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SolutionPhotographers, videographers, and creators run sole proprietorships longer than they should. Forming an LLC, getting model releases right, and tracking IP opens up the next level.
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For photographers, videographers, designers
Built for Photographers · all 51 jurisdictions

Make the work. Protect the business.

Photography, videography, and design businesses need LLC protection, model releases that actually hold up, copyright registration on portfolio work, and a CRM that does not break at 40 clients.

Built for your use case 60-day money-back Cancel anytime
5,200+
Creators served
$0
Service fee
200+
Contract templates
USPTO
Trademarks
Why photographers pick File.Business

Built around how photographers actually operate.

Three things you will not get from a generic formation site.

01

Liability shield for shoots

LLC keeps a model release dispute from reaching your personal assets.

02

DBA for your studio name

Operate as "Smith Studios" while owning a tax-clean LLC behind the scenes.

03

Accounting partner referrals

Connected to bookkeepers who actually know Schedule C and creative-business deductions.

How we set creators up

From first client to professional practice.

01
LLC + EIN

Form the LLC, get the EIN, file BOI. The LLC is the foundation of every other protection.

Day 0
02
Business banking + invoicing

Business bank account. Branded invoicing with Stripe.

Day 1
03
Contract templates loaded

Model release, photography services agreement, licensing terms customized to your practice.

Week 1
04
Equipment + liability insurance

Gear insurance for your kit. General liability for venues that require it.

Week 2
05
CRM + repeat clients

Inquiries land in CRM. Booked clients move through workflow. Repeat clients re-engaged.

Ongoing
06
Trademark studio name

Federal trademark protects you from copycats and lets you enforce in court.

Brand stage
In their own words

How customers like you use the platform.

"A model claimed I never had a release. I had it, signed and timestamped in the vault. Saved me a six-figure lawsuit."
ML
Mae LinPhotographer, Mae Lin Studio
"I went from sole prop to LLC after a tripod hit a guest at a venue. My personal car was at risk; not anymore."
DP
David ParkWedding videographer, Park Films
"CRM caught a $14,000 retainer client about to ghost. One follow-up email and we signed."
IV
Ines VasquezBrand designer
FAQ

Frequently asked questions.

Why an LLC for photography?
One client lawsuit or one accident at a shoot can wipe out your personal assets without an LLC. The protection costs $0 in service fee and ~$50 to $200 in state fees per year.
Model release vs photography agreement?
Different documents. The model release authorizes the use of someones likeness. The photography agreement covers your services and deliverables to the client.
Copyright on my photos?
Yours automatically when you press the shutter. Federal registration gives you statutory damages in infringement cases. We connect you to the partner Attorney Network for registration.
Do I need trademark?
For your studio name and logo, yes if you intend to scale. Stops competitors from using a similar name.
What about sales tax on photo services?
Some states tax photography services as a service or product. We map your state.
Equipment depreciation?
Yes, capture in your books. $2,500 lens depreciated over a few years saves taxes.
Multi-state shoots?
Generally fine without foreign qualification for short shoots. Recurring out-of-state work may trigger qualification.
Working with a partner / second shooter?
1099 contractor relationship typically. Use the contractor agreement template; pay through payroll-style 1099 issuance.
Wedding deposits?
Refundable vs non-refundable deposit terms in your contract matter. Our templates include both common patterns.

Start your creator LLC.

Tell us a few details. We do the rest. You get a single dashboard for everything.

Pay only the state fee 60-day money-back Cancel anytime
Form your business for $0Start →
How it works

How we deliver, end-to-end.

Four-step path from request to confirmation. State and IRS turnaround varies; our steps run in parallel where possible to compress the timeline.

1

Intake + scope

You tell us what you need through a short intake form (or a call for complex matters). We confirm scope, surface any gating issues (deadlines, missing documents, entity status), and quote any state fees that pass through at cost.

2

Prepare + verify

Our specialists draft the filing, verify entity details against state databases, run internal QA, and route any items needing your sign-off. You see drafts before anything gets submitted.

3

File with the authority

We submit directly to the state Secretary of State, FinCEN, IRS, USPTO, or whichever authority your filing requires. We pay state fees at cost and track the submission identifier in your account.

4

Confirmation + vault

Stamped certificate, IRS notice, or filing receipt arrives in your SOC 2 encrypted document vault the moment we receive it. Next filing deadline auto-added to your compliance calendar where applicable.

Start your business in the next 5 minutes.

No state-fee markup. Pay only the state fee. 60-day money-back guarantee.

No state-fee markup 60-day money-back Cancel anytime