State Tax Registration

Register for state sales tax permits, payroll, and unemployment insurance

Estimated time: 10-15 minutes
Step-by-step guidance

What You'll Complete

1
Business Info
2
Tax Details
3
Review & Submit

Ready to start?

Request state tax registration and we'll walk you through it step by step.

About state tax registration

State tax registration is separate from both entity formation and your federal EIN. Depending on what you sell and whether you have employees, a state may require a sales and use tax permit, an income tax withholding account, and an unemployment insurance account — three different registrations with three different filing calendars.

The trigger is nexus. Physical presence — an office, inventory, or an employee — creates it almost everywhere. Economic nexus rules also make remote sellers register once they cross a state's revenue or transaction threshold, which is how online businesses end up with obligations in states they've never visited.

Collecting sales tax without a permit is a violation in most states, and so is failing to collect once you're required to. We identify which accounts apply to your business type and state, then complete the registrations and deliver the account numbers to your vault.

Common questions

Do I need this if I only sell online?

Usually in your home state, and in any state where you cross an economic nexus threshold. Thresholds differ by state and are based on revenue, transaction count, or both.

Is this the same as an EIN?

No. The EIN is federal. State tax accounts are issued separately by each state's revenue and labor agencies.

When do I need a withholding account?

Before you run your first payroll in a state where an employee works, including remote employees living in a state where you have no office.

What happens if I register late?

States generally assess back tax on sales you should have collected on, plus penalties and interest — which is why the exposure grows the longer it goes unaddressed.