Starting a Business in Madison: Licenses, Registrations & Checklist
A step-by-step plan to open a business in Madison: 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 Madison, WI
- Local permits — Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin · City, village or county: Madison / Dane County (city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Madison · Madison (Dane County) building department (city)
- Form the business: Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
- Register for state taxes: Wisconsin Department of Revenue
- Register as an employer: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (UI)
Startup sequence and prerequisites in Madison
Based on your selections, this plan has 10 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 Wisconsin
- File formation documents with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Then, once those are done
- Register for and file Wisconsin entity-level taxes — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Notify residents and regulators of a data breach within 45 days (Wisconsin) — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Local permits — Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Madison — after: Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Known charges: $25.00 per year.
Total incomplete: some fees unknown
9 of 10 steps have no fee amount in our data. The figures above count only the 1 step with a recorded fee. Check each agency's fee schedule.
Common questions about Madison
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 Madison:
- Contractor licensing: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (dwelling contractor qualifier)
- Real estate licensing: Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
- Alcohol licensing: Wisconsin Department of Revenue (with municipal licensing)
- Child care licensing: Wisconsin Department of Children and Families
- Health facility licensing: Wisconsin Department of Health Services
- Local permits — Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin (City, village or county: Madison / Dane County, city)
- Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Madison (Madison (Dane County) building department, city)
With your current selections, the licenses and permits are: Local permits — Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Madison. Change the industry above to see yours.
Sources: cityofmadison.com, dfi.wi.gov, revenue.wi.gov, dwd.wisconsin.gov
Formation comes first; tax, license and employer registrations wait on it. In your plan the first steps are:
- Maintain a registered agent in Wisconsin
- File formation documents with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions
- Obtain an Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Sources: cityofmadison.com, dfi.wi.gov, revenue.wi.gov
Known government fees for your plan: $0.00 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: cityofmadison.com, dfi.wi.gov, revenue.wi.gov
In your plan for Madison, requirements come from four levels. Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin; File Annual Report (Wisconsin); Register for and file Wisconsin entity-level taxes; File the annual unclaimed property holder report (Wisconsin)…
- City (2): Local permits — Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin; Obtain certificate of occupancy for premises in Madison
Sources: cityofmadison.com, dfi.wi.gov, revenue.wi.gov
- Register for unemployment insurance with Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (UI).
- Workers' compensation: Wisconsin DWD Worker's Compensation Division. Required when: 3 employees, or $500 of payroll in a calendar quarter
- Register to withhold Wisconsin income tax from wages.
Sources: dwd.wisconsin.gov, dwd.wisconsin.gov, revenue.wi.gov