Interactive path
Start-to-First-Hire Navigator
Answer five non-sensitive questions and get an educational next-step route. Nothing is submitted or stored.
Updated Sep. 22, 2026Open guide →
Start correctly. Hire confidently.
From business formation to your first payroll.
One ordered path, state-specific checkpoints, and the official source beside every material claim. No lead form. No mystery ranking. No pretending a paid service is mandatory when the government route is free.
✓ Primary sources✓ Reviewed dates✓ No account required
Your launch route
- 01Form correctlyState registration and recurring obligations
- 02Get the free federal IDDirectly from the IRS when eligible
- 03Register as an employerState payroll accounts and insurance
- 04Document the hireRequired forms, notices, and reporting
- 05Run first payrollA verified readiness checklist
California is the first fully reviewed state. National baseline included.
23official sources in the launch ledger
$0to get an EIN directly from the IRS
1employee triggers California workers’ comp
The first decision library
Resolve the decision in front of you.
Each guide separates the required direct route from optional paid help. Affiliate relationships will never change the official-source answer.
Payroll readiness
First payroll checklist
Verify the employer identity, registrations, worker inputs, tax ownership, and records that must be ready before employee #1 is paid.
Published Sep. 22, 2026Open guide →
Decision guide
Formation service or direct filing?
Identify what the government actually requires, what a service can handle, and what it cannot decide for you.
Updated Sep. 11, 2026Open guide →
State-source decision
Can I be my own registered agent?
Check the self-service rule, public-record trade-offs, and the official state route before paying for a service.
Updated Sep. 22, 2026Open guide →
Free government task
Get an EIN without paying a middleman
The IRS issues eligible businesses an EIN online for free. See what to prepare and when to form first.
Sources rechecked Oct. 10, 2026Open guide →
August 2026 final rule
Check whether BOI reporting still applies
U.S.-created entities are exempt. A three-question, zero-storage tool routes foreign-formed entities to the current FinCEN guidance.
Source rechecked Oct. 10, 2026Open guide →
California
Start a California business
An ordered formation path with the current $800 LLC tax and the August 2026 bizfile access change surfaced early.
Sources rechecked Oct. 10, 2026Open guide →
California
Prepare for a first employee
Employer registration, workers’ compensation, required documents, reporting, postings, and payroll readiness.
Key sources rechecked Oct. 10, 2026Open guide →
Evidence ledger
Inspect every source
See the agency, topic, scope, review date, and direct link for each source supporting the first release.
Selected sources rechecked Oct. 10, 2026Open guide →
What makes this different
A change-aware operating guide—not another article pile.
01
Order matters. The IRS says an LLC or corporation should be formed with the state before applying for an EIN.
02
Rules move. California changed bizfile access in August 2026; FinCEN’s current BOI rule exempts U.S.-created entities.
03
Paid help is optional. We show the direct government route before any compensated alternative.
04
Uncertainty stays visible. City, industry, worker-classification, and special-rule questions are routed to the responsible agency or qualified adviser.
Begin with the transition