Do you need a business license in Michigan?

Answer 1

Of course you do! But that depends on where you live. Some places may require you to apply for a city business license, a county, or a home occupation permit as well. It gets confusing. Let's start with the basic business license. Most cities and/or counties may require that if you are starting a business you will need to first acquire a business license. What is a business license? By definition a business license is a legal authorization in document form issued by municipal and/or state governments and required for business operations. Don't get this confused with DBA. So then what is a DBA?

DBA is an abbreviation for "doing business as." Certain jurisdictions may also use the terms fictitious business name, trade name or assumed name. DBA registration is necessary if your business operates under a name other than its legal name.

For a corporation, LLC, or other state registered entity, the legal name is the name on the filed articles. For all other business entities, the legal name is the personal name of the business owner or owners. Conducting business and opening a bank account under any name other than your legal business name is only possible after fulfilling your state's DBA filing requirement. And what if you are selling items? Do most states require a state seller's permit?

If you sell, lease personal property or sell taxable services at a retail or wholesale level, you are required to obtain a Seller's Permit. If you have more than one location where sales are made, a separate license is required for each location. You must obtain a State Employer Identification Number Also Called a State Tax Id EIN if you:

Pay wages to one or more employees

If your business is a corporation and you are an employee of the corporation (recommended so you can obtain all the tax free and deductible corporate fringe benefits)

if you are a sole owner and the sole employee of your business getting an EIN is not required as long as you report the financial results of your business on Form 1040, Schedule C. The IRS and the Social Security use your social security number to track self-employment tax. A federal tax identification number (also know as an employer identification number or EIN), is a number assigned solely to your business by the IRS. Your tax ID number is used to identify your business to several federal agencies responsible for the regulation of business.

Any business offering products or services that are taxed in any way must get a federal tax ID number. Here are some important resources to remember when filing for any of the above documents mentioned in this article. Just refer to the link below to get not only just in-depth information, but also excellent professional assistance. You won't be disappointed.

Answer 2

The State of Michigan has a great website for applying for business licenses online. You will need to sign up for an account to set up your business. In addition to the license with the state, you will most likely need a business license in the County where the business is located. The cost for County business licenses is usually fairly small. Using the free website "Michigan Business Licenses Directory" you can link to the State's "Business License" website and possibly the County "Business License" office for your specific county. If you can't locate a "Business License" link for your County, you can use the website "Michigan Free Public Records Search Directory" to access a direct link to each of the counties and many of the cities and towns in Michigan.