How to Renew a San Francisco Business License

If you are running a business in San Francisco, you are likely aware that a business license is required for operation. On top of this, all business licenses in the city need to be renewed by May 31^st annually. Instead of having to stumble through the San Francisco Treasurer and Tax Collector’s website, we’re here to outline the process in a bite-sized article!

Here’s the basic information you’ll need to gather before getting started:

1. Your seven-digit business account number (BAN). This will be found on both your business license and the renewal notice you’ll receive every May.
2. The eight character renewal PIN, also found on the renewal notice. This will not change from year to year, so if you still have the prior year’s PIN, it should fortunately still be usable. It will be a mix of letters and numbers.
3. The last four digits of your company Federal Employee Identification Number (FEIN), which you should have acquired from the IRS upon starting your business.
4. The business’ prior year taxable gross receipts total. We recommend consulting your CPA about this amount, as it will determine the business taxes due upon submitting the renewal return.
5. The business’ current employee count.

Once you have gathered this info, you’re all set to proceed!

Head here to get started once the upcoming tax season’s portal opens.

Then click “renew business registration.”

You will then be prompted to enter the identifying information you gathered in steps one through three.

The rest is easy! Proceed with the questions, most of which you determined answers for prior to starting the return. You will also be asked some basic questions to confirm that your business operations are still the same as when you first applied for the license.

Once you reach the end, be sure to save a copy of the renewal return for your records.

You will then have the option to proceed to the payment portal to settle your business taxes. You do not have to submit payment for these immediately after filing your return (you can log into the payment portal separately by following this link), but it is recommended that you do so.

Once you file the return and submit payment, you’re all set until May 31^st of the following year!

If this still sounds like far too much of a hassle, Bend Law Group is happy to help. Renewal of business licenses is offered in our handy “Entity Maintenance Package,” which handles most of the annoying little compliance matters that pop up from year to year, so that you can focus more on running your business. We are also happy to renew a license on your behalf a la carte. Feel free to reach out to info@bendlawgroup.com for more details.

Disclaimer: This article discusses general legal issues and developments. Such materials are for informational purposes only and may not reflect the most current law in your jurisdiction. These informational materials are not intended, and should not be taken, as legal or tax advice on any particular set of facts or circumstances. No reader should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information presented herein without seeking the advice of counsel in the relevant jurisdiction.  Bend Law Group, PC expressly disclaims all liability in respect of any actions taken or not taken based on any contents of this article.