Selling online doesn't make you exempt from licensing. The federal, state, and local layers to check — plus sales tax — before your first sale.

A home business can still need a license, a home occupation permit, and zoning approval. What to check locally before you open — and why it matters.

Most small businesses need at least one license or permit — but which ones depend on what you do and where. The federal, state, and local layers to check, and how licensing differs from registering.

Structure, registration, EIN, licenses and permits — the legal checklist for starting a business, pointed straight at the official sources.