Maryland · Sales tax registration
Maryland sales tax registration, done for you.
Maryland's Combined Registration Application genuinely does combine several accounts, sales and use tax among them. What it combines is what the Comptroller administers. It does not reach the Department of Labor, which is where a lot of published guidance about Maryland goes wrong.
Who you are dealing with
Comptroller of Maryland
- Handles:
- Sales and use tax, employer withholding, and other Comptroller-administered accounts
- System:
- Maryland Tax Connect, or Maryland Business Express for new businesses
- Form:
- The Combined Registration Application. Also available by appointment at Comptroller offices or by phone
- Phone:
- 1-800-MDTAXES
State fee. $0 to register the sales and use tax account. Our flat fee covers preparing and filing the application. A trader's licence, if your business needs one, is separate and handled by your local Clerk of the Circuit Court.
When you have to register
Register before making taxable sales in Maryland. If you are also hiring, the same application covers withholding, but unemployment insurance is a separate application to the Department of Labor.
What comes next
Not applicable to a registration. Worth knowing at the start: closing the sales and use account uses Form 202FR filed with the final return, and if you file electronically the 202FR has to be posted separately. That split is the most common way a Maryland account stays open.
How long it takes
Maryland does not publish a turnaround we could confirm. Filing through Maryland Tax Connect or Business Express leaves you a record, where a posted application does not.
What we do
We work out exactly which accounts you need, prepare and submit each registration, and hand you the account numbers, rates, and deposit schedules your payroll system asks for. One flat price per account, and any state fee passed through at cost.
What makes Maryland harder than average
- Combined does not mean complete. The application combines what the Comptroller administers. Unemployment insurance is applied for through the Maryland Department of Labor separately, and a good deal of guidance says otherwise.
- A trader's licence is a third thing entirely. If your business needs one, it comes from your local Clerk of the Circuit Court rather than from the Comptroller or the Department of Labor.
- Closing is where Maryland catches electronic filers. Form 202FR travels with a paper final return but must be posted separately if you file online. Knowing that now is worth more than discovering it during a wind-down.
- Three routes in, and only the online ones leave a trail. Business Express, Maryland Tax Connect, or an appointment. Choose one that gives you a record.
Questions and answers
Does the Combined Registration Application cover everything?
It covers the Comptroller's accounts, which can include sales and use tax and employer withholding. It does not cover unemployment insurance, which is a separate application to the Maryland Department of Labor.
Do I need a trader's licence as well?
Some businesses do, and it comes from your local Clerk of the Circuit Court rather than from the state. Tell us what you sell and where and we will flag whether it applies.
Is there a fee to register?
No fee for the sales and use tax account. A local licence, where one is needed, has its own cost and is handled separately.
What should I know now about closing later?
Form 202FR closes the account and travels with the final return on paper. If you file electronically it has to be posted separately to the Revenue Administration Division in Annapolis, which is the step people miss.
What do you need from me to start?
The legal name and FEIN, entity type, Maryland locations, what you sell, the date taxable sales begin, and whether you also need withholding.
Agency details verified 2026-08-03