Why You Must Do It
When you acquire a business, the legal structure changes—new ownership, new entity, possibly new tax ID. But your Amazon Seller account remains tied to the original legal entity. If you operate while the entity is out-of-date, you risk compliance issues, payment delays, and verification flags. Marketplace Valet+1
1) Common Scenarios Where Change Is Needed
- You bought a brand and transferred ownership to a newly-formed LLC.
- Your business converted from sole proprietor to corporation.
- You merged entities and the business legal owner changed.
- You corrected previously incorrect legal/business information.
2) Step-by-Step Process
Step 1: Gather Required Documents
- New legal entity registration (Articles of Organization/Incorporation)
- Tax ID/EIN tied to new entity
- Updated bank details under the new entity name
- Proof of identity, address (if Amazon requests verification)
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Step 2: Login & Navigate to Legal Entity Section
- Settings → Account Info → Business Information → Legal Entity.
- Click Edit and enter new legal entity name, classification, tax info.
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Step 3: Retake Tax Interview
- After you change the legal entity, you’ll likely need to retake the Tax Interview in Seller Central.
- Amazon uses this to verify tax info and ensures matching documentation.
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Step 4: Submit Verification & Monitor
- Upload documents if requested; check notifications in Seller Central.
- Ensure your bank account, payments, and tax information clear without holds.
- Monitor your account health, payments, Buy Box, listing visibility.
Step 5: Communicate Internally
- Notify your compliance, accounting and operations teams about the entity change.
- Update internal dashboards, tax filings, bank authorizations, and ACH distributions.
3) Risks of Getting It Wrong
- Payment holds or delayed has-funds. shopkeeper.com+1
- Tax compliance issues with IRS or local authorities.
- Listing suppression due to mismatched entity or verification failures.
- Inability to enroll new features (Brand Registry, Sponsored Brands) due to inconsistency across legal name/tax ID.
4) 30/60/90-Day Transition Plan
Days 1–30:
- Map current legal entity usage and documentation.
- Determine target entity and gather all docs.
- Submit initial change request and retake tax interview.
Days 31–60:
- Verify bank account under new entity, monitor sales, Buy Box stability.
- Update internal systems (accounting, tax, reporting) to reflect new entity.
Days 61–90:
- Confirm all ads, listings, permissions operate under new entity.
- Archive old entity documentation; update trademark/ownership records if needed.
- Conduct audit/log of changes and compliance review.
Final Thoughts
Changing your Amazon legal entity after acquiring a business is not a “nice-to-do”—it’s essential. Do it early, do it right, and you’ll avoid disruption. Miss it, and you could face delays, risks, and lost time. Follow the process above, stay compliant, and the transition will be seamless.
