California is a large state with a huge economy supported by many diverse types of small business entities, from subcontractors in the film industry to taco trucks. While California encourages small business activity, it requires businesses to legally register. If your business buys from distributors and resells any types of goods, you need to obtain a resale license. Fortunately, California makes it easy to file for your business and get a resale license.
Before you can apply for the resale license, called a seller's permit, make sure you are properly registered to do business in the state of California. This means filing proper business registration paperwork with the California secretary of state's office. Once you have completed the proper filing registration and issued your articles of incorporation or articles of organization, obtain a federal employer identification number.
Advertisement Article continues below this adGo to the IRS website and complete the online form, called Form SS-4. It takes just a few minutes to enter your business information and owner or registered agent contact information into the IRS database. Once verified, you receive a nine-digit tax identification number. This is your federal EIN.