Texas · Sales tax registration
Texas sales tax permit registration, done for you.
Texas does not charge for a sales and use tax permit. You apply through the Comptroller's eSystems portal or on Form AP-201, and the application wants identification for every owner or partner along with a NAICS code. A security bond can be required depending on the circumstances.
Who you are dealing with
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
- Handles:
- Sales and use tax permit
- System:
- eSystems
- Form:
- Apply online through eSystems, or on paper with Form AP-201
- Phone:
- 800-252-5555
State fee. $0. There is no fee to apply for a Texas sales and use tax permit. Depending on the circumstances a business may be asked to post a security bond, which is not a fee but is money or a bond instrument the state holds.
When you have to register
You need a permit if you sell or lease tangible personal property in Texas, or sell taxable services, and the obligation attaches from when that activity starts rather than from when you notice. Whether your specific activity is taxable is a question for your CPA.
What comes next
Not applicable to a registration. For later: closing the permit takes a final return within 15 days of your final sale, and Texas requires that return even for a period with zero activity. It also wants use tax on inventory you bought tax free and kept.
How long it takes
Texas does not publish a processing time we could confirm from the Comptroller, so we do not quote one. The online eSystems route is materially faster than paper and it is what we use unless the application does not qualify for it.
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 Texas harder than average
- The application wants identification for everyone, not just the business. Texas asks for the social security numbers of partners and owners, or federal identification numbers where applicable, alongside the Texas corporation file number. Gathering that from co-owners is usually the slow part rather than the form itself.
- A NAICS code is required. The application asks you to classify the business, and that classification travels with the account. Picking approximately the right one is easy and picking exactly the right one takes a minute of thought.
- A security bond is possible and situational. Texas may require one depending on the circumstances. It is not routine and it is not a fee, but it is worth knowing before you assume free means nothing changes hands.
- Free permit, unfree exit. The permit costs nothing to obtain and closing it later carries real obligations: a final return within 15 days even for a zero period, and use tax on unsold inventory bought tax free. The cheap part is the start.
- No payroll withholding to pair it with. Texas has no wage withholding, so a business registering for sales tax and hiring at the same time deals with the Comptroller here and the Workforce Commission separately, and there is no third account.
Questions and answers
Does a Texas sales tax permit cost anything?
No. There is no fee to apply. A security bond may be required depending on the circumstances, which is money or an instrument the state holds rather than a charge.
How do I apply?
Online through the Comptroller's eSystems portal, or on paper using Form AP-201. Online is faster and gives you a record.
What information does the application need?
Business name, address, and contact details, the social security numbers of owners and partners or federal identification numbers where applicable, the Texas corporation file number, and a NAICS code classifying the business.
How long does it take?
Texas does not publish a timeline we could verify with the Comptroller, so we will not quote one. We use the online route and register ahead of when you need it.
What do you need from me to start?
The legal name and FEIN, entity type and Texas file number, owner and partner identification, Texas locations, a description of what you sell so the NAICS code is right, and the date taxable activity started or will start.
Agency details verified 2026-08-03