Starting a Business in Allentown: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist

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 Allentown:

• Contractor licensing: Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General (home improvement contractor registration)
• Real estate licensing: Pennsylvania State Real Estate Commission
• Alcohol licensing: Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board
• Child care licensing: Pennsylvania DHS, Office of Child Development and Early Learning
• Health facility licensing: Pennsylvania Department of Health
• Local earned income tax and business privilege registration — Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania (Municipality / tax collector (Philadelphia: Commercial Activity License): Allentown / Lehigh County, city)
• Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Allentown (Allentown (Lehigh County) building department, city)
• Hold an Allentown business license (City of Allentown Bureau of Revenue and Audit, city)
• File Allentown business privilege tax (City of Allentown Bureau of Revenue and Audit, city)

With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: Local earned income tax and business privilege registration — Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Allentown; Hold an Allentown business license. Change the industry above to see yours.

Sources: dos.pa.gov, revenue.pa.gov, uc.pa.gov

Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:

1. Maintain a registered agent in Pennsylvania
2. File formation documents with the Pennsylvania Department of State, Bureau of Corporations
3. Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

Sources: dos.pa.gov, revenue.pa.gov

Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 one-time and $7.00 per year.

Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.

Sources: dos.pa.gov, revenue.pa.gov

In your plan for Allentown, requirements come from four levels. Pennsylvania sets formation, state taxes and employer rules; the city and county add local licenses and taxes.

• Federal (2): Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN); File federal income tax return: Form 1040 with Schedule C
• State (4): Maintain a registered agent in Pennsylvania; File Annual Report (Pennsylvania); Register for and file Pennsylvania entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Pennsylvania)
• City (4): Local earned income tax and business privilege registration — Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Allentown; Hold an Allentown business license; File Allentown business privilege tax

Sources: dos.pa.gov, revenue.pa.gov

• Register for unemployment insurance with Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (UC).
• Workers' compensation: Pennsylvania Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Required when: 1 employee
• Register to withhold Pennsylvania income tax from wages.

Sources: uc.pa.gov, pa.gov, pa.gov