Register Your Business

For most small businesses, registering your business is as simple as registering your business name with state and local governments.

In some cases, you don’t need to register at all. If you conduct business as yourself using your legal name, you won’t need to register anywhere. But remember, if you don’t register your business, you could miss out on personal liability protection, legal benefits, and tax benefits.

Your Employer Identification Number (EIN) is your federal tax ID.

You need it to pay federal taxes, hire employees, open a bank account, and apply for business licenses and permits.

It's free to apply for an EIN, and you should do it right after you register your business.

Your business needs a federal tax ID number if it does any of the following:

• Pays employees

• Operates as a corporation of partnership

• Files tax returns for employment, excise, or alcohol, tobacco, and firearms

• Withholds taxes on income, other than wages, paid to a non-resident alien

• Uses a Keogh Plan (a tax-deferred pension plan)

• Works with certain types of organizations                                             

• Apply for an EIN with the IRS assistance tool. It will guide you through questions and ask for your name, social security number, address, and your "doing business as" (DBA) name. Your nine-digit federal tax ID becomes available immediately upon verification

You'll need to get a federal license or permit if your business activities are regulated by a federal agency. Check to see if any of your business activities are listed here, and then check with the right federal agency to see how to apply

Opening a business bank account is easy once you've picked your bank. Simply go online or to a local branch to begin the process. Here are some of the most common documents banks ask for when you open a business bank account. Some banks may ask for more.

Employer Identification Number (EIN) (or a Social Security number, if you're a sole proprietorship)
Your business's formation documents
Ownership agreements
Business license

All information provided is free and found on SBA.gov. No Debt Financial Solutions, make any warranty, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, or assumes any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information from this form.