Washington compliance for growth-ready founders

I ran a focused web search for authoritative, up-to-date Washington state compliance guidance for growth-ready founders (LLC founders and US business owners). I prioritized official Washington government resources (Business.wa.gov, Department of Revenue, Secretary of State, Department of Labor & Industries, Employment Security Department, WA Paid Leave) and reputable practitioner summaries to extract practical, actionable items founders need to address when scaling in Washington.Summary of steps taken- Performed parallel web searches scraping official WA state sites and high-quality practitioner resources for 2024–2026 guidance on formation, registration, tax, employer obligations, licensing, and reporting (search terms included: "Washington Secretary of State LLC annual report fee 2025", "Washington B&O tax rates 2025", "Washington business licensing UBI register", "WA Paid Family Medical Leave employer requirements 2025", "Washington workers' comp L&I", "Washington foreign qualification LLC", "Washington sales tax nexus 2025", and BOI/FinCEN reporting).- Extracted and compressed relevant facts and procedural steps to create a checklist and guidance tailored to founders transitioning from startup to growth-stage (hiring, payroll setup, contractor classification, equity/fundraising considerations including BOI/FinCEN awareness).Key findings and actionable summary for Washington compliance (growth-ready founders)1) Entity formation and state registration- File formation documents with the Washington Secretary of State (Corporations and Charities Filing System - CCFS).

Typical fees: $200 online for an LLC certificate of formation (paper filing fees differ). Appoint a registered agent with a Washington physical address.- Foreign (out-of-state) businesses doing business in Washington must foreign-qualify and register with the Secretary of State.- File the initial/annual report with the Secretary of State: the initial report is due within 120 days of formation/authorization; subsequent annual reports are due each year by the end of the registration anniversary month (fees apply; late fees and administrative dissolution risk exist).2) Business licensing and tax registration (Department of Revenue)- Most businesses that expect $12,000+ in annual revenue, hire employees, sell taxable goods/services, or engage in certain regulated activities must register with the Washington Department of Revenue and obtain a Unified Business Identifier (UBI) and state business license.- Washington does not have a personal or corporate income tax but levies a Business & Occupation (B&O) tax (a gross receipts tax) and sales/use taxes where applicable; B&O tax rates depend on activity class and gross receipts.

Register on My DOR and set up filing frequencies and payment thresholds.- There is an initial business license application processing fee (examples shown in sources). Verify current fee schedules on the Department of Revenue site before filing.

Employer obligations when scaling (payroll and benefits)- Register for employer accounts and payroll taxes. Washington employer payroll accounts are set up via a Business License application; business information is forwarded to L&I and Employment Security to establish Workers’ Compensation and Unemployment Insurance accounts.- Workers’ compensation (L&I) coverage is generally required for most employers — registration and premium payments depend on industry classification, payroll, and whether owners qualify for coverage exemptions.- Unemployment Insurance (Employment Security Department) withholding and reporting obligations apply; register as an employer.- Washington Paid Family & Medical Leave

nearly all employers have responsibilities to report wages/hours and remit premiums each quarter; small employers (

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