Asked in Business Formation and Business Law for California

Q: What are all the basic requirements for starting an online e-commerce business? Any legal work? fees? TOS that I need?

2 Lawyer Answers

A: Most people starting e-commerce businesses would be well served to form a company (LLC, corporation) to limit their liability, and will want terms of service, a privacy policy and a return policy. There may be local business licenses that are necessary and restrictions on what can be sold and how taxes must be collected. The major e-commerce platforms (Shopify, Bigcommerce, etc.) usually have solutions for collection of taxes. The rest of this can usually be set up relatively easily and inexpensively through an attorney unless the products being sold are heavily regulated. Terms of service and policies for other companies can be found online but it’s generally a good idea to have these reviewed by a lawyer to make sure they address your specific situation.

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Answered

A: The basic requirements will depend upon a variety of facts and goals ... I would recommend that we schedule a video call for our initial free consultation to discuss.... Shawn Jackson - Business Development Attorney.

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