Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Meridian, ID

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Idaho State Tax Commission — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Idaho. Idaho charges a 6% state sales tax. Some cities have local option taxes. Register with the Idaho State Tax Commission online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online via TAP)

   Free

   Immediate (online via TAP)

2. Idaho Workers' Compensation Insurance

   Idaho's Workers' Compensation Law (Idaho Code Title 72) requires nearly every employer with one or more employees — full-time, part-time, seasonal, or casual — to carry workers' compensation coverage, and the Industrial Commission's Employer Compliance Division enforces it. For a cleaning service this matters more than most: crews work in clients' homes and businesses and injury exposure is real. A sole proprietor with no employees is generally exempt under the Idaho Code 72-212 exclusions, but hiring even one helper triggers the requirement, and misclassifying a worker as an independent contractor does not avoid it. Coverage can be bought from a private carrier or the Idaho State Insurance Fund.

   Official government source

   Varies with payroll and classification code — commonly $500–$2,000 a year for a small cleaning crew. Rates for janitorial classifications run higher than office work.·A policy can usually be bound within a week; coverage must be in place before the first employee starts.

   Varies with payroll and classification code — commonly $500–$2,000 a year for a small cleaning crew. Rates for janitorial classifications run higher than office work.

   A policy can usually be bound within a week; coverage must be in place before the first employee starts.

1. City of Meridian — No General Business License

   Meridian does not require a general business license, and there is no annual renewal or display requirement. A new business moving into a commercial space typically needs a Certificate of Zoning Compliance and a Certificate of Occupancy from Community Development before opening. Only specific activities need a license or permit from the City Clerk's Office: alcohol licenses and catering permits, mobile sales units, temporary use permits, vehicle immobilization, fireworks, pawnbroker and precious metal dealer licenses, and dog licensing. Most businesses need none of these.

   Official government source

   $0 for most businesses — no general license exists; specific activity licenses have their own fees·N/A — no general business license to apply for

   $0 for most businesses — no general license exists; specific activity licenses have their own fees

   N/A — no general business license to apply for

2. Meridian Home Occupation and Idaho Assumed Business Name

   Two separate filings. If you run a cleaning service from a Meridian residence, file an Accessory Use — Home Occupation application with the city's Planning Division through the Citizen Access portal (recorded warranty deed or Affidavit of Legal Interest, plus a dimensioned site plan). If you trade under a name other than your own or your entity's registered name, file a Certificate of Assumed Business Name with the Idaho Secretary of State — this is a statewide filing; Ada County Clerk does not accept DBA filings.

   Official government source

   $53 for the Meridian Home Occupation accessory use application; $25 for the Idaho Assumed Business Name filed online through SOSBiz ($45 by paper, including the $20 manual processing fee).·The SOS filing is effective immediately online; the Meridian home occupation is an administrative review of about two weeks.

   $53 for the Meridian Home Occupation accessory use application; $25 for the Idaho Assumed Business Name filed online through SOSBiz ($45 by paper, including the $20 manual processing fee).

   The SOS filing is effective immediately online; the Meridian home occupation is an administrative review of about two weeks.

Official Sources

• City of Meridian Development Services
• Idaho State Tax Commission — Sales Tax Permit

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