Change legal or Doing Business As (DBA) name

Use the following info to change your legal filing name or Doing Business As (DBA) name with the government agencies and in your payroll account.

What's the difference between legal and (DBA) names?

Your company legal name is the name you use when you file and pay your federal and state payroll taxes. Your DBA name is your trade name – the name your customers know you by.

When you set up your company for Full Service Payroll, you'll need to provide us with your company legal name and address so we can file and pay federal and state payroll taxes on your behalf.

Be sure to enter your legal name and address exactly as provided to the federal and state agencies.

Not sure where to find your legal name and address? Check correspondence or any forms you've filed with the agency, or you can contact the IRS or your state agency.

Change your legal filing name

If your name change is part of an entity change and you received a new EIN, see Change business entity type for instructions.

  1. Contact your state agencies to register your name change.
  2. Contact the IRS to register your name change.
    How?
    1. Write the IRS a letter requesting your business legal name change. The letter must include:
      • Current legal business name
      • Filing address
      • Federal EIN
      • Request to have your current legal business name to be changed to the new one

      The request to change the business name must be signed by an authorized person. Additionally, partnerships and corporations must include a copy of the Articles of Amendment that were filed with the state that authorized the name change.

    2. Mail the letter to the IRS.
      If you are located in Mail to
      Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, WisconsinDepartment of Treasury BMF Entity Internal Revenue Service Cincinnati, OH 45999
      Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wyoming Department of Treasury BMF Entity Internal Revenue Service Ogden, UT 84201
  3. If you don't get a response within 30 days, contact the IRS at 800.829.4933.
  4. Fax us details of your your name change.
    Be sure to include:

Change your DBA (or trade) name

Your DBA name (also known as trade name) is the business name that's known by the public.

  1. Contact your state agencies to register your name change.
  2. Fax us details of your your name change. Be sure to include: