Do I need an LLC before I start?
Not always. Amazon's public registration path still allows individual sellers, so many beginners can test first and only add an LLC when liability, branding, banking, or partner needs justify it.
Amazon setup
Start Amazon without getting the setup order wrong
Use this page to settle the Amazon-wide setup questions first, then open your state guide for the exact filing order and local checks.
Primary route
Choose your state and open the real Amazon guide.
Short answer first. Official links. Local checks.
Platform Amazon
State
Amazon baseline first
Core signup, document, payout, and early-risk questions.
State guide next
Exact filing order, official links, and local checks.
Start here
Most beginners should solve the setup order before buying inventory
This section keeps the safest launch order short and practical before you spend on structure, inventory, or packaging.
Most beginners should do this first
- Decide whether you are opening as an individual seller or as an incorporated business.
- Choose whether your first launch is merchant-fulfilled or FBA before you build the checklist around it.
- Pick the state route before you make local filing decisions.
Quick answers
The questions new Amazon sellers usually ask first
Do I need an EIN right away?
Amazon’s public setup materials require tax information, but they do not make “get an EIN first” a universal rule. If you are incorporated, Amazon also says the company registration number is different from an EIN, so keep those records straight before you file the account.
What should I have ready for Seller Central verification?
Have your government ID, phone, email, chargeable card, bank details, tax information, and recent address proof ready. If you are incorporated, Amazon says the business name, registration number, and registered address should match the government record.
Does Amazon handle sales tax for me?
This page cannot settle that by itself. The Amazon baseline stays at the platform level, while your state route is where seller permits, resale timing, and marketplace-facilitator follow-up get confirmed.
Should I validate the product before I spend heavily?
Yes. Amazon's public guidance shows how fast product restrictions, FBA prep rules, and category approvals can add friction, so a simple low-risk first SKU usually beats heavy inventory or rushed branding.
Before you sign up
What to have ready before you open the seller account
Use this checklist to avoid the most common verification and first-shipment delays.
The business name, address, bank details, and tax identity should line up before you start uploading documents.
Have recent bank or address proof ready in the name and address you plan to use so verification does not stall early.
Be clear on whether you are opening as yourself, a single-member LLC, or another entity so the tax interview does not get muddled.
Avoid regulated, hazmat, fragile, or restricted categories at the start so the first launch is easier to verify and ship.
Amazon says most products use GTINs such as UPC, ISBN, EAN, or JAN, while some products may need a GTIN exemption.
What the state guide settles
What changes after you choose the operating state
This is where the state guide takes over and turns the Amazon baseline into your filing order, local checks, and printable packet.
Some states let marketplace-only sellers stay lighter, while others still create registration or resale-document decisions much earlier.
An LLC is not equally painful in every state. Filing cost, annual reports, publication rules, and maintenance burdens vary widely.
Storage limits, zoning, local business licenses, and home-based selling rules can change a lot once the exact city is known.
Hiring, storing inventory locally, or stepping into riskier categories makes the state route heavier fast and often changes the checklist.
What stays true
The Amazon-wide rules that still matter before state details kick in
Amazon cares about identity, billing, address, and document consistency before local permit questions are even fully in play.
Prep, labeling, packaging, and the Send to Amazon shipment flow become real work quickly once you choose FBA.
A simple, non-hazmat, non-regulated SKU keeps the first launch shorter, cheaper, and less likely to trigger an avoidable account problem.
If your legal name, invoices, tax identity, and bank trail drift apart, even a good product idea can run into painful verification or support loops.
Choose your lane
Pick the launch lane that feels closest to your real plan
Best when you want the simplest first launch with the least compliance friction.
- simpler non-regulated SKU
- lighter FBA prep burden
- fewer catalog and approval surprises
Best when trademark timing, packaging, and Brand Registry are part of the plan early.
- brand name and packaging matter sooner
- Brand Registry eligibility becomes relevant
- IP Accelerator may shorten the path to brand tools
Best when supplier proof, authenticity, and catalog approval pressure will matter early.
- direct brand or distributor sourcing matters
- invoices and authorization proof matter sooner
- category and authenticity checks get stricter
Baseline launch order
If you plan to use FBA, this is the baseline flow after you settle your identity and state path
- Choose the selling plan and open the Amazon seller account with matching documents.
- Register the account for FBA if you plan to use fulfillment by Amazon.
- Create or convert listings and confirm the SKU is eligible for sale and for FBA.
- Prep, label, and pack the inventory based on the live Amazon requirements.
- Send inventory through Send to Amazon, then track and restock after the first shipment lands.
Official links to open first
Keep the high-signal Amazon and federal setup links together
Amazon registration guide ↗
Seller account creation, legal representative rules, and onboarding basics.
Fulfillment by Amazon ↗FBA workflow, fees, storage, and inbound shipment rules.
Amazon pricing ↗Selling plans, referral fees, and the current public fee baseline.
Amazon Brand Registry ↗Public enrollment requirements, trademark timing, and brand-tool eligibility.
Amazon selling FAQ ↗Public category, approval, and restricted-product baseline for new sellers.
IRS EIN application ↗Federal EIN application if your chosen setup path, bank, or tax steps require one.
Every state route
Now pick the state and open the real journey
Use the full state list when you want the exact filing order, local checks, and printable packet for that operating state.