Starting a Business

Virginia business entity checklist:

•    Choose the proper business entity for your situation.
•    Register with State Corporation Commission.
•    Obtain Federal Employment Identification Number.
•    Determine liability for Virginia Unemployment Tax
•    Register with Virginia Department of Taxation
•    Satisfy local licensing requirements
•    Contact appropriate State agencies with oversight of industry

Register with the State Corporation Commission

For more information on registering with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, see the Business Registration Guide available at http://www.scc.virginia.gov/clk/files/brg.pdf.

• Election by a Small Business Corporation (Form 2553)
• Statement of Partnership Authority (Form UPA-93)
• Certificate of Limited Partnership (Form LPA-73.11)
• Application For Registration of Foreign Limited Partnership (Form LPA-73.54)
• Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC 619)
• Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC 819)
• Articles of Incorporation (Form SCC 544)
• Certificate of Authority to Transact Business in Virginia (Form SCC 759/921)
• Articles of Organization (Form LLC-1011)
• Articles of Organization for a Professional Limited Liability
• Company (Form LLC-1103)
• Application for Registration as a Foreign Limited Liability Company (Form LLC-1052)
• Articles of Trust (Form BTA-1212)

Tax Forms

Federal Employer Identification Number

• Online form: https://sa1.www4.irs.gov/modiein/individual/index.jsp
• Paper form: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss4.pdf

Virginia Department of Taxation Forms

• http://www.tax.virginia.gov/site.cfm?alias=busforms

Virginia Employment Commission Account Number

• http://www.vec.virginia.gov/vecportal/employer/pdf/fc_27new.pdf

Virginia Tax Business Registration

• http://www.tax.virginia.gov/taxforms/Business/Registration/R-1.pdf

Business Licenses

Please contact your local county office.