sculptures is a retail sale in Wyoming, so you'll need a Wyoming sales tax license if you sell directly to collectors, online, or at Jackson's art fairs. When gift shops buy your work wholesale, they give you a resale certificate and collect tax themselves; on consignment, agree in writing who collects tax. Wyoming has no state income tax, which simplifies things if you ever hire help. Keep an inventory list of pieces at each shop with prices and dates. In a gallery town like Jackson, a short artist statement on each piece sells more than you'd expect.

What Awesome Art needs

1. LLC (business structure) – An LLC shields your house, car, and savings from claims against the business, and it looks more established to customers and banks. A dispute with a swap meet operator over booth fees or damage could arise, and the LLC keeps it a business issue.
2. DBA (doing business as) registration – Registering "Awesome Art" tells the public who stands behind the name. If you form an LLC under that exact name, the LLC filing itself protects the name and a separate DBA is usually unnecessary.
3. EIN (federal tax ID number) – You plan on 1 employee, so the federal tax ID number (EIN) is required for payroll, and you will also use it for the business bank account and supplier accounts.
4. Wyoming sales tax permit (seller's permit) – It lets you collect sales tax from customers and hand your suppliers a resale certificate, so wholesale purchases of inventory stay tax-free and properly documented.
5. Wyoming employer ID – With 1 employee, you need a state employer account number for unemployment insurance. Wyoming has no state income tax on wages, so there is no withholding account to open, which is one less form to file.
6. Business license – A business license puts Awesome Art on the official map in Jackson, which landlords, banks, and many customers will expect to see before they sign anything. Home occupation rules commonly cap client visits and delivery trucks on a residential street, so read them before you print business cards.
7. Peddler or vendor permit where required – Selling at swap meets, parks, or on the street usually requires a vendor or peddler permit.

By the numbers: Banks, insurers, and tax forms will ask for your industry code. For a gift shop it is NAICS 453220 (Gift, Novelty, and Souvenir Stores), 459420 under the 2022 update. With 1 employee planned, you are already creating jobs in Jackson. That makes 7 items on your list.

Tip: Check each venue's vendor rules and keep permits handy when selling outdoors.

To recap: Awesome Art in Jackson, WY needs an LLC, a DBA, an EIN, a sales tax permit, a state employer ID, a business license, and peddler or vendor permit where required. Get those in place and you can spend your time on customers instead of paperwork.

BusinessNameUSA can prepare and file these registrations for you: start your order.