Registration

Understanding how and where to register your business, designate a registered agent, and manage state-specific tax requirements is critical for staying compliant and setting your business up for success.

Registration

Your location and business structure determine how you’ll need to register your business. Determine those factors first, and registration becomes very straightforward. 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.

Registered Agent

If your business is an LLC, corporation, partnership, or nonprofit corporation, you’ll need a registered agent in your state before you file.

A registered agent receives official papers and legal documents on behalf of your company. The registered agent must be located in the state where you register.

A registered agent receives official papers and legal documents on behalf of your company. The registered agent must be located in the state where you register.

Foreign Qualification

If your LLC, corporation, partnership, or nonprofit corporation conducts business activities in more than one state, you might need to form your business in one state and then file for foreign qualification in other states where your business is active.

The state where you form your business will consider your business to be domestic, while every other state will view your business as foreign. Foreign qualification notifies the state that a foreign business is active there.

Foreign qualified businesses typically need to pay taxes and annual report fees in both their state of formation and states where they’re foreign qualified.

To foreign qualify, file a Certificate of Authority with the state. Many states also require a Certificate of Good Standing from your state of formation. Each state charges a filing fee, but the amount varies by state and business structure.

Check with state offices to find out foreign qualification requirements and fees.

State Agencies

If your business is a limited liability company (LLC), corporation, partnership, or nonprofit corporation, you’ll probably need to register with any state where you conduct business activities.

Typically, you’re considered to be conducting business activities in a state when:

  • Your business has a physical presence in the state
  • You often have in-person meetings with clients in the state
  • A significant portion of your company's revenue comes from the state
  • Any of your employees work in the state

Some states allow you to register online, and some states make you file paper documents in person or through the mail. Your State Tax accounts will need to be set up before you can run your first payroll, typically you need to start setting up your account at least one month before you open.

Most states require you to register with the Secretary of State’s office, a Business Bureau, or a Business Agency. In addition to filing with the state you will also need to register with the Department of Revenue for a State Income tax (SIT) ID for your state and set up a State Unemployment Tax Act (SUTA) for an unemployment account.

After you’ve registered with your state and received your employer tax number, you’ll need to start filing returns and pay any required SUTA taxes. Again, the exact filing and payment details will vary state by state, but most states will require you to file a yearly return and make quarterly payments.

If quarterly payments are required, you’ll usually need to make each quarter’s payments by the last day of the month that follows the end of each calendar quarter (but be sure to check with your state to confirm the actual due dates):

Quarter Due Date
Jan 1 - Mar 31 Apr 30
Apr 1 - Jun 30 Jul 31
Jul 1 - Sep 30 Oct 31
Oct 1 - Dec 31 Jan 31

In most states, employers are responsible for paying SUTA tax. However, three states—Alaska, New Jersey and Pennsylvania—require SUTA contributions from both employers and employees.

FUTA tax is a payroll tax levied by the federal government, while SUTA tax is a payroll tax that’s administered by individual states.

Links & Downloads

Donna King
Director Customer Care

Donna is the Director of Customer Care at Myriad, where she leads the Client Project/Success Team to deliver exceptional customer experience for Myriad’s end-users. With a focus on continuous improvement, Donna manages the day-to-day activities of the team, supporting each member’s professional growth while ensuring optimal performance in client interactions and order processing.

In this role, she is responsible for identifying and implementing process improvements to enhance the overall client experience. Collaborating across departments, Donna ensures that policies and practices set forth by the VP of Strategy and Business Development are effectively executed, particularly in customer service and project management.

Donna brings a wealth of experience in client management and team leadership, with a strong commitment to creating a positive, results-driven environment that fosters collaboration and growth for both the team and Myriad’s clients.

An entity name can protect the name of your business at a state level. Depending on your business structure and location, the state may require you to register a legal entity name.