Frequently Asked Questions | Resource Links
Information Store | Interactive Discussion Forum
Program Access Forms | Library

RESOURCES
Resource Links

Small Business Information Sources

General Business Information
Legal Structure and Registration
Taxes
Employer Information
Immigration and Naturalization Documentation
International Trade
Patent and Trademark Searches
Copyright Registration
Trademark Registration
Inventors Information and Education
Small Business On-line Resources

General Business Information

For an overview of all small business resources in Colorado, go to the following website:
www.state.co.us/oed

For general business start-up information:
Obtain a copy of the Colorado Business Resource Guide from: South Metro Denver Chamber, 6840 S. University Blvd or The State of Colorado SBDC Website www.state.co.us/oed/guide

For a centralized source of licensing information on state and local government compliance go to the State of Colorado website:
www.state.co.us/oed Click on “Industry/Occupational Licensing Database” You can browse keywords or select a specific industry or occupation.

Back to top

Legal Structure and Registration

Trade Name Registration
Registering a Trade Name in Colorado can only be done on line at the Secretarry of State’s website.

Step 1. Go to www.sos.state.co.us

Step 2. Select “Business Center” (Search the business data base first to determine if your trade name is available

Step 3 Under Business Information column select “file a Document

Step 4. Select “create a new Document

Step 5 Select “Trade Name” under the “Register a…” header.

Step 6. Select the appropriate type of trade name to file

Incorporating a Business
For information regarding the formation of a corporation, limited partnership or limited liability company*, contact:
Secretary of State
1560 Broadway, Suite 200, Denver, CO 80202
303-894-2251
www.sos.state.co.us

*Professional assistance is highly recommended before making a decision about the appropriate legal entity for your business and before the filing of papers for incorporation, limited partnership or a limited liability company.

Back to top

Taxes

Sales and Use Taxes
Businesses that sell products to the end users are required to collect sales tax. The total amount of sales tax to be collected includes 2.9% Colorado state sales tax plus local taxes which vary greatly. The total amount of tax to be collected is determined by adding together all state, regional and local taxes that apply to a specific locale. This includes mail order items sold within Colorado.

All businesses located in Denver, Boulder, and Jefferson counties, the western portion of Adams and Arapahoe counties and the Highlands Ranch area of northern Douglas County, must collect the following special district taxes:
- Regional Transportation District (RTD) 0.6% tax
- Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (CD) 0.1% tax
- Baseball Stadium District (BD) 0.1% tax
- Totaling 0.8%.

Use tax is due on tangible personal property on which Colorado sales taxes have not been paid. This would apply to items purchased out of state for use in a business or items taken from inventory. The above rates apply in addition to any local taxes.

For detailed information regarding Colorado sales and use taxes, call the Department of Revenue at (303) 238-SERV (7378). or go to the Department of Revenue website, www.taxcolorado.com for State, County, City and Special District Tax Rates and click on Sales Tax information.

Sales tax license
To obtain a state sales tax license go to the Colorado Department of Revenue website at www.revenue.state.co.us//TPS_Dir/wrap.asp?incl=busregforms "Business Registration Form" CR0100, and form DRP 0099: Colorado Sales and Use Tax for general information and a reference guide to state sales tax.

Sales Tax Workshops:
Free workshops are held weekly. The schedule is published for a month at a time on the Colorado Department of Revenue website at www.revenue.state.co.us/TPS_Dir/wrap.asp?incl=publiceducation

Income Tax
For Colorado state income tax information go to the Department of Revenue website at www.taxcolorado.com and click on Forms, Income and Estate.

For Federal income tax information for businesses, go to the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov/businesses/small

Forms & instructions, publications and other tax information can be downloaded and printed from the website or Contact the Internal Revenue Service at 1-800-829-1040 or the Internal Revenue Service Tax Forms & Publications Division at 1- 800-829-3676

The free IRS CD “The 2005 Small Business Resource Guide: What you need to know about taxes and other topics ”contains all the business tax forms, instructions, and publications needed by small business owners as well as answers to frequently asked questions. At www.irs.gov/businesses/small click on 2005 Small Business Resource Guide CD ROM.

Property Taxes
Property taxes are assessed on any real and/or personal property used to produce income for a business.

For information on real estate and personal property tax rates, contact the county assessor’s office of the county in which the business is located:
Arapahoe County Assessor, 303-795-4650
Denver City & County Assessor, 303-640-2666
Douglas County Assessor, 303-660-7448
Jefferson County Assessor, 303-271-8693

Back to top

Employer Information

Employers are responsible for withholding both state and federal income tax and social security/Medicare taxes from their employees’ wages. Employers also pay an equal share of the social security/Medicare taxes.

