Plan for Louisville, KY
Louisville Business Filing Deadlines & Ongoing Requirements
What a business in Louisville keeps doing after it opens: recurring filings, renewals and the events that trigger new obligations. Change the business details to fit yours.
Your businessThe plan below updates as you change these.
Where Louisville, KY filings and renewals are tracked
City of LouisvilleHas its own business licenses, taxes or permits (listed below).
Jefferson CountyHas its own business licenses, taxes or permits (listed below). Checked 2026-10-16.
Local items to renew or file
- File Louisville Metro occupational license tax net profits return (OL-3) · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (city)
- Register for and withhold Louisville occupational license tax (W-1) · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (city)
- File Jefferson County business personal property return · Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator (county)
- File the Louisville Metro transient room tax return · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (county)
- File the Louisville Metro occupational license tax withholding return (Form W-1) · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (county)
- File the Louisville Metro net profit license tax return (Form OL-3) · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission (county)
File and renew with these Kentucky agencies
- Annual reports: Kentucky Secretary of State
- Tax returns and payments: Kentucky Department of Revenue
- Unemployment insurance filings: Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance
Renewals, filing triggers and recurring deadlines in Louisville
17 items in your plan repeat on a schedule. Each one lists its authority and when it comes due.
Recurring filings and renewals
- File federal income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C · every year · April 15 · IRS
- Deposit federal payroll taxes · every month · 15th day of the following month · IRS
- File Form 941 (Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return) · every quarter · April 30, July 31, October 31, January 31 · IRS
- File Form 940 (Federal Unemployment Tax) · every year · January 31 · IRS
- Issue Forms W-2 and file W-3 · every year · January 31 · IRS / SSA
- File Annual Report (Kentucky) · every year · June 30 · Kentucky Secretary of State
- Register for and file Kentucky entity-level taxes · every year · Kentucky Department of Revenue
- File sales tax returns and remit tax (Kentucky) · every month · Monthly, quarterly or annually as assigned by the state · Kentucky Department of Revenue
- File wage reports and pay unemployment insurance contributions (Kentucky) · every quarter · Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance
- File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Kentucky) · every year · November 1 · Kentucky unclaimed property program
- Obtain food service establishment / health permit · every year · Jefferson County health department (Kentucky)
- City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky · every year · City or county occupational tax office: Louisville / Jefferson County
- File Louisville Metro occupational license tax net profits return (OL-3) · every year · April 15 (calendar-year filers) · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission
- Register for and withhold Louisville occupational license tax (W-1) · every quarter · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission
- File Jefferson County business personal property return · every year · May 15 · Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator
- File the Louisville Metro occupational license tax withholding return (Form W-1) · every quarter · January 31, April 30, July 31 and October 31 · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission
- File the Louisville Metro net profit license tax return (Form OL-3) · every year · April 15 · Louisville Metro Revenue Commission
Filings triggered by an event
- Complete Form I-9 for each new hire: applies when Business has employees
- Report new hires to the Kentucky new hire directory: applies when 3 employees in Kentucky
Find an obligationShowing 29 of 29 obligations
Federal
8
State
13
County
4
City
4
Common questions about Louisville
The state licenses your industry through its own regulator, and the city and county add local permits. These are the authorities and local items on record for Louisville:
- Real estate licensing: Kentucky Real Estate Commission
- Alcohol licensing: Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control
- Child care licensing: Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services
- Health facility licensing: Kentucky Office of Inspector General
- File Louisville Metro occupational license tax net profits return (OL-3) (Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, city)
- Register for and withhold Louisville occupational license tax (W-1) (Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, city)
- File Jefferson County business personal property return (Jefferson County Property Valuation Administrator, county)
- File the Louisville Metro transient room tax return (Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, county)
- File the Louisville Metro occupational license tax withholding return (Form W-1) (Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, county)
- File the Louisville Metro net profit license tax return (Form OL-3) (Louisville Metro Revenue Commission, county)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: Kentucky sales and use tax permit (Kentucky); Obtain food service establishment / health permit; Ensure certified food protection manager on staff; City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Louisville. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: sos.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov, kcc.ky.gov
In your plan for Louisville, requirements come from four levels. Kentucky sets formation, state taxes and employer rules; the city and county add local licenses and taxes.
- Federal (8): Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN); File federal income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C; Deposit federal payroll taxes; File Form 941 (Employer's Quarterly Federal Tax Return)…
- State (13): Maintain a registered agent in Kentucky; File Annual Report (Kentucky); Register for and file Kentucky entity-level taxes; Kentucky sales and use tax permit (Kentucky)…
- County (4): Obtain food service establishment / health permit; File Jefferson County business personal property return; File the Louisville Metro occupational license tax withholding return (Form W-1); File the Louisville Metro net profit license tax return (Form OL-3)
- City (4): City/county occupational license — Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Louisville; File Louisville Metro occupational license tax net profits return (OL-3); Register for and withhold Louisville occupational license tax (W-1)
Sources: sos.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov
- Register for unemployment insurance with Kentucky Office of Unemployment Insurance.
- Workers' compensation: Kentucky Department of Workers' Claims. Required when: 1 employee
- Register to withhold Kentucky income tax from wages.
- Your plan adds these employer steps: Report new hires to the Kentucky new hire directory; Carry workers' compensation insurance (Kentucky); Display required federal labor law posters; Complete Form I-9 for each new hire; Display required Kentucky workplace notices.
Sources: kcc.ky.gov, labor.ky.gov, revenue.ky.gov