permaculture

[Kathy Carter-White <kathycarterwhite@earthlink.net>]

We designed it all in group.  First, over the internet with months of 
talk about the details.  And, on the legal level, it is very 
minimalistic, so as to save paperwork.  We even worked on ways to do 
things with a goal to avoiding a lot of paperwork... such as no income 
as the price we pay for the joy of no employee taxes and stufff.  The 
producers take care of their own sales tax.  We are incorporated as an 
Oklahoma Corporation ($25) but have not applied for 501(c)(3) or Coop 
status with IRS... we are an unincorporated association for tax 
purposes.  It is all flow-thru, except delivery surcharge, which is 
actually less than actual cost so if the IRS were to characterize us as 
tadable entity, then our  expenses would exceed payouts for travel, and 
still no tax to anyone.  The thing you might consider is working at a 
very collaborative level, because as soon as "ownership" is an issue, 
the complexities begin.  It is the living machine part that makes it 
possible this way.  Not to say that it might not be a valuable service 
as a business... just that it would add a cost layer and some 
bookkeepping.  k

Guy Koehler, Rivendell Ranch wrote:

> How did you create the legal, business structure of the co-op? So far, what
> you're doing matches what I want to accomplish here, but I have no idea
> where to start. I'd like to have, as much as possible, the business
> infrastructure questions answered before asking my neighbors to join. I
> suspect they're going to ask the same questions I am now.
>
> Guy Koehler
> Rivendell Ranch
> www.geocities.com/rivendell_ranch
>
> _______________________________________________
> permaculture mailing list
> permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>
>