State Wage Withholding
To open a state wage withholding account, complete form CR0100. To obtain form CR0100, go to the Colorado Department of Revenue website at www.revenue.state.co.us//TPS_Dir/wrap.asp?incl=wagewithforms

To obtain “Business Registration Form” CR0100, go to the Colorado Department of Revenue website at www.revenue.state.co.us/TPS_Dir/wrap.asp?incl=busregforms

Wage Withholding Classes for Employers
The Colorado Department of Revenue conducts Wage Withholding Classes in conjunction with the IRS. The class is offered as a free service from the Colorado Department of Revenue and the IRS. Instruction materials are provided. The class covers many of the wage withholding topics that every employer/payroll administrator handles on a daily basis. Included are: Social Security issues, Dept. of Labor requirements, unemployment insurance. For a schedule of classes go to www.revenue.state.co.us//TPS_Dir/wrap.asp?incl=wagewithclasses Classes are held in Lakewood at 1881 Pierce Street from 8 a.m. to noon.

Federal Wage Withholding
To open a federal wage withholding account, complete federal form SS-4, the application for your federal employer identification number (FEIN). The FEIN is used to set up your federal income tax withholding and social security withholding through the IRS.

To obtain the SS-4 form, contact:
Internal Revenue Service
1-800-829-3676
or Go the IRS website at www.irs.gov/businesses/small and click on Employer ID Numbers.
The free IRS CD “The 2005 Small Business Resource Guide: What you need to know about taxes and other topics”contains all the business tax forms, instructions, and publications needed by small business owners as well as answers to frequently asked questions. At www.irs.gov/businesses/small click on 2005 Small Business Resource Guide CD ROM.

Unemployment Insurance
Employers are also required to pay both state and federal unemployment insurance taxes on their employees. To open a federal unemployment insurance tax account, complete form SS-4. To open a state unemployment insurance tax account, complete form CR100.

Workers’ Compensation Insurance
As an employer, you are required by law to provide workers’ compensation insurance for all of your employees. You can obtain workers’ compensation insurance from an independent insurance agent or contact:

Pinnacol Assurance
7501 E. Lowry Blvd.
Denver, Colorado 80230
Telephone Number: 303-361-4000
www.pinnacol.com

Pinnacol is not a state agency but operates as a quasi independent nonprofit insurance company established by state law to sell workers’ compensation insurance.

For information regarding employer responsibilities under workers’ compensation, contact:
Division of Workers’ Compensation,
Colorado Department of Labor, 303-575-8700
or contact the Department of Labor & Employment website at www.coworkforce.com and click on Worker information.

Occupational Privilege Tax
Employers who have employees working within the city limits of Aurora, Denver, or Greenwood Village are required to pay an occupational privilege tax (head tax) on each individual employed.

To obtain the appropriate form for setting up an account, contact the appropriate city department:
Aurora, 303-739-7057
Denver, 303-640-2644
Greenwood Village, 303-773-0252

Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OHSA)
Business owners can contact OSHA directly at:
1999 Broadway, Ste. 1690, Denver, CO 80202-5716
303-844-1600
www.osha.gov
Small business information from OSHA is available on CD.

American with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Compliance with the ADA requires employers to provide equal opportunity for employment to all qualified disabled individuals who can perform the duties of the job and may require them to make reasonable accommodations for these individuals.

For further information on the ADA Act, contact:
ADA Technical Assistance Center
1-800-949-4232
www.adata.org

Back to top

Immigration and Naturalization Documentation

Employers are required to comply with the I-9 documentation to avoid penalties for the hiring of illegal aliens. To obtain form I-9, contact:
Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS)
1-800-755-0777.
The free IRS CD “The 2005 Small Business Resource Guide: What you need to know about taxes and other topics” includes requirements for employers. (A copy of the I-9 form must be kept in each employee’s personnel file.)

State Labor Laws
For state labor law information including minimum wage, overtime, vacation, child labor, breaks & termination, contact:
Labor Standards Unit
Colorado Department of Labor
303-572-2241.

Federal Labor Laws
For federal labor law information, contact:
Federal Wage and Hour Division
U.S. Department of Labor
303-844-4405.

Disadvantaged Business Certification
For information regarding minority business resources go to the State’s Minority Business Office website at www.state.co.us/oed/mbo and the state’s Women’s Business Office website at www.state.co.us/oed/wbo. Also the Women’s Chamber has a WBE certification. Consult their website at www.wbe.certification.org

For information on eligibility as a disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) either as a minority or women owned business, contact:
Disadvantaged Business Certification Office
303-894-2355.

