One of the first tasks of the new business owner is to open a business bank account. These accounts allow the company to accept and spend their own money independently of the employer’s system of personal banking. While specific regulations vary by state, most banks have a simple process for opening business accounts which only requires some basic documents. All banks will require evidence that the company was formed correctly in accordance with state law, usually by requesting a state-endorsed copy of the documents forming the company. Corporations are created with the articles of incorporation, limited liability companies created with the articles of organization and associations, and companies are formed through certificates of authority business often called DBA roles because the registration of a business name that people doing business as)
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Some states require business licenses for specific industries. In Texas, for example, there is no need for a business license issued by the state in general, but some sectors, such as cosmetology, require that the practitioner has a commercial license. Companies are legal entities subject to federal taxation. For that reason, all banks participating in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are required to obtain the taxpayer identification number for each account holder. For businesses, the identification of taxpayers is an Employer Identification Number (EIN), obtained through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) using Form SS-4. The IRS allows companies to submit an SS-4 online for free, getting an EIN immediately at the end of the process. The EIN is included in a downloadable PDF file IRS letterhead that when printing to meet the needs of the bank to verify the identification of the contributing company. Individual companies have no formal legal existence apart from the business owner, so that these companies use the owner’s Social Security Number instead.
Each bank creates its concrete application.
This paper asks the official company name and registered email address and the name and address of authorized officers of the company. The application usually requires an EIN and address that points to a physical location and not a PO box or private mailbox. Any person who is authorized to disburse funds on behalf of the company must file a formal signature card to the bank. This card allows the bank to compare the signatures on a specific control or other financial instrument against the card file to determine if the signature is legitimate. Companies that want other types of bank accounts, such as trade credit lines generally have to provide some proof of solvency. This can come from a business owner who provides a personal guarantee for a business loan, or through a commercial credit rating companies such as Dun and Bradstreet. Often, a list of assets or a formal business plan may be necessary before a bank will provide a new business with a line of credit.


