Starting a Business in Charleston: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist
A step-by-step plan to open a business in Charleston: what to file first, what depends on what, and which permits come before opening day. Change the business details to fit yours.
Permits and registrations specific to Charleston, WV
- Municipal business and occupation (B&O) tax — Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia · City: Charleston / Kanawha County (city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Charleston · Charleston (Kanawha County) building department (city)
- Complete the City of Charleston business registration application · City of Charleston Office of the City Collector (city)
- File and pay the City of Charleston Business and Occupation tax · City of Charleston Office of the City Collector (city)
- Remit the Charleston City Service Fee withheld from employees · City of Charleston Office of the City Collector (city)
- Form the business: West Virginia Secretary of State
- Register for state taxes: West Virginia State Tax Department
- Register as an employer: WorkForce West Virginia
Startup sequence and prerequisites in Charleston
Based on your selections, this plan has 13 steps. What you file first decides what you can do next: later registrations and licenses wait on the ones below.
Do these first
- Maintain a registered agent in West Virginia
- File formation documents with the West Virginia Secretary of State
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Then, once those are done
- Register for and file West Virginia entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Complete the City of Charleston business registration application — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- West Virginia business registration certificate — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Municipal business and occupation (B&O) tax — Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Charleston — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Known charges: $30.00 one-time and $25.00 per year.
Total incomplete: some fees unknown
11 of 13 steps have no fee amount in our data. The figures above count only the 2 steps with a recorded fee. Check each agency's fee schedule.
Common questions about Charleston
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 Charleston:
- Contractor licensing: West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board
- Real estate licensing: West Virginia Real Estate Commission
- Alcohol licensing: West Virginia Alcohol Beverage Control Administration
- Child care licensing: West Virginia Department of Health
- Health facility licensing: West Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Facility Licensure and Certification
- Municipal business and occupation (B&O) tax — Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia (City: Charleston / Kanawha County, city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Charleston (Charleston (Kanawha County) building department, city)
- Complete the City of Charleston business registration application (City of Charleston Office of the City Collector, city)
- File and pay the City of Charleston Business and Occupation tax (City of Charleston Office of the City Collector, city)
- Remit the Charleston City Service Fee withheld from employees (City of Charleston Office of the City Collector, city)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: West Virginia business registration certificate; Municipal business and occupation (B&O) tax — Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Charleston. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: sos.wv.gov, tax.wv.gov, workforcewv.org
Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:
- Maintain a registered agent in West Virginia
- File formation documents with the West Virginia Secretary of State
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Sources: sos.wv.gov, tax.wv.gov
Known government fees for your plan: $30.00 one-time and $25.00 per year.
Steps without a recorded fee are not counted, so check each agency's fee schedule before you budget.
Sources: sos.wv.gov, tax.wv.gov
In your plan for Charleston, requirements come from four levels. West Virginia 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 (5): Maintain a registered agent in West Virginia; File Annual Report (West Virginia); Register for and file West Virginia entity-level taxes; West Virginia business registration certificate…
- City (5): Municipal business and occupation (B&O) tax — Charleston, Kanawha County, West Virginia; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Charleston; Complete the City of Charleston business registration application; File and pay the City of Charleston Business and Occupation tax; Remit the Charleston City Service Fee withheld from employees
Sources: sos.wv.gov, tax.wv.gov
- Register for unemployment insurance with WorkForce West Virginia.
- Workers' compensation: West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner. Required when: 1 employee
- Register to withhold West Virginia income tax from wages.
Sources: workforcewv.org, labor.wv.gov, tax.wv.gov