4 ms·

Ask HN: Should I register my iOS Dev Account as an Individual or Business?

5 points by ChelseaT 14y ago

What are the main differences? Pros & Cons? What materials are necessary to register as a company?

deleted 14y ago
[deleted]
coryl 14y ago
Not totally sure what the pros/cons are, but if you want to register as an corp, you'll need to provide the proper paperwork to Apple. I suppose one pro is that your personal name doesn't show up on your app listings, just your corporation's name.
callmeed 14y ago
I created an LLC and filed as a company. When you do this, you also need a tax ID number from the IRS and a bank account. The bank will also require your tax ID and LLC/corp papers. Sounds like a hassle but it wasn't actually too bad.
- fourmii 14y ago
  Did you use a lawyer and/or an accountant to setup the LLC? Or did you use one of those legal template websites?
avalore 14y ago
As a company your apps will be published by your company name, you can allow up to 5 users to work under your account. As an individual you have 1 login and apps are published under your own name (with a trading as name, which can be set only once). If you think you'd ever want to change to a company account in the future then do so from the start as it can be a huge pain to get changed in the future. In the UK you need to provide company registration details to register as a company and Apple will give you a quick call to confirm that you personally have the authority to enter in to a contract on behalf of your company. Edit: It's most likely obvious but worth pointing out that should there ever be a legal issue with any of your apps then these would be aimed at your company rather than yourself if registered as a business. For example, a Lodsys patent dispute would have been sent to a Ltd company in the UK rather than the individual who owns it. This being the better scenario as a Ltd company is limited in liability by its value rather than the owners worth unless a personal guarantee is given.
ChelseaT 14y ago
Thanks! I understand some of the implications associated with brand recognition, but I was curious about the legal side of things so that helps. Also, does anyone know how likely it is or how often these lawsuits occur regarding mobile app development?

5 points by ChelseaT 14y ago

What are the main differences? Pros & Cons? What materials are necessary to register as a company?

deleted 14y ago

[deleted]

coryl 14y ago

Not totally sure what the pros/cons are, but if you want to register as an corp, you'll need to provide the proper paperwork to Apple. I suppose one pro is that your personal name doesn't show up on your app listings, just your corporation's name.

callmeed 14y ago

I created an LLC and filed as a company. When you do this, you also need a tax ID number from the IRS and a bank account. The bank will also require your tax ID and LLC/corp papers. Sounds like a hassle but it wasn't actually too bad.

fourmii 14y ago
Did you use a lawyer and/or an accountant to setup the LLC? Or did you use one of those legal template websites?

avalore 14y ago

As a company your apps will be published by your company name, you can allow up to 5 users to work under your account. As an individual you have 1 login and apps are published under your own name (with a trading as name, which can be set only once). If you think you'd ever want to change to a company account in the future then do so from the start as it can be a huge pain to get changed in the future. In the UK you need to provide company registration details to register as a company and Apple will give you a quick call to confirm that you personally have the authority to enter in to a contract on behalf of your company. Edit: It's most likely obvious but worth pointing out that should there ever be a legal issue with any of your apps then these would be aimed at your company rather than yourself if registered as a business. For example, a Lodsys patent dispute would have been sent to a Ltd company in the UK rather than the individual who owns it. This being the better scenario as a Ltd company is limited in liability by its value rather than the owners worth unless a personal guarantee is given.

ChelseaT 14y ago

Thanks! I understand some of the implications associated with brand recognition, but I was curious about the legal side of things so that helps. Also, does anyone know how likely it is or how often these lawsuits occur regarding mobile app development?