02.10.2026
Austin, Texas: Licenses & Taxes for Service Providers
FlyingServices is launching in Austin, and we're looking for the first local providers. Before you take your first booking, it helps to know what Texas and the City of Austin actually require. The good news first: there is no general business license and no state income tax. What matters are a few occupational licenses, sales tax on some services, and your federal taxes.
Want a checklist for your exact activity? Our free provider check for Texas asks a few short questions and lists every step, cost and official source.
No general business license — in Texas or in Austin
Texas has no state-wide business license, and the City of Austin doesn't require one either. You only need a license if your specific activity is regulated. Since a 2025 state law (HB 2464), cities may not ban a business you run from home or require a permit for it, as long as it causes no significant traffic, noise or visible disturbance. Your HOA rules still apply.
Which activities need a Texas license
| Activity | Agency | What you need | Application fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Haircuts, styling, barbering, nails, facials, lashes | TDLR | Cosmetology operator or barber license (1,000 hours of training) | $50 |
| Massage | TDLR | Massage therapist license (500 hours, fingerprints) | $100 |
| Electrical work | TDLR | Electrician license; a contractor license to work on your own | varies |
| Plumbing, gas lines, water heaters | TSBPE | Plumbing license, under a responsible master plumber | varies |
| A/C and heating | TDLR | ACR contractor license | varies |
| Pest control | TDA | Business license plus certified applicator license | $300 + $125, exam $64 |
| Moving with your own truck or van | TxDMV | Certificate of registration plus a USDOT number, any vehicle size | $100 + $10 per vehicle + $100 per insurance filing |
| Locksmith, security | DPS | Private security company license plus individual registration | — |
| Mold remediation (25 sq ft or more) | TDLR | Mold remediation license | — |
| Laser hair removal | TDLR | Certificate after a supervised apprenticeship | — |
| Tattoo, piercing | DSHS | Studio license — only in the studio | — |
| Child care in your own home | HHSC | Listed or registered home | — |
No license needed for house cleaning, pet sitting and dog walking, tutoring and music lessons, personal training and yoga, photography, IT help, makeup application only, handyman work without electrical, plumbing or HVAC, and moving help without a vehicle (carrying, packing, loading). Babysitting in the parents' home isn't licensed child care either.
Unlicensed work in a licensed trade is not a gray zone in Texas. Get the license first, then take bookings. Clients can look up your license number in the public license search of the agency, so add it to your FlyingServices profile.
Hair and beauty at the client's home
Texas allows barbering and cosmetology outside a licensed salon only as a digitally prearranged remote service, meaning a service booked in advance through a website or app. A FlyingServices booking qualifies. Haircuts, styling, beard work, facials, brows and lashes, manicures and pedicures (without a whirlpool foot spa) are allowed at the client's home. Not allowed there: coloring, bleaching and other chemical services, waxing and sugaring.
Carry your license and follow the health and safety rules. If you also take bookings through your own website, app or social media, you count as a remote service business yourself and must file a notice of intent with TDLR.
Sales tax: the part most new providers miss
Texas taxes many services, not just goods. The state rate is 6.25%; with city and transit taxes it's 8.25% in Austin. If your service is taxable, you need a free Sales and Use Tax Permit from the Texas Comptroller before your first job, you charge the tax on every invoice, and you file returns (monthly, quarterly or yearly, due on the 20th).
Taxable in Texas, including for private households:
- house cleaning — the Comptroller treats a charge to clean a home as taxable
- lawn care, landscaping and tree trimming
- pool and spa maintenance
- pest control
- pet grooming (it counts as maintenance of personal property)
- photography, including digital images and sitting fees
- web design and hosting (on 80% of the price)
- junk removal, repair of personal property such as appliances, and equipment rentals
Not taxable: hair and nail services, tutoring, music lessons, massage by a licensed therapist, and labor to repair or remodel a home (the materials are taxed). For car repair, labor is not taxable but parts are.
Not sure about your service? Ask the Comptroller before you start, because tax you forgot to collect is owed out of your own pocket.
Business name and LLC
Working under your own name needs no registration. If you use a business name, file an assumed name certificate (DBA) with the Travis County Clerk. It costs $23 and is valid for up to ten years.
An LLC is optional. Filing Form 205 with the Texas Secretary of State costs $300. Every LLC is subject to the Texas franchise tax, but below the no-tax-due threshold of $2.65 million it owes nothing. It still has to file a Public Information Report by May 15 each year. For income tax, a one-person LLC is treated like a sole proprietor.
Federal taxes in brief
Texas has no state income tax, so you only deal with the IRS:
- Self-employment tax: 15.3% on 92.35% of your net profit, from $400 of net earnings. It pays for your Social Security and Medicare.
- Income tax on your profit after the standard deduction ($16,100 for single filers) and the 20% qualified business income deduction.
- Quarterly estimated taxes if you'll owe $1,000 or more: April 15, June 15, September 15 and January 15.
- No tax on tips: cleaners, pet caretakers, tutors, massage therapists, hairstylists and movers can deduct up to $25,000 of tips a year (2025–2028).
All numbers, examples and deadlines are in our article Self-Employed in the US: Licenses, Taxes & Insurance 2026.
Insurance and benefits
Texas has no general insurance requirement for self-employed people, but some licenses do: A/C and electrical contractors need general liability insurance, pest control businesses $500,000 per occurrence, and movers vehicle liability and cargo coverage. For everyone else, general liability insurance is still worth it, and your personal auto policy usually excludes business use. Texas is the only state where private employers may opt out of workers' compensation; as a solo provider without employees you have no filing duty.
Getting unemployment benefits? Report every week's work and earnings to the Texas Workforce Commission, and know that working your usual full-time hours means you are no longer unemployed. Getting Social Security before full retirement age? In 2026, benefits are reduced once your earnings pass $24,480 a year, and net self-employment earnings count.
Your start in Austin, step by step
- Check whether your activity needs a license, and apply before your first job.
- If your service is taxable, get the free sales tax permit.
- Get a free EIN from the IRS and fill out Form W-9.
- Open a separate bank account and keep receipts and a mileage log.
- Set aside money for self-employment and income tax, and pay quarterly if you'll owe $1,000 or more.
- Run the provider check for Texas for your exact activity, then apply as a provider.
As of October 2, 2026. This article is not legal or tax advice. TDLR, the Texas Comptroller, the IRS and the other agencies named here give binding answers.























