How to Become an Iowa General Partnership (2023)

How to Become an Iowa General Partnership

If you want to start a general partnership in the state of Iowa, there is no formal business registration process to complete.

To form an Iowa general partnership, you simply need to start working with your partner or partners. In addition, unlike corporations or LLCs, there aren’t any formation fees or ongoing maintenance fees associated with filings like annual reports.

While the actual legal requirements are incredibly simple, there are still some other steps that you might want to take, depending on your preferences and your goals for the company. Let’s discuss the additional steps that may or may not suit your business needs.

DBA Obtainment

If you don’t want to use your personal name as your official business name, you can acquire a doing business as (DBA) name from the state of Iowa. With a DBA, you can use an assumed name in an official capacity, which is a great way to attract customers, as most people find that a business name adds legitimacy and professionalism to a business, as opposed to simply using the owners’ own names.

With a DBA, your general partnership can also open business bank accounts using the assumed name, which is another way to increase the professional aspect of your company. After all, it looks much better to have your company name on your checks, rather than just writing checks from your personal accounts.

Those wishing to register a trade name for their Iowa general partnership are first required to confirm that the name is available using the Iowa Business Entities Search. If the name is not currently registered with another business entity, you may claim it for your general partnership by filing the appropriate document with the local county recorder of the county in which the general partnership operates.

Do you want more information on DBA registration in Iowa? Take a look at our full article on the subject.

Register for Taxes

Other than the fact that general partnerships have more than one owner, the other major difference between a sole proprietorship and a partnership is the fact that a general partnership needs to acquire a federal tax ID number, otherwise known as an EIN.

While sole proprietors can get away with just using their personal social security number, the partnership needs an EIN because ― even though partnerships do not file business tax returns ― it needs to file an annual information return with the IRS.

In addition to the EIN, your business may need to register for state or local taxes.

Commonly, general partnerships in the state are required to pay sales and use tax. Depending on the nature of your business and the industry in which it operates, your business will likely be liable for several other taxes. Thankfully, the state makes learning about your tax requirements and registering to pay them quite simple through the Iowa Efile & Pay system.

Determine License and Permit Requirements

The state of Iowa does not have a general business license that all general partnerships are required to obtain. However, depending on what industry you operate in, your business may need licenses or permits to enable you to run your company in a compliant fashion.

In the same way that Iowa provides plenty of resources to make determining tax liability easy, there’s also plenty of assistance available for those looking to determine the licensing needs of their general partnership.

Depending on the nature of your business and its location, you’ll likely need one (or several) licenses in order to operate lawfully. Most state-level licensing requirements can be discovered through IA SourceLink’s Business License Information Center.

To make sure your general partnership meets all local needs, you’ll need to reach out to the licensing office of the city or county in which your business operates. For example, the cities of  Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Iowa City each have city-specific business licenses which may apply to you.

What Is a General Partnership?

At its core, the general partnership bears the most similarities with the sole proprietorship. Both are unincorporated business entities that are viewed as extensions of their owners as people, rather than as separate legal entities. General partnerships often don’t even have business names, as they can be operated using the owners’ personal names.

Let’s take a look at two of the most important differences between general partnerships and formal business entities:

1) Taxation and Signature Requirements

Due to the lack of legal distinction between the general partnership and its owners, the “pass-through” model of taxation applies to this type of company. This means that the profits and losses of a partnership are claimed on the owners’ personal tax returns. Along those same lines, general partnership owners can sign business contracts using their own names instead of signing on behalf of the company, and customers are also welcome to write checks to the owners personally.

2) No Asset Protection

The most important distinction between general partnerships and formal business structures like corporations or limited liability companies (LLCs) is the issue of personal asset protection. In a general partnership, if your business is sued, your creditors are free to pursue your personal assets, including but not limited to your house, car, and even the contents of your personal checking account.

On the other end of the spectrum, owners of LLCs and corporations enjoy limited liability protection, which means that for the most part, creditors can only go after business assets, and the personal assets of the ownership group are left intact.

Conclusion

The general partnership is a much simpler business for multiple owners than a corporation or a limited liability company.

The state of Iowa doesn’t require any official formation for general partnerships, and they’re also not required to pay any formation fees or participate in ongoing maintenance filings like annual reports. However, the general partnership as a business structure has some serious weaknesses as well, like the lack of personal asset protection that leaves owners’ assets exposed to potential lawsuits.

We hope this article helped you determine whether you’d like to form an Iowa general partnership, or if there’s another business type that would better suit your needs. As always, we wish you a successful business future!