Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Las Cruces, NM

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. New Mexico Taxation and Revenue — Gross Receipts Tax Registration

   New Mexico levies a GROSS RECEIPTS TAX (GRT) rather than a conventional sales tax, and it applies to goods AND most services performed in New Mexico. Register (free) with the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department for a Business Tax Identification Number. The state GRT rate is 4.875% (since July 1, 2023); combined state + local rates range from about 5.125% to just over 9% depending on your location code — use the department's official rate map.

   Official government source

   Free (no registration fee)·Immediate (online via Taxpayer Access Point)

   Free (no registration fee)

   Immediate (online via Taxpayer Access Point)

2. New Mexico Workers' Compensation Insurance

   New Mexico requires workers'-compensation coverage once a business has THREE or more employees (construction businesses: any number; owners working in the business count toward the three). Coverage is purchased from private carriers and administered by the New Mexico Workers' Compensation Administration. With no employees you are generally exempt — revisit immediately upon hiring.

   Official government source

   Varies (typically $500–$2,000/year depending on payroll)·Immediate to 1 week

   Varies (typically $500–$2,000/year depending on payroll)

   Immediate to 1 week

1. City of Las Cruces — Business Registration

   Las Cruces requires an annual business registration for any business with a physical location in city limits, including home-based businesses. Apply through the city's online Citizen Portal; an NM CRS/Business Tax ID number is required first. The registration must be renewed annually.

   Official government source

   $35/year ($20/year for nonprofits)·1–3 weeks

   $35/year ($20/year for nonprofits)

   1–3 weeks

2. Las Cruces Home Occupation Business Registration (no DBA registration in New Mexico)

   If operating a cleaning service from your home in Las Cruces, register the business under the Home Occupation category of the city's annual business registration, via the city's online Citizen Portal (an NM CRS/Business Tax ID is required first). New Mexico has no DBA (fictitious business name) registration: the Secretary of State does not accept trade-name filings and the Doña Ana County Clerk lists no fictitious-name filing — you may operate under a trade name without registering it.

   Official government source

   $35/year (city business registration; $20/year for nonprofits)·1–2 weeks

   $35/year (city business registration; $20/year for nonprofits)

   1–2 weeks

Official Sources

• City of Las Cruces Development Services
• New Mexico Taxation and Revenue — Gross Receipts Tax Registration

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