I'm starting a business

The setup order matters: form the legal entity first, then get your EIN, then register for taxes and licenses. Doing it out of order means redoing paperwork.

1. Step 1

   1. Register your business entity with your state

   30–60 min

   LLC, corporation, or sole prop / DBA. Done with the Secretary of State or equivalent.

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2. Step 2

   2. Get your federal EIN from the IRS

   10 min online

3. Step 3

   3. Register for state taxes

   20–40 min

4. Step 4

   4. Get a local business license

   30 min

5. If applicable

   5. File a DBA / fictitious name

   20 min