Almost every business operating in the United States of America is required to maintain multiple business licenses,
permits, and tax registrations with the government. That’s a tall order when you consider that there are 55 states and
territories, over 3,000 counties and parishes, approximately 36,000 municipalities, and over 35,000 special purpose
districts that overlay these governmental authorities. Every one of these entities has the authority to require a license,
permit, or registration. They often do. Consequently, a comprehensive business license portfolio often includes 4
separate authorizations for the most basic business activity and a multiple of that for highly regulated activities. This is a substantial headache for any firm. The South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, for example, estimates that it takes 47 hours to fill out the state’s paperwork for a new business. But it gets even worse. 65% of license, permit, and tax registration data change each year, ranging from minor modifications of forms or revisions of fee schedules to major changes in the law.

No doubt this predicament is already provoking some pesky questions (and a little heartburn). Here at Business
Licenses, LLC, we do business license compliance all day long for high-tech, low-tech, and no-tech companies.
To help you cut through the red tape inherent in business license compliance, we’ve gathered together the most
frequently asked questions by tax, legal, and compliance departments.