Landscaping Business Permit Requirements in Madison, WI

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. Wisconsin Department of Revenue - Seller's Permit

   Required of every individual, partnership, corporation or other organization with a Wisconsin sales location making retail sales of taxable products or taxable services, with limited exceptions for wholesalers, manufacturers and certain marketplace sellers. The permit is issued through Business Tax Registration, which also covers withholding and use tax accounts. Rates: 5% state; seventy counties add 0.5%; Milwaukee County is 0.9% and the City of Milwaukee adds 2%, both effective January 1, 2024, so the rate inside Milwaukee is 7.9% - the only Wisconsin city with a municipal sales tax.

   Official government source

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration fee, then $10 to renew every two years - it is not free. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit. DOR can additionally require a security deposit of up to $15,000 in some cases, returned after 24 consecutive months of compliance.·Register online through My Tax Account. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time - contact [email protected] or 608-266-2776 to check status.

   $20 one-time Business Tax Registration fee, then $10 to renew every two years - it is not free. The $20 is the same regardless of how many locations need a seller's permit. DOR can additionally require a security deposit of up to $15,000 in some cases, returned after 24 consecutive months of compliance.

   Register online through My Tax Account. DOR does not publish a guaranteed processing time - contact [email protected] or 608-266-2776 to check status.

2. Wisconsin Pesticide Applicator License

   If you apply pesticides or herbicides as part of landscaping services in Wisconsin you must be certified and licensed through the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Pass the commercial applicator certification exam for each category you work in, then hold an Individual Commercial Applicator License (ICAL). If you run the application business yourself rather than working for someone else's licensed business, the company also needs a Pesticide Business License.

   Official government source

   $45.00 per year for the Individual Commercial Applicator License ($40 base fee plus a $5 ACCP surcharge). The certification exam is free on paper at proctored locations or $45.00 computer-based through Pearson VUE. Pesticide Business License: $80.00 per year non-bulk, $92.50 per year if you handle bulk pesticide.·Not published - licenses run January 1 to December 31 and are renewed annually; certification itself is valid for five years.

   $45.00 per year for the Individual Commercial Applicator License ($40 base fee plus a $5 ACCP surcharge). The certification exam is free on paper at proctored locations or $45.00 computer-based through Pearson VUE. Pesticide Business License: $80.00 per year non-bulk, $92.50 per year if you handle bulk pesticide.

   Not published - licenses run January 1 to December 31 and are renewed annually; certification itself is valid for five years.

1. City of Madison - No General Business License

   The City of Madison does not have a general/generic business license. Per the city's own guidance: "The City of Madison does not have a generic business license. Most licenses issued by the Clerk's Office are for things that need to be inspected" (e.g. restaurants, pools, hotels). There is no general or blanket business license and no annual renewal or display requirement for most business types. The Clerk's Office licenses only specific regulated activities - alcohol, tobacco and vaping, adult entertainment, secondhand dealers, transportation and tattooing among them. A Certificate of Occupancy from the Building Inspection Division is still required for a commercial space.

   Official government source

   $0 - Madison has no general or blanket business license. Fees apply only to the specific regulated activities the Clerk's Office licenses. If you are taking a commercial space, the Certificate of Occupancy is $10.00 first certificate, $150.00 each additional, or $75.00 for a zoning change of use or occupancy (City of Madison Building Inspection fee schedule).·Not applicable - there is no general city license to apply for.

   $0 - Madison has no general or blanket business license. Fees apply only to the specific regulated activities the Clerk's Office licenses. If you are taking a commercial space, the Certificate of Occupancy is $10.00 first certificate, $150.00 each additional, or $75.00 for a zoning change of use or occupancy (City of Madison Building Inspection fee schedule).

   Not applicable - there is no general city license to apply for.

2. Madison - No Landscaping Contractor Registration

   Neither the City of Madison nor Dane County registers landscaping contractors. Landscaping is not on the City Clerk's list of licensed business activities, and Dane County Zoning's permit types (zoning, conditional use, shoreland and wetland, sign, floodplain) include no contractor registration. Permits attach to the work rather than the trade: irrigation tied into a building's plumbing needs a City of Madison plumbing permit, and grading or land-disturbing work may need an erosion control or zoning permit.

   Official government source

   $0 - no landscaping contractor registration exists. Where a permit does apply, City of Madison plumbing work is $8.00 per new or altered fixture with a $25.00 minimum fee (Building Inspection fee schedule).·Not applicable - there is no registration to apply for.

   $0 - no landscaping contractor registration exists. Where a permit does apply, City of Madison plumbing work is $8.00 per new or altered fixture with a $25.00 minimum fee (Building Inspection fee schedule).

   Not applicable - there is no registration to apply for.

Official Sources

• City of Madison Department of Planning and Community and Economic Development
• Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Seller's Permit

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