Customer has an existing Sole Proprietor account with us, DBA Doe's Pizza.

He has applied for a fictitious name registration Sunbiz and would like to add a second DBA to this existing account.

Is this safe practice for us to allow our Sole Proprietors to title their account as listed below?

John Doe
DBA Doe’s Pizzeria
DBA John’s Bike Rentals

Thank you.

Safe?

It really come down to how the bank chooses to handle the situation. When it all boils down, it is nothing but an account for the individual anyway.

Some banks are willing to do it. Others are not. Keep in mind that your bank guarantees every endorsement and consider 1) whether your tellers actually look at endorsements when the accept the check for deposit and 2) just exactly how many DBAs you would allow to go into the account of one individual or entity.

It's not right or wrong, but in prior debates here I've said "No." From my point of view, it would be impossible to train the tellers where they truly comprehended what was wrong and what was right and I doubt that the customer's accountant would appreciate our display of flexibility.

On Ken's last point, the IRS requires a sole proprietor to report the income and expenses from each proprietorship separately from the other before bring the net income (or loss) forward to his/her Form 1040, and having separate bank accounts makes it a lot easier for the proprietor or his/her accountant.