Do I need an LLC or EIN before opening a Shopify store?

What Shopify actually requires to open a store

To create a Shopify account you need an email address, with no credit card required. There is no entity check, no EIN field, and no requirement for any business registration document.

You can sign up for the free trial and build the entire store before you make a single decision about business structure. Shopify's onboarding only starts asking entity-level questions once you activate Shopify Payments (the built-in card processor) or set up tax collection — and even then, "individual / sole proprietor" is a first-class option.

Choosing a structure is a different errand from being licensed to trade, and the second one is set by government rather than by Shopify — federally for the activities the SBA lists, and otherwise by your state, county or city. Whether you need a business license to sell on Shopify is answered separately, together with the seller's permit, which is a different document.

When you'll need an EIN

An EIN (Employer Identification Number) is a free, IRS-issued tax ID for US businesses. You need one to activate Shopify Payments under any registered business entity — Sole Proprietorship (with EIN), Single-Member LLC, Multi-Member LLC, partnership, or corporation — all of which require an EIN.

The only exception is the Individual business type, which uses your SSN or ITIN. If you have not registered an EIN yet, select Individual — Shopify reserves "Sole Proprietorship" for single-person businesses that already hold one.

One caveat before you rely on an EIN alone: registering with an EIN doesn't remove the SSN question, because Shopify still verifies the identity of the people behind the business — does Shopify need your SSN covers exactly when that number is required and what it's used for.

Outside of Shopify, an EIN is mandatory if you hire employees, run a multi-member LLC, or file certain excise taxes. For a business bank account, banks commonly accept a sole proprietor's SSN. Applying takes only a few minutes and is free directly from the IRS — never pay a third-party service for one.

When an LLC actually helps (and when it doesn't)

An LLC is a legal entity, not a Shopify requirement. Its main practical benefit is limited liability: if a customer sues over a product defect or you default on a business debt, your personal assets (home, savings, car) are generally protected.

Shopify's own guide on sole proprietorship vs. LLC is clear: a sole proprietorship is faster, cheaper, and simpler to file taxes for, while an LLC adds setup cost, annual state fees, and separate bookkeeping.

An LLC is rarely worth forming on day one for a store still validating product–market fit. It becomes worth it once you sell physical products with real injury risk (electronics, supplements, food, kids' products), once revenue covers the formation and accounting overhead, or once you take on a co-founder.

Sole proprietor vs LLC at launch

Unless you register another structure, you're a sole proprietor by default — and for Shopify Payments that maps to the Individual business type (SSN/ITIN, no EIN). You report store income on Schedule C of your personal tax return and skip state LLC filing fees.

Switching to an LLC later does not require migrating your Shopify store — you edit the business details and tax ID in your Shopify admin, and the change is re-run through Shopify's banking partners for verification. The SBA's business-structure guide is the clearest neutral primer if you're weighing sole proprietorship, LLC, S-corp, or partnership — read it before paying any LLC-formation service.

The practical sequence for a new Shopify store

A reasonable sequence for most US founders:

1. Open the Shopify free trial and build the store as an individual.
2. Activate Shopify Payments under the Individual business type using your SSN or ITIN so you can take orders.
3. Open a business bank account for the payouts right away — the SBA's advice is to do it as soon as you start accepting or spending money as your business, and since banks commonly accept a sole proprietor's SSN for it, this step does not wait for an LLC or EIN.
4. Once monthly revenue is consistent (a common editorial rule of thumb is roughly $2,000–$5,000/month, though the right threshold depends on your product liability profile), file for a free EIN at the IRS, form an LLC in your home state, and update Shopify Payments to the business entity and EIN.

Outside the US, the equivalents are your country's business registration number (a Companies House CRN in the UK, an ABN in Australia, an HRA/HRB Registernummer in Germany) and an Ltd / Pty Ltd / GmbH — Shopify Payments asks for whichever applies. Registering that number is a separate question from needing a licence to sell there at all.