Start a businesson lytebuy.
Set up your shop, add your products, and get approved. Most people are done in half an hour.
Quick Start
Set up a business in a few steps
Lytebuy makes it easy to start selling:
- Create a vendor account on Lytebuy.
- Add your products - physical goods, redeemable vouchers, or digital downloads.
- Add your details to your Lytebuy storefront.
- Submit your shop, and we check you are a real business.
You can set your account up today and sort the paperwork out after. If you are selling under your own name, there may be no formation paperwork at all - see below.
Start sellingA name and a way to be paid
Your own name works. A bank account and a phone are enough to get set up and approved.
Add photos and Videos
Make your products look good, I can't stress this enough. Go the extra mile to present well.
A seller's permit, usually
If you sell taxable goods, most states want you registered with their revenue department. It is free in most states and quick.
An EIN, only sometimes
Optional for a sole proprietor - your SSN works. You need one if you form an LLC, hire anyone, or would rather not give out your SSN.
Setting up your shop
Five steps to your storefront
You can do all of this on your phone, standing behind your own counter.
Fill out the form
About 10 minutesYour business name, what you sell, where you are, and how to reach you.
If you do not have your EIN yet, keep going. You can fill in everything else and add it before you submit for approval.
Set up your storefront
About 5 minutesYour shop name as customers should see it, a short description, and your hours.
Write the description the way you would say it to someone at the counter. Two or three sentences is plenty.
Add a background photo
About 2 minutesOne wide photo across the top of your shop page. Your storefront, your counter, your best table, your truck.
A photo from your phone is fine. Shoot it sideways, in daylight, and leave some room at the top so your name has somewhere to sit.
Add your products and prices
2 minutes eachA name, a price, a photo, and a line about what it is.
You do not need your whole menu on day one. Start with five things you are known for. You can add the rest whenever.
Submit and wait for approval
Usually a day or twoWe check that you are a real business and that the listing is what it says it is. Then you are live.
We will email you the moment it is approved. If something needs fixing, we tell you exactly what, and you resubmit.
Going Legit
Get your EIN free from the IRS
An EIN, or Employer Identification Number, is your business's tax ID. You get it directly from the IRS online and it costs nothing. If a website is charging you for one, close the tab - they are reselling something the IRS gives away.
You may not need one. A sole proprietor can use their Social Security Number instead. Get an EIN if you form an LLC, hire anyone, or would simply rather not hand out your SSN.
Open right now. The IRS online application is open now, with 7 hours 58 minutes left today. It takes about fifteen minutes.
Before you apply
- If you are forming an LLC, wait for the state to approve it before you apply. A sole proprietor can apply straight away.
- Have your legal business name, state of formation, and formation date in front of you.
- Have the responsible party's Social Security Number or ITIN. That is usually you.
- Set aside fifteen uninterrupted minutes. The IRS does not save a partial application.
If you are forming an LLC, the most common mistake is applying before the state has approved it. Wait for the approval, then apply.
The application, step by step
- Open the IRS EIN Assistant and choose Apply Online Now.
- Choose your legal structure - Sole Proprietor or Limited Liability Company (LLC).
- Give your reason for applying: started a new business, or opened a bank account.
- Enter the name and taxpayer ID (SSN or ITIN) of the responsible party.
- Enter your business's official name, address, and state details.
- Review everything and submit.
- Save, copy, and print the EIN confirmation the moment it appears. This is the only time it is shown.
Opens on irs.gov. Save your confirmation letter somewhere you will find it again - the IRS shows the number once, and getting a replacement means phoning them.
Paperwork
Two paths, and most people are on the first
You do not have to form a company to sell. If you start selling under your own name, you are already a sole proprietor, and there is nothing to file with the state to become one.
Sole proprietor
The default. If you start selling under your own name, you are one already.
- No formation filing with the state. Nothing to submit, nothing to wait for.
- No EIN needed - you can use your Social Security Number.
- You and the business are the same legal person, so there is no liability separation.
- File a DBA only if you want to trade under a name that is not your own.
LLC
Worth it when you want your personal savings separated from the business.
- File Articles of Organization with your state and wait for approval.
- Get an EIN from the IRS once the state approves you.
- Costs a filing fee up front, and most states charge an annual fee after.
- Keeps your personal assets separate if the business is ever sued or owes money.
What you will actually run into
Most of this is local, not state level. Three of the four below are handled by your county or city, which is why we explain them rather than pretend to link every jurisdiction in the country.
- Usually your county clerk
A DBA, if you trade under another name
Also called a fictitious business name. You need one only if your shop name is not your own legal name. In California you must also publish it in a local newspaper for four weeks and file proof.
- Your state revenue department
A seller's permit
Not the Secretary of State - a different agency. Required in most states before you sell taxable goods, whatever structure you chose. Usually free and often issued the same day.
- Your city or county
A city or county business license
Hyper-local, and there are thousands of jurisdictions. Search for your city name plus "business license" and start at the official .gov result.
- Your county health department
A cottage food permit, for anything edible
If you sell food you made at home, this is usually the one that matters. Rules vary sharply even between counties in the same state, including what you are allowed to make and how much you can sell.
