All Businesses need a(n) , Chicago business tax id registration (business license).
All Businesses that use a business name to trade that is other than the surname and first name of a sole proprietor or a fictitious business name other than the LLC or Corporation legal name need a(n) Cook County DBA ( doing business as ) fictitious business name.
You may also need a resale license if you selling touchable items. (A.K.A IL seller's permit, state id, wholesale, resale, reseller certificate).
In addition you will need a federal and a state EIN if you will hire employees. I.e., a IL Federal Tax Id Number and a(n) IL State Employer Tax Number
Instead of filing an Assumed Trade Firm business name ("DBA" Doing Business As) in Chicago, set up a coporation in IL or set up a(n) IL LLC
Here's How to Get Your IL Seller's Permit and Other permits and Registrations You May Need.
IL Seller's Permit, LLC, DBA, Licenses & Tax IDs Requirements:
Tangible personal property sold at retail over the internet is taxed in the same manner as any other retail sale. Generally, if the item of tangible personal property is purchased from an
Quarter-monthly payments — If a retailer or service-person’s average monthly liability is $20,000 or more, quarter-monthly payments must be made. Payments are due the 7th, 15th, 22nd, and last day of the month. Because the statutory threshold for mandated electronic funds transfer (EFT) program participation is $20,000 annual liability, most taxpayers will remit their quarter-monthly payments by EFT. Taxpayers who mail their quarter-monthly remittances to the department, Sales and Use Tax Quarter-monthly Payment.
Illinois Illinois' sales and use tax scheme includes four major divisions: Retailers' Occupation Tax, Use Tax, Service Occupation Tax and the Service Use Tax.
Each of these taxes is administered by the Illinois Department of Revenue. The Retailers' Occupation Tax is imposed upon persons engaged in the business of selling tangible personal property to purchasers for use or consumption. It is measured by the gross receipts of the retailer. The base rate of 6.25% is broken down as follows: 5% State, 1% City, 0.25% County. Local governments may impose additional tax resulting in a combined rate that ranges from the State minimum of 6.25% to 9.00% as of May 2013.
The Service Use Tax is imposed upon the privilege of using or consuming tangible personal property transferred as an incident to the provision of a service. An example would be a printer of business cards. The printer owes Service Occupation Tax on the value of the paper and ink transferred to the customer in the form of printed business cards. The serviceperson may satisfy this tax by paying Use Tax to his supplier of paper and ink or, alternatively, may charge Service Use Tax to the purchaser of the business cards and remit the amount collected as Service Occupation Tax on the serviceperson's tax return. The service itself, however, is not subject to tax.
Chicago charges a 2.25% food tax on regular groceries and drug purchases, and has an additional 3% soft drink tax (totaling 13.25%). An additional 1% is charged for prepared food and beverage purchases in the Loop and nearby neighborhoods (the area roughly bordered by Diversey Parkway, Ashland Avenue, the Stevenson Expressway, and Lake Michigan). Illinois requires residents who make purchases online or when traveling out-of-state to report those purchases on their state income tax form and pay use tax. In 2014, Illinois passed legislation which required Sales Tax (get Seller's Permit) to be collected by "catalog, mail-order and similar retailers along with online sellers... if they have sales of $10,000 or more in the prior year." Although the law went into effect January 1, 2015, retailers were given an additional month to comply with the legislation.[96]
First decide on a business structure Online Store as a Sole Proprietor, LLC/Corp, or Partnership.
✔ Step 2 All Online Store Businesses need a , Business tax registration also called an occupation business License ✔ Step 3 Selling/Leasing or if wanting to buy or sell Online Store merchandise, food, equipment requires a Seller's Permit. ✔ Step 4 All Online Store Businesses Using a DBA doing business as name need a DBA Fictitious Business Name ✔ Step 5 Hiring Online Store Workers Requires a Federal EIN and a State Tax Number EIN
Selling/Leasing or if wanting to buy or sell Online Store merchandise, food, equipment requires a Seller's Permit.
All Online Store Businesses Using a DBA doing business as name need a DBA Fictitious Business Name
Hiring Online Store Workers Requires a Federal EIN and a State Tax Number EIN
As of 10/13/2025 3:44:40 PM, you can obtain your Chicago seller's permit here at $39 plus any tax you may have to pay in advance. To set up your reseller license is inexpensive but starting your business may cost you about (figures vary depending on area and type of business ) $6222.72 or $6660601.66 depending on your start up money. Getting a license in CHICAGO COOK Chicago, 60601 You will have many potential clients in this city. In fact, as much as 5591 but about 4147 are families in this area in IL. In addition, getting a 312/773 cell phone area code may help increase the idea that you operate from the city because you can text your clients as a local vendor (remember, everyone is texting these days). You can lease a space to operate your business from but if buying a house, the prices are (about $ 60601 267100 avergage value) , which you can use as a home operated business as well.
Your actual location in Chicago will be your business address. E.g., your business location could be 6596 Chicago Road/Avenue or 66TH Way/Ct or Chicago, IL . Operating from a 60601 P.O. Box location purported as your business mailing address. E.g. P.O Box 43066 Chicago,IL 60601 . However this turns out, in 946 considering demographics is intelligent. For example,
before iinvesting in getting a wholesale license there, there are about 4180, Whites, 314 Hispanics, and 622 Blacks in the 60601 area. Another important consideration is that of the residents' income in the wingspan of your business location. Each family here earns about $77374 per household and has about 2.72 residents per family. However, is the weather nice? Consider that the altitude is 596 feet, and you getting a seller's license in 6 time zone.