How to start a business in Georgia

What do you file before you open in Georgia?

1. Pick a structure

   Most owners choose an LLC or a corporation; the S corp or C corp tax choice comes later. See Georgia LLC guide, Georgia corporation guide, S corp or C corp in Georgia. By trade: cleaning business, handyman.

2. Check and register the name

   Search the Secretary of State records before you pick a name: state name search. Georgia trade names, also called DBAs, are filed with the Clerk of the Superior Court in the county where the business is located. The filing fee varies by county, and trade names do not need to be renewed. ¹ See Georgia name search guide.

3. File with the state

   Georgia charges the state filing fee once: an LLC costs $100 ² and a corporation's articles of incorporation cost $100 ³. See LLC cost.

4. Name a registered agent

   Georgia requires a registered office at a street address in the state, and a post office box is not sufficient. ⁴ Our registered agent service runs through our partner Registered Agents Inc (RAI), the registered agent of record. See Georgia registered agent rules.

Which accounts do you open after you file in Georgia?

1. Get an EIN

   An EIN is the business's federal tax ID. The IRS issues it online, for free, and warns about websites that charge for one. ⁵

2. Open your state tax accounts

   Georgia businesses register for state tax accounts with the Georgia Department of Revenue online through the Georgia Tax Center, a secure self-service portal. ⁶ See Sales tax permit.

3. Register as an employer

   Many Georgia businesses owe unemployment insurance taxes to the Georgia Department of Labor even before they have employees, and a new business registers online to receive a determination of whether it is liable. ⁷ Georgia employers report all new hires and rehires to the Georgia Department of Human Services within 10 days after the employee is hired, rehired or returns to work. ⁸ The Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation says employers regularly employing three or more persons, part-time or full time, must provide workers' compensation insurance, and exempted corporate officers and limited liability company members still count toward that number. ⁹

What keeps your Georgia business in good standing?

1. Check licenses and permits

   Georgia.gov describes registering with state agencies as one part of starting a business and says some businesses need specialized permits or licenses at various levels of government. ¹⁰

2. Calendar the yearly filings

   Georgia annual registration: $60, due April 1 every year. ¹¹ See Georgia annual report.

3. Use free local help

   Small business advising in Georgia runs through the UGA Small Business Development Center. ¹² Georgia.gov publishes a Starting a Business Guide that walks through registering with the Secretary of State, the Department of Revenue and the Department of Labor. ¹³

What it costs to start a business in Georgia

Do you need a business license in Georgia?

It depends on the trade and the place. The U.S. Small Business Administration says most small businesses need a combination of licenses and permits from federal and state agencies, and that requirements and fees depend on the business activity and the issuing agency. ¹⁵ Georgia's own rule is in step 8. ¹⁰ Where to look up licenses: Starting a Business Guide.

How to register a business name in Georgia

Check that the name is free first: state name search.

Also in Georgia

• New employer unemployment tax rate. A newly liable Georgia employer pays an unemployment insurance tax rate of 2.7% for the first 3 years in business, after which the rate depends on the claims filed against the company. ¹⁶
• Withholding payroll tax number. The Georgia Department of Revenue says any employer with employees who are Georgia residents, meaning people who lived in Georgia for 183 days in the past year or regularly live there, needs a withholding tax number. ¹⁷

More for Georgia

• LLC guide
• Corporation guide
• Georgia LLC cost
• Name search
• Registered agent
• Georgia sales tax permit
• Annual report
• S corp or C corp

Common questions