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Open a business bank account

Get a bank account in the business name so company money never mixes with personal money.

About 45 min · moderate · free

Do these first

You can read this step now, but it will not work until those are done.

Why this matters

Mixed money is the single most common cause of painful bookkeeping and weak liability separation.

What we'd use

Working out what fits your situation…

Doing it

Step by step

  1. Gather the documents

    Formation approval, EIN letter, personal identification, and a description of what the business does.

  2. Apply in the business name

    Names must match the state filing and the EIN letter character for character.

  3. Fund it and test it

    Move a small amount in, confirm it lands, and note the account details for payouts later.

Official help

Get your AI to help

Hand this to your AI

Open a business bank account

Prepare the owner to apply successfully for a business account and to keep business money separate.

How should it behave?

It stops and asks you before going further: Stop before applying. Do not promise approval - state clearly that the bank decides.

Legal, tax and financial rules differ by state and change. This is process guidance, not legal, tax or financial advice - for a binding answer, use the official agency source or a licensed professional in your state. Any tool named is a suggestion to evaluate, not a requirement.

You're done when

An account in the legal business name is open and you can log in and see a balance.

  • A business bank account is open and funded

    Account is in the business name, not your personal name.

    Not yet

  • You can spend from the business account (optional)

    Debit card or transfer access confirmed.

    Not yet

Check it worked: Send a small transfer in and confirm it arrives.

Almost there

Still to confirm: A business bank account is open and funded.

If it goes wrong

Applications are declined for mismatched names, missing EIN letters, or unsupported business types. Fix the document mismatch before reapplying elsewhere.

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