Eligible businesses can participate on projects for the Colorado Department of Highways, the Regional Transportation Districts and the Denver Water Board.

For eligibility for the City and County of Denver disadvantaged business enterprise contact:
Denver Mayor’s Office of Contract Compliance
303-640-3808.

Certification allows minority and women owned disadvantaged business enterprises to participate in City and County of Denver public works projects and federally assisted airport projects.

Back to top

International Trade

For seminars and workshops on the various aspects of international trade which are offered in conjunction with the Colorado International Trade Office, the World Trade Center Denver and the US Export Assistance Center, contact:
World Trade Center
303-592-5760
www.wtcdn.com or
www.state.co.us/oed/ito

Back to top

Patent, Trademark and Copyright Searches

For a basic understanding of how to protect your idea, go to http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu and click on “Inventing 101” for an online course for inventors that covers the basics of trademark, copyright and patent protection.

Individuals can easily do preliminary patent and trademark searches at:
Denver Public Library
Business and Government Documents Section
10 West 14th Avenue Parkway
Denver, CO 80204
303-640-6220

Or go to the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office website at www.uspto.gov
To receive a patent application form contact the Assistant Commissioner of Trademarks, Washington, D.C., 20231
703-308-4357 or 1-800-786-9199
or download the application at www.uspto.gov

Additional sources to search are: Secretary of State www.sos.state.co.us and Internet Search Engines. Comprehensive searches via Thomson & Thomson are available through law firms.

Back to top

Copyright Registration

To receive a copyright application form and more information, contact:
Copyright Office-Registrar
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20231
202-707-3000 (ask for information packet #115)
www.lcweb.loc.gov/copyright

Back to top

Trademark Registration

If your trademark is used in Colorado, the trademark is registered with the Colorado Secretary of State:
Colorado Secretary of State
Corporation Section
1560 Broadway, Ste. 200
Denver, CO 80202
303-894-2251
www.sos.state.co.us

If your trademark is used in more than one state, it is registered with:
Assistant Commissioner of Trademarks
U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
2900 Crystal Dr.
Arlington, VA 22202-3513
1-800-786-9199
www.uspto.gov

Back to top

Inventors Information and Education
The Rocky Mountain Inventors and Entrepreneurs Congress (RMIC) is a non-profit organization which offers seminars and workshops in all phases of the inventing process. Contact the RMIC at 303-670-3760 or at www.rminventor.org

Inventor Assistance Source Directory, a nationwide directory compiled for Inventions and Innovation Division U.S. Department of Energy by Pacific Northwest Laboratory
P.O. Box 999, K8-11, Richland, WA 99352
509-372-4328
Click here to download pdf.

Back to top

Small Business On-line Resources

Colorado Small Business Development Centers
www.coloradosbdc.org
Listing of SBDC’s in Colorado with contact information
Internet Resources including government offices, organizations on financing programs, minority certification, procurement and a variety of information resources
- Colorado Business Resource Guide
- Workshops offered by SBDC’s
- Business Plan Guide

SBDCNET, Small Business Development Centers,
National Information Clearinghouse
http://sbdcnet.utsa.edu
A portal to the most comprehensive and practical small business resources for entrepreneurs. Includes: business startup, demographics, statistics, company research, inventing, veterans, international trade, home business, small business trends, business plans, marketing, government procurement, franchising, minorities and women, tax information etc.

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA)
www.sba.gov
The SBA website is a complete small business resource
that includes: Small business training calendar for Colorado;
Forms for SBA, IRS and OSHA; Information for starting, financing and managing a business; SBA loan programs:
Franchise registry, E-books and small business management publications;
Free business startup guide.

SCORE (Senior Core of Retired Executives)
www.score.org
Affiliated with the US Small Business Administration. Mentors to small business. The Business Resource Index has many links to useful sites with amortization tables, templates for a business plan, copyright research, demographic data, etc.

SCORE, Denver Chapter
www.scoredenver.org
Small business workshop schedule
303 844-3985

Inc. Magazine (How to start & run your business)
www.inc.com

Kauffman Foundation (Entrepreneur resources)
www.entreworld.com

My Own Business
www.myownbusiness.org
Non-commercial site that offers a free online course in starting a business and developing a business plan

Wall Street Journal Center for Entrepreneurs
www.startupjournal.com
Toolkit includes tools such as: starting costs calculator, cash flow calculator and sample business plans. Capability of trademark searching for Federal, Canadian and European trademarks and domain names. Business opportunities –businesses and franchises for sale.

Back to top