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Opening in Cuyahoga County: the paperwork and the fees.

The filings most new small businesses in the county meet, what each one is for, and what it costs. Fees were checked against the linked official sources on October 11, 2026. Fees change: the source link is the final word.

This is an independent guide. CuyahogaCounty.biz is not Cuyahoga County government or any office of it, and cannot file anything for you. Every filing below is made by you, with the office named.

  1. $99 Form the business with the State of Ohio

    An LLC is formed by filing Articles of Organization with the Ohio Secretary of State. The filing fee is $99, once (Ohio Revised Code 111.16(F)). A sole proprietor working under their own legal name files nothing here. Corporations pay a fee that depends on the shares they authorise.

    Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission, Secretary of State agency fees (dated 08/20/2025). File at ohiosos.gov/businesses.

  2. $39 File your business name, if it is not your own

    Trading under a name other than your own legal name, or other than your LLC's registered name, means filing that name with the Secretary of State, either as a trade name registration or as a fictitious name report: $39 either way. Each is renewed every five years for $25 (Ohio Revised Code 111.16(S)).

    Source: the same Secretary of State fee table.

  3. $0 Get an employer identification number (EIN)

    The IRS issues an EIN online, in minutes, for free. You need one to hire, and most banks ask for one to open a business account. A website that charges a fee for an EIN is not the IRS.

    Source: IRS, Get an employer identification number.

  4. $50 Vendor's license, if you sell taxable goods or services

    Ohio requires a vendor's license before making retail sales of goods or taxable services. A business with a fixed place of business in Cuyahoga County gets a regular vendor's license from the County Fiscal Officer: application fee $50, no annual renewal fee, one license for each place you sell from. Transient and service vendor's licenses come from the Ohio Department of Taxation, also $50.

    Source: Cuyahoga County Fiscal Officer, Vendor's Licenses (read October 11, 2026).

  5. 8.00% Sales tax you collect

    The combined sales tax rate in Cuyahoga County is 8.00%: Ohio's 5.75%, a 1.25% county tax and a 1.00% transit tax. It is collected from customers and paid over to the state, so it is not your money: enter prices before sales tax in the calculator. Check the exact rate for your address with The Finder before you set up your register.

    Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, sales tax rates map, effective July 2023 (page 2, "State and Permissive Sales Tax Rates, by County", gives the county and transit parts; the newest map published there on October 11, 2026). Address lookup: The Finder.

  6. Varies Your city: income tax, zoning, permits

    Cities and villages in the county set their own income tax, zoning, occupancy and sign rules, and food businesses need health licensing. These differ from one city to the next, so this guide gives no figures for them. Ask your city hall before you sign a lease: a space that is not zoned for your use can cost more than any fee on this page.

Put the fees in the plan.

On a Desk plan, list these as opening costs. The first-year view takes them out of your starting cash, so the month-by-month cash line is honest from day one.

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