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Think of Mississippi as two separate jobs. One is creating the company, which is the Secretary of State's work. The other is registering to collect tax, which belongs to the Department of Revenue. The pages we read describe the second job in more detail than any license.
Is there a general business license?
We did not find one. Neither the Secretary of State pages nor the Department of Revenue pages we read describe a statewide license that every business must hold. We cannot rule out a rule for your trade, your city or your county, because we did not read those.
The Secretary of State's Y'all Business site points to a step-by-step guide for starting a business. It says the guide has contact information for state, federal and local agencies. Start there if you want the full list for your type of company.
How does tax registration work?
The Department of Revenue says online registration is available for all taxes. You create the account in TAP, the state's tax portal.
For sales tax, the registration page says all in-state businesses with retail sales in Mississippi must register for a sales tax permit and number. After you register online, a packet with your permit and filing information is mailed to you. Out-of-state sellers that operate a business located in Mississippi must register too.
We did not read a permit fee, so we do not quote one. The same Revenue site lists withholding and other business taxes, so check there for the accounts that fit your company.
What does the LLC filing give you?
The Certificate of Formation, form F0100, costs $50. That is the state fee for the filing. Our Mississippi LLC guide has the steps and the registered agent page covers the agent rule.
After that the annual report is due April 15. A domestic LLC pays no fee for it, and a foreign LLC pays $250. All annual reports are filed online.
In what order should you do it?
- Check the name and file the Certificate of Formation. The LLC name search guide helps with the check.
- Get the federal EIN. The EIN guide shows how.
- Register in TAP for the taxes that apply to what you sell or pay.
- Ask your city and county what they require at your address.
- Put April 15 in your calendar for the annual report.
Keep a note of each office you contact, what it said and the date. Different offices own different rules, and one cannot speak for another.
Where does a tax clearance come in?
If an LLC is dissolved for missing its report, reinstatement can pull in the Department of Revenue. The Secretary of State says corporations and certain LLCs seeking reinstatement need a tax clearance letter from that department. Keep your tax accounts current and you avoid that detour.
What about a name you sell under?
The Secretary of State's fee schedule lists a fictitious business name registration at $25. We did not read a county step. To think through whether you need an LLC or just a name, read DBA vs LLC.
Where do you check a license or permit?
We did not read a Mississippi license verification tool. The Secretary of State's site also hosts the Occupational Licensing Review Commission. We did not read what it covers. For other states and methods, use business license lookup and state tax ID lookup.
What this page does not cover
City privilege or occupational fees, county rules, trade boards, alcohol permits and tax rates. Compare neighbours if you work across the border: Tennessee, Alabama and Louisiana.