Savannah · Chatham County
Starting a business in Savannah: LLC filing and the local occupation tax certificate
Your company is formed once with the Georgia Secretary of State ($110 on eCorp). Then Savannah taxes the right to operate locally. Savannah issues a business tax certificate instead of a license.
State filing
$110 (O.C.G.A. 14-11)
Local office
City of Savannah Revenue Department
Local fee
Bracket-based
Annual state filing
$60, Jan 1 to Apr 1
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Georgia filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount the state bills, and anyone can file directly on eCorp for no service fee.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Georgia filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount the state bills, and anyone can file directly on eCorp for no service fee.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Georgia filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount the state bills, and anyone can file directly on eCorp for no service fee.
Where Savannah businesses get licensed
City of Savannah Revenue Department, Business and Alcohol Regulations Unit.
Address: 305 Fahm Street, Savannah, GA 31401 (mail: P.O. Box 1228, Savannah, GA 31402). Phone: (912) 651-6445. How to apply: Business Tax Application filed with the Revenue Department after Business Location Approval.
Official sourceHow Savannah calculates occupation tax
Savannah issues a business tax certificate instead of a license. The tax is set by your profitability class (A through F) and your gross-receipts bracket on the city's Business Tax Schedule. New businesses estimate receipts for the rest of the calendar year and the tax is prorated; administrative and regulatory fees are not.
Administrative fee: Bracket-based; the 2026 schedule starts at $85 for a Class A business with up to $30,000 in receipts. Georgia lets cities set these under the occupation tax law in O.C.G.A. Title 48, Chapter 13, so every city's formula is different.
Official sourceSolve this in 5 minutes
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Georgia filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount the state bills, and anyone can file directly on eCorp for no service fee.
Step-by-step: from LLC to Savannah certificate
- Do not sign a lease yet: confirm zoning and life-safety approval through Development Services' Business Location Approval first.
- Home-based? Select Home Occupation on the Business Location Approval and sign the Home Occupation Agreement.
- Form your Georgia LLC so the certificate can be issued in the company name.
- Submit the Business Tax Application to the Revenue Department with your estimated receipts for the remainder of the year.
- Renew each year by January 31 (the certificate expires December 31).
Name or owner change means a new approval
If you convert a sole proprietorship to an LLC, Savannah treats it as a change of ownership and asks for a new Business Location Approval so the right owner is on file. Form the LLC before opening to avoid doing the process twice.
Worked example: A Starland District coffee roaster forming an LLC and expecting under $30,000 in receipts in its first partial year
Restaurants and food sellers also need Chatham County Health Department permits; food trucks pay a separate $150 annual mobile unit fee.
Next year: the Georgia annual registration is $60 between January 1 and April 1 (late adds $25). We file it for $149 plus the state fee.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Corp USA Starter package | $149 |
| Georgia Articles of Organization (state fee at cost) | $110 |
| Savannah business tax, Class A, $1 to $30,000 bracket (2026 schedule, before proration) | $85 |
| Known day-one total | $344 |
Doing it yourself vs. having us file
| Task | DIY on eCorp | With Corp USA |
|---|---|---|
| Name check and Articles | You | We prepare and file same day |
| Registered agent | Your address goes public | Our Georgia address, $199/yr |
| EIN | You, on irs.gov | Included in Pro and Complete |
| Annual registration reminders | You | We track the April 1 window |
Frequently asked questions
Is a Savannah business tax certificate the same as a business license?
Effectively yes. The city calls it a business tax certificate, issued under Article Y of its Revenue Ordinance in lieu of a license.
SourceMy business is outside the city in unincorporated Chatham. Who licenses me?
Chatham County's Building Safety and Regulatory Services Licensing Division handles unincorporated Chatham. Tybee Island, Pooler, Garden City and the other cities run their own.
SourceDoes my Savannah LLC need to publish a newspaper notice?
No. In Georgia only corporations publish a notice of incorporation. An LLC files its Articles with the Secretary of State and is done at the state level.
SourceReady when you are
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Georgia filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount the state bills, and anyone can file directly on eCorp for no service fee.
Heads up: we are an independent company that prepares and submits Georgia filings for owners. We are not the Secretary of State and we do not give legal advice. Every state charge passes through at the exact amount the state bills, and anyone can file directly on eCorp for no service fee.