For current info please visit detroitmi.gov
Treasury Clearances
What is a Treasury Clearance?
A Treasury Clearance validates that individuals and businesses do not owe money to the City of Detroit.
We check:
- Income Taxes
- Have you filed all required returns?
- Have you paid all amounts due?
- Have you paid and filed withholding for your employees?
- Current Year Property Taxes
- Blight Tickets
- Outstanding invoices for:
- Building Inspections fees
- Fire Inspection Fees
- Other accounts receivable
- Delinquent Personal Property
Who needs a Treasury Clearance?
All Detroit-based businesses that need a business license, and those individuals and businesses who conduct business directly with the City of Detroit.
- Do you need a business license?
- Are you a vendor or a prospective vendor of the City?
- Are you seeking a Detroit Based Certification?
- Are you a contractual City employee?
- Are you a Casino worker?
If you answer YES to any of the above, you need a Treasury Clearance
How do you get a Treasury Clearance?
- Gather your information
- Company name, address and tax ID number
- Tax filing type (individual, corporation or partnership)
- Do you have employees? If yes, do they receive a 1099 or W2 from you?
- How long you have worked within Detroit city limits or worked with the City of Detroit governmental entity? If you have not yet started when do you plan to?
- Fill out the application in the link below.
Note: The application should be completed by someone who is familiar with your entity and who has authorization to receive tax information. Preferably an owner/principal with knowledge of the tax structure.
- You will need to select from the following application types (see below for more information on each type):
- Individual
- Business
- Corporation
- Partnership
- Sole Proprietor/Single Member LLC
- Limited Liability Company (LLC)
- Nonprofit
- You will need to complete two “pages”.
Note: Both pages are required in order to complete your application.
Page 1 – Application
Page 2 – A Docusign form to securely submit your EIN or SSN
What happens after you submit your application?
- The Clearances team will process your application. Status updates sent within 5-7 business days.
- If you are missing income tax returns or have an amount due to the City, your application will be denied. You will receive an email with the status of your clearance and information on how to remedy the denial.
- If all returns have been filed and no amounts are due, you will be approved. You will receive an email notifying you of approval.
- If you believe that you’ve received a denial in error, contact us!
Individual
Individual Clearance Application
A person who is looking to do business with the City of Detroit but is not applying on behalf of a business. All residents of the city are required to submit an individual income tax return and all non-residents who earn income in the city are required to submit a return.
Business
Please select the type of business entity that is applying.
Corporation
Corporate Clearance Application
A corporation filing is a separate form from its owners (shareholders) in terms of income taxes. A corporation pays income taxes by filing a corporate tax return and paying the taxes as indicated by the return. All corporations must file an income tax return whether or not they have taxable income.
Partnership
Partnership Clearance Application
A Partnership files an information return to report their income, gains, losses, deductions, credits, etc. A partnership does not pay tax on its income but “passes through” any profits or losses to its partners. Partners of a business must include partnership items on their tax or information returns.
Sole Proprietor/Single Member LLC
Sole Proprietor/Single Member LLC Application
A sole proprietor/single member LLC filing is a business that legally has no separate existence from its owner. Income and losses are taxed on the individual’s personal income tax return. It’s an entity which is run and owned by one individual and where there is no distinction between the owner and the business.
Limited Liability Company (LLC)
A LLC filing is where the owner reports business income and losses on their personal tax returns. A LLC has the pass-through taxation style of a partnership or sole proprietorship yet has the benefit of personal limited liability like a corporation.
Nonprofit
Nonprofit Clearance Application
Nonprofit corporations are those formed in which members may not receive any profits of the corporation. Some purposes for which nonprofit corporations are commonly formed are those involving religious, educational and charitable activities.
Estate/Trusts
Estates & Trust income tax returns are the same as an individual or business would file but for a decedent’s estate or living trust after his/her death. The report reports income, capital gains, deductions, and losses, but subject to somewhat different rules than those that apply to living individuals.
If you are applying on behalf of an individual, please use the Individual form above. If you are applying on behalf of a corporation, please use the corporation form above.
If you have any additional questions please contact:
Clearance Unit
(313) 224-3560