Cesar,
I'm definitely serious. Now, if you're working a 50-hour week at the office and occasionally spend time at home on business work, then that's not 'running a business'. San Mateo says you need a business license if the San Mateo location is your primary place of business - which it is for me. If I worked on-site for all my clients I wouldn't need the license, but I work a lot more hours at home than away. And who knows - maybe someday I'll want to do some more work for the local county or city governments - they check EVERYTHING before you get hired.

I am expressly forbidden from having more than a few business visitors per day, just as you described - I don't know if there's an actual maximum number, but if the neighbors complain I'll have to move out - so I keep them happy by programming their VCRs and collecting their packages when they're out < grin >.

>Are you serious? I know of people getting penalized for doing business from their homes, but by doing business, I mean trucks delivering stuff everyday, customers showing up, having 10 cars parked at their house and causing unusual traffic at their neighborhoods, but just quietly doing some programming and perhaps getting a few phone calls? I think that would be ridiculuous. I don't know of any programmer who doesn't do some work at home, even if they have an office.
>
>>Hi Victor,
>>If you're going to do any business at home check with your city of residence to see. Most likely you will. We (husband and I) have a license for our Burlingame office and another for our San Mateo home office. They aren't expensive, and there's some nice perks like being able to have a booth at the local Business Faire etc. It isn't expensive but they'll charge the earth in penalties if you're caught without one.
>>
>>>If I'm gonna work out of my home or work at a client's office do I need a business license?
>>>
>>>Should I get one? Why? Or Why not?