There may come a time in your life when you need a fictitious name. There are many times when one is appropriate, and there are specific reasons why you should get one. I’m not talking about changing your name to escape from bad debt, or perhaps to get away from the law, I am talking about a business venture that usually involves more than just you. There are times though, when even you might want to get a fictitious name, even if you are going it alone. This may apply to any musical endeavor, and may even apply to actors who use a stage name, though I cannot tell you that for sure.

One common fictitious name is a band name. If you are in a band, or perhaps you use a different name when you perform, you have to file for a fictitious name. One reason for this is to say that you are using the name for business purposes, and it also ensures that no one else can use the same name. This also means that you can accept payments and pay taxes with that name, and that may save you a lot of hassle when it comes time to meet the April fifteenth deadline.  You must also get a tax ID if you want to use the name for taxes.

If you are starting a business, you may consider your business name a fictitious name, though this is not always the case. You should consult with a lawyer about what you should do and what is not necessary. If they feel you should indeed register your fictitious name, they can go ahead and do it for you. Don’t worry if you don’t have a lawyer, however, because as far I know, registering a fictitious name is a rather easy process and you should be able to do it yourself.

When my husband’s band recorded their first album, they were presented with a lot of paperwork they did not understand. If they have been prepared, things would have went more smoothly. They didn’t know they should have registered their band name as a fictitious name, and they had to do that before they could file their copyright papers, which help up the process. Someone could have claimed the name as their own if they had wanted to, and that could have been bad for their band. The same thing can happen in the business world, so make sure if you have a fictitious name that you take the time to register it for your own protection.