Registering a Tax ID Number in Missouri
After you form your business with the Missouri Corporations Division, chances are you’ll need a Missouri Tax ID. Here’s what you need to know:
What is a Missouri Tax ID?
Similar to a Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN or EIN), a Missouri tax ID number registers your company with the Missouri Department of Revenue. Registering at the state level ensures your company pays taxes owed to the state, in addition to taxes paid at the federal level through the IRS.
Do I need a Missouri Tax ID?
If you sell goods, provide a service, pay employees, or own a corporation, you must register your business with the Missouri Department of Revenue. (Almost all businesses in Missouri must register with the Department of Revenue.) More specifically, obtaining a tax ID is required for paying:
- Retail Sales Tax
- Vendors Use Tax
- Consumers Use Tax
- Employer Withholding Tax
- Corporate Income Tax
- Corporation Franchise Tax
In some instances, a business might not be required to register for a state tax ID. (If you run a wholesale business and have a Missouri Sales/Use Tax Exemption Certificate, for example.) However, such instances are few and far between.
How do I get a Missouri Tax ID?
You can register your business with the Missouri Department of Revenue through the state’s Online New Business Registration. Or, you can complete the Missouri Tax Registration Application (Form 2643) on paper and send it via mail to:
Missouri Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 357
Jefferson City, MO 65105-0357
What do I need to complete Form 2643?
You’ll need to have the following information handy when filling out Missouri’s tax registration application:
- Personal information for each owner, officer, partner or member (including SSNs, addresses and birth dates)
- Physical address and mailing address for your business
- Your company’s FEIN (aka EIN)
- Estimated monthly sales
- Estimated monthly wages paid
- Charter number (Missouri Corporation) or certificate of authority number (Missouri LLC) from the MO Secretary of State
- Previous business owner’s name and address (if applicable)
- Power of Attorney Form (if application is being handled by someone other than those listed)
Do I have to post a bond to get a MO tax ID?
Probably not. Missouri used to require bonds of all businesses responsible for sales or vendors use tax. As of 2018, however, bonds are only required of some transient employers, aka employers based in another state that sometimes do business in Missouri. (See: Mo. Rev. Stat. § 285.230.) Otherwise, the MO Department of Revenue may only require a bond for your business if your business is delinquent.
If you still have questions about your company’s taxes, you may want to reach out to a CPA. Or, you can reach out to the MO Department of Revenue directly with questions about specific tax types:
- Corporate Income Tax: [email protected]
- Sales or Use Tax: [email protected]
- Withholding Tax: [email protected]
- Business Tax Registration: [email protected]
