Starting a Business in Colorado

Check business name availability with Colorado Department of State Start by doing a search to see if your business name is available: https://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/BusinessEntityCriteriaExt.do?quitButtonFlg=Y One of the following terms or abbreviations is required to be included in the entity name: “Limited Liability Company” “Ltd. Liability Company” “Limited Liability Co.” “Limited” “L.L.C.” “LLC” “Ltd.” Colorado Department of State1700 BroadwayColorado Department of State Denver, CO 80290 P: (303) 894-2200 business@sos.state.co.us
File paperwork to form my business All Colorado Secretary of State business filings are done online. So you just go to the website to form your Colorado corporation or LLC. The filing fee is $50 and your business is formed instantly. You can choose from a list of online filings: http://www.sos.state.co.us/biz/FileDoc.do. All things being equal, Colorado is one of the simplest and fastest state in which to form a business entity. After you complete the filing, you’ll be given confirmation instantly. All you need to complete the filing is the following information: -Business name -Principle addresses -Registered agent name and address -Name and contact info of filer -Entity structure -Authorized shares (corporations only) You can incorporate in Colorado with Northwest Registered Agent if you don’t want to do the filing yourself. Business Organizations Colorado Department of State Business Organizations 1700 Broadway Denver, CO 80290 P: (303) 894-2200 business@sos.state.co.us
Register with the Department of Revenue You will need to register with the Department of Revenue. If you have employees, you will also need to register with the Department of Labor and Employment.You can use Colorado Business Express to apply for a sales tax account, wage withholding account, and an unemployment insurance account. https://www.colorado.gov/apps/jboss/cbe/ Income Tax: The Colorado corporate tax rate is 4.63% The personal tax rate is 4.6% Sales Tax: The state sales tax rate is only 2.9% but many localities have high sales tax rates on top of the state sales tax. Colorado Department of Revenue Colorado Department of Revenue 1375 Sherman St. Denver, CO 80261 P:(303) 238-7378
Get a business license Colorado doesn’t have a statewide business license, but some businesses need a city, county, or professional license. The Department of Regulatory Agencies oversees trade/occupational licensing, but your license is issued by the board that regulates your profession, such as the Board of Accountancy. The DORA website links to most professional licensing boards http://cdn.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DORA/CBON/DORA/1251628238000. Any other registration requirements? Check with your local government to see if you need city/county licenses or permits. The City and County of Denver Denver does not require every business to have a license. Only certain types of businesses need a license. Click on the type of business activity to see specific requirements for that license. http://www.denvergov.org/businesslicensing/DenverBusinessLicensingCenter/BusinessLicenses/tabid/441589/Default.aspx Denver Contractors – If you need a license, work with Community Planning & Development and the State of Colorado. El Paso County El Paso County doesn’t have a business license requirement. You will still want to make sure you have your other permits, etc. For example, medical marijuana dispensaries need to be licensed. Also, be sure to check with the city where your business is located for city licensing requirements. City of Colorado Springs Colorado Springs only licenses certain types of businesses. They have a different application form for each business license. You can see a list of businesses and their applications at http://www.springsgov.com/license License Contact Info Professional Licensing Department of Regulatory Agencies 1560 Broadway, Suite 110 Denver CO, 80202 P: (303) 894-7855 The City and County of Denver Department of Excise and Licenses Wellington Webb Building 201 West Colfax Ave., Room 2.H.9, Dept. 206 Denver, Colorado 80202 P: (720) 913-1311 City of Colorado Springs City Clerks’ Office PO Box 1575, Mail Code 110 30 S Nevada Ave, Suite 101 Colorado Springs, CO 80903 P: (719) 385-5901
Collect and Charge Sales Tax Do I need to collect Colorado sales tax? If your business will sell, rent or lease tangible personal property, you must get a sales tax license. What is the Colorado sales tax rate? The state sales tax rate is only 2.9% but many cities and counties have sales tax in addition to the state tax. How do I register for Colorado sales tax? You can use Colorado Business Express to apply for a sales tax and other taxes https://www.colorado.gov/apps/jboss/cbe From the website you can choose to file online or file manually. If you choose to file manually, you can download the application and mail or deliver it to the Department of Revenue. If you register online, you will receive your license in 2-3 weeks. If you mail your application, processing will take 4-6 weeks. How much does a Colorado sales tax license cost? The sales tax license fee varies based on the date of your business’s first sales. The fee ranges from $4-$16. A $50 deposit is required on a retail sales tax licenses only. Colorado Department of Revenue Colorado Department of Revenue 1375 Sherman St. Denver, CO 80261 (303) 238-7378 http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/Revenue/REVX/1176842266427