Find your state
We have written up 6 of 51 states so far. Each one shows where to register for sales tax, how the DBA works there, and - if you decide to form an LLC - where that gets filed. City and county licences are not listed: there are too many, and a wrong link is worse than none.
Arizona Open Close
Sales tax
Register with the Arizona Department of Revenue for a Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) license.
Arizona calls its sales tax a Transaction Privilege Tax. Many cities levy their own on top, and the state collects those too.
Register for sales taxTrading under another name
Filed with Arizona Secretary of State (trade name), which is optional here.
Arizona trade name registration is optional, not required.
Where to fileOnly if you form an LLC
Filed with Arizona Corporation Commission.
Arizona also requires a newspaper publication notice after your LLC is approved, unless you formed in Maricopa or Pima county.
California Open Close
Sales tax
Register with the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA) for a seller's permit.
Free to register. Required before you sell taxable goods, whatever structure you chose.
Register for sales taxTrading under another name
Filed with your county clerk.
California also requires you to publish the fictitious business name in a local newspaper for four weeks, then file proof. Each county runs its own process.
Only if you form an LLC
Filed with California Secretary of State.
California charges an annual minimum franchise tax on LLCs through the Franchise Tax Board, separate from the filing fee. You also file a Statement of Information within 90 days of forming.
Florida Open Close
Sales tax
Register with the Florida Department of Revenue for a sales and use tax certificate.
Register for sales taxTrading under another name
Filed with the Florida Division of Corporations.
Florida is one of the few states where the DBA is filed with the state rather than the county, and it must also be advertised in a local newspaper once.
Where to fileOnly if you form an LLC
Filed with Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz).
Florida requires an annual report every year between January 1 and May 1. Missing it carries a large late fee that the state does not waive.
New York Open Close
Sales tax
Register with the New York Department of Taxation and Finance for a Certificate of Authority.
You must have this before you make your first taxable sale.
Register for sales taxTrading under another name
Filed with your county clerk (for a sole proprietor or partnership).
In New York City, file with the County Clerk for your borough.
Only if you form an LLC
Filed with New York Department of State, Division of Corporations.
New York requires you to publish notice of your LLC in two newspapers for six weeks and then file a Certificate of Publication. Budget for it - in some counties it costs more than the filing itself.
Texas Open Close
Sales tax
Register with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for a sales and use tax permit.
Free to register.
Register for sales taxTrading under another name
Filed with your county clerk (assumed name certificate).
Texas calls the DBA an assumed name certificate. Sole proprietors file at the county; LLCs file with the state.
Only if you form an LLC
Filed with Texas Secretary of State.
Texas has no state income tax, but LLCs file an annual franchise tax report with the Comptroller even when no tax is owed.
Washington Open Close
Sales tax
Register with the Washington Department of Revenue for a Business License (UBI number).
Washington combines the state business license and tax registration into one application, and many city licenses are issued through the same form.
Register for sales taxTrading under another name
Filed with the Department of Revenue, as a trade name on your business licence application.
Only if you form an LLC
Filed with Washington Secretary of State.
After forming, register with the Department of Revenue for a Business License (UBI) number before you sell.
Not written up yet
Search for your state plus "department of revenue seller's permit" to register for sales tax, and your county plus "fictitious business name" for a DBA. Ask us if you get stuck.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
We are not lawyers or accountants, and this is not legal or tax advice. It is the same explanation we would give a neighbour over the counter. For anything about your particular situation, talk to a professional in your state.
FAQ
Common questions
- Do I need an LLC to sell on Lytebuy?
- No. If you sell under your own name you are a sole proprietor, and there is no formation paperwork to file with your state. An LLC is worth it when you want your personal savings separated from the business, but it is a choice, not a requirement.
- Do I need an EIN?
- Not if you are a sole proprietor - you can use your Social Security Number. You need an EIN if you form an LLC, hire employees, or would rather not give out your SSN.
- Can I set up my shop before the paperwork is done?
- Yes. Create your account, build your storefront, and add your products now. You can sort out a seller's permit or a local licence after, and add those details when you have them.
- How much does an EIN cost?
- Nothing. The IRS issues an EIN free through its online EIN Assistant, usually in about fifteen minutes. Any site charging you for one is reselling a free service.
- How long does approval take?
- Usually a day or two. We check that you are a real business and that your listing matches what you actually sell, then you are live.
- Can I start setting up before my EIN arrives?
- Yes. Fill in your storefront, add your photo, add your products. Add the EIN before you submit for approval.
- What does it cost to sell on Lytebuy?
- Listing your business and posting promotions is free - there is no monthly fee and no charge until something sells. An online sale costs a 4% commission on the item price, never on your shipping. Taking a card in person costs 1.2% of the sale. Card processing (2.9% + 30c) comes out of the sale as it does on every marketplace, and withdrawing to your bank costs 1% capped at $25.
- How are taxes handled?
- You do not have to manage sales tax. It is calculated and collected at checkout based on where the buyer is, and Lytebuy remits it for you. Income tax on your earnings is still yours to handle, and we provide revenue reports to help you work it out.
Start your shop
Get your paperwork in order, fill out the form, put up a photo. We will take it from there.
Stuck on any of it? info@lytebuy.com - a person reads it.