Cleaning Service Permit Requirements in Milwaukee, 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 Workers' Compensation Insurance

   Wisconsin requires employers to carry workers' compensation insurance once they employ 3 or more employees (full- or part-time), or if they employ fewer than 3 but pay $500 or more in wages in any calendar quarter (Wis. Stat. 102.04). Sole proprietors with no employees are not required to carry it.

   Official government source

   No state fee - coverage is bought from a private insurer, and the premium depends on payroll, job classification codes and experience rating. Get quotes from licensed Wisconsin carriers.·Coverage must be in force once the statutory threshold in Wis. Stat. 102.04 is met; confirm binding timing with your insurer.

   No state fee - coverage is bought from a private insurer, and the premium depends on payroll, job classification codes and experience rating. Get quotes from licensed Wisconsin carriers.

   Coverage must be in force once the statutory threshold in Wis. Stat. 102.04 is met; confirm binding timing with your insurer.

1. No general business license in Milwaukee

   Milwaukee has no general business license. The City Clerk's License Division publishes the complete list of licenses and permits it administers, and every entry is a specific regulated activity (alcohol, cigarette and tobacco, food dealer, massage establishment, secondhand dealer, home improvement contractor, public entertainment premises, snow plowing, weights and measures and the like). The Department of City Development does not issue business licenses at all. What most businesses actually need from the City is a Certificate of Occupancy from the Department of Neighborhood Services before opening a commercial space, plus any specific license that matches their activity.

   Official government source

   $0 for a general license (none exists). Certificate of Occupancy fee varies by proposed use, size of space and how long it was vacant, plus a $6 processing fee and a 1.6% IT and Training surcharge.·Not applicable for a general license.

   $0 for a general license (none exists). Certificate of Occupancy fee varies by proposed use, size of space and how long it was vacant, plus a $6 processing fee and a 1.6% IT and Training surcharge.

   Not applicable for a general license.

2. Milwaukee - Home Occupation Zoning and Trade Name

   If you run a cleaning service from your home in Milwaukee there is no home occupation permit to obtain - the zoning code regulates a home occupation as an accessory use under Milwaukee Code of Ordinances s. 295-503 (no exterior signage, no outdoor storage, no employees at the residence). On trade names, Wisconsin has no general DBA requirement: Wis. Stat. 134.17 requires recording a verified statement with the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds - not the County Clerk - only when the assumed name purports to be corporate and is used to obtain credit.

   Official government source

   $0 - Milwaukee issues no home occupation permit, and no DBA filing or fee applies in the ordinary case. If the narrow Wis. Stat. 134.17 case applies, the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds charges the standard recording fee set by Wis. Stat. 59.43(2)(ag).·Not applicable - there is no home occupation permit and no DBA filing in the ordinary case.

   $0 - Milwaukee issues no home occupation permit, and no DBA filing or fee applies in the ordinary case. If the narrow Wis. Stat. 134.17 case applies, the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds charges the standard recording fee set by Wis. Stat. 59.43(2)(ag).

   Not applicable - there is no home occupation permit and no DBA filing in the ordinary case.

Official Sources

• City of Milwaukee Department of City Development
• Wisconsin Department of Revenue — Seller's Permit

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