Starting a Business Checklist

A lot of thinking and planning goes into starting a business. Make sure you’re ready to meet your North Carolina tax obligations from the beginning so you can spend more time running your business.

The following checklist is a guide to the steps you need to take to comply with North Carolina tax laws when opening a new business in the Tar Heel state. It is for your convenience and should not be interpreted as specific tax advice. You should review the information carefully and contact the appropriate agency if you have any questions about how each of these steps applies to your business.

N.C. Department of Revenue

• Register for Sales, Use and/or Withholding Tax
• Filing and Paying Sales and Use Tax
• Industry-Specific and Other Taxes
• Filing and Paying Withholding Taxes on Employees
• Withholding Forms
• Privilege License Tax
• Gross Receipts Tax
• Personal Tax Information
  Depending on how you manage your business, you may need to report your business tax information on your personal income tax return.

Other Agencies

• Internal Revenue Service
• Employment Security Commission
• Secretary Of State
• Social Security Administration

Local Government Requirements: check with your local government agencies to find out about the following:

• Local Business License Requirements
• Register Of Deeds, t o list your company name in your county
• County Revenue Department, to find out about local property, occupancy or other taxes

You also may want to look at the The N.C. Department of Commerce’s comprehensive guide to starting a business in North Carolina.