Promote:
Invest in Ohio
A short guide for companies expanding into Ohio: the economy at a glance, the rules and steps to set up, and who can help, each with its source.
1. Ohio at a glance
PopulationEstimate
11.9 million
The population was 11,900,510 as of July 1, 2025.
Source: Census Bureau, state population estimates, July 1, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDP
US$976.9 billion
GDP was US$976,871.7 million in 2025, in current dollars.
Source: BEA, GDP by state, 2025 (annual update, September 2026) (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
GDP per person
US$82,087
GDP per person was US$82,086.5 in 2025, in current dollars, computed from BEA's GDP and the Census Bureau's population estimate.
Source: BEA, GDP by state, 2025 (annual update, September 2026) (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Real GDP growth
2.4%
Real GDP growth was 2.4 percent in 2025, BEA's published percent change.
Source: BEA, GDP by state, 2025 (annual update, September 2026) (opens in a new tab) · as of 2025
Currency and inflation: see the United States at a glance
2. Before you set up
The body that handles foreign investment, any one-stop route, Ohio’s limits on foreign ownership and the zones, as the guide found them.
SelectUSA names JobsOhio as the state economic development organization for Ohio.
Source: ITA, SelectUSA state development organizations, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 2, 2026
Ohio's tax guide lists Secretary of State filing, two tax portals, workers' compensation, unemployment and licensing as separate registrations.
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2026
Ohio's Save Our Farmland and Protect Our National Security Act bars persons on a Secretary of State registry from owning agricultural land, effective October 3, 2023. Check the registry before you buy.
Source: Ohio State University Farm Office, Ohio farmland law summary (opens in a new tab) · as of November 9, 2023
The Foreign-Trade Zones Board's 2024 annual report lists 9 foreign-trade zones in Ohio.
Source: Foreign-Trade Zones Board, 2024 annual report, Appendix D (opens in a new tab) · as of 2024
Investment rules across the United States: see Invest in the United States
3. Steps to set up
The main steps, in order, each with the body responsible and its official page.
Setting up in Ohio
- Register the company with the Ohio Secretary of State, which the Department of Taxation guide names as the first step for a new business entity.Ohio Secretary of StateOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2026
- Register for employer and school district withholding tax in Ohio TAX eServices if you hire people to work in Ohio.Ohio Department of TaxationWithin 15 days of when liability beginsOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2026
- Register for a county or transient vendor's license if you make taxable retail sales or provide taxable services.Ohio Department of TaxationOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2026
- Register for the Commercial Activity Tax through the Gateway if your taxable gross receipts sitused to Ohio exceed US$6 million.Ohio Department of TaxationWithin 30 days of becoming subject to the taxOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2026
Show 3 more set-up steps
- Buy a workers compensation policy before you hire employees, and register for unemployment compensation tax with the Department of Job and Family Services.Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation; Ohio Department of Job and Family ServicesOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2026
- Check licenses, permits and registrations your business needs with the Ohio Department of Commerce, which issues them.Ohio Department of CommerceOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of 2026
- Contact JobsOhio about sites, incentives and its international consultants for your project.JobsOhioOfficial page (opens in a new tab)
Source: JobsOhio, International Investment page, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 2, 2026
Steps that apply across the United States: see Invest in the United States
4. Organizations that help investors
Start with JobsOhio. Each card links to the organization’s own site.
Each card says what it can help with:Get adviceFind financeMeet requirementsResearch markets
Investment and business setup
- Get advice
State economic development corporation
JobsOhio
Helps companies choose Ohio sites, line up incentives and reach international consultants before a move or expansion.
Visit JobsOhio (opens in a new tab)Source: JobsOhio, International Investment page, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 2, 2026
Customs and tax
- Meet requirements
State tax authority
Department of Taxation
Ohio Department of Taxation
Registers employers and vendors for state taxes and publishes a small business tax guide that lists the other agencies a new Ohio business meets.
- Meet requirements
Port authority
Port of Cleveland
Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority
Holds the grant for Foreign-Trade Zone 40 and describes cargo terminal and development financing services.
Visit Port of Cleveland (opens in a new tab)Source: Port of Cleveland, Foreign Trade Zone page, 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of June 25, 2025
Show 2 more organizations
- Meet requirements
Port authority
Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority
Holds the grant for Foreign-Trade Zone 8 and offers bond, loan and capital lease financing for projects in Northwest Ohio.
- Get advice
Port authorities association
Ohio Port Council
Ohio Council of Port Authorities
Describes how Ohio's port authorities own and finance sites and buildings for companies.
Visit Ohio Port Council (opens in a new tab)Source: Ohio Council of Port Authorities, home page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 3, 2026
Chambers and industry associations
- Get advice
State manufacturers' association
Ohio Manufacturers Association
Ohio Manufacturers' Association
Represents manufacturers on legislative and regulatory issues and offers members webinars and workers compensation management services.
- Get advice
District export council
Northern Ohio DEC
Northern Ohio District Export Council
Business leaders appointed by the Secretary of Commerce who advise Northern Ohio exporters and list export events on the shared Ohio council site.
Visit Northern Ohio DEC (opens in a new tab)Source: Ohio District Export Councils, home page, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 3, 2026
Show 1 more organization
- Get advice
District export council
Southern Ohio DEC
Southern Ohio District Export Council
Business leaders appointed by the Secretary of Commerce who advise Southern Ohio exporters and list export events on the shared Ohio council site.
Visit Southern Ohio DEC (opens in a new tab)Source: Ohio District Export Councils, home page, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 3, 2026
5. Worth knowing
Imports exceed exports
The Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland reports Ohio's 2024 imports exceeded its exports by US$29.4 billion, with chemicals and transportation equipment among the largest import categories.
What to do: Check duty rates on imported inputs before you price exports.
Source: Cleveland Fed, Ohio international trade brief, November 2025 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 2, 2026
Reserved sectors
Ohio bars persons on a Secretary of State registry from owning agricultural land under a law effective October 3, 2023, and land acquired before that date is not covered.
What to do: Check the registry and the current statute before you buy farmland.
Sources: Ohio State University Farm Office, Ohio farmland law summary (opens in a new tab); Ohio State University Farm Office, farmland law topic page (opens in a new tab) · as of November 2, 2026
Commercial activity tax
Ohio's Commercial Activity Tax applies to taxable gross receipts above US$6 million a year since January 1, 2025, and receipts from goods delivered outside Ohio are not taxable.
What to do: Ask the Department of Taxation how your receipts are assigned to Ohio before you register.
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 2, 2026
School district income tax
Ohio employers must withhold school district income tax for employees who live in a taxing school district, and pay it separately from state withholding.
What to do: Check each employee's school district before you run payroll.
Source: Ohio Department of Taxation, Small Business Tax Guide, 2026 (opens in a new tab) · as of November 2, 2026
Across the United States: see Worth knowing in Invest in the United States
6. How Promote:Global helps
- Compare the United States with other countriesSet the United States beside other countries on investment momentum, fundamentals and trade access, before site, tax and legal work.
- Find advisors and service firmsAsk an advisory firm a scoped, paid question, or browse firms that list their own services, from legal work to logistics.
- Organize your next stepsKeep each product and market in a project, with a roadmap of steps you work through.
Turn this guide into your Ohio project.
Use Promote:Global to explore markets, understand requirements and organize your next steps.
Promote:Ohio is an independent guide by Promote:Global, not an official government portal. The organizations named here are independent public and membership bodies, not Promote:Global partners, and every link goes to their own site.
Facts read from public sources, with an editorial cut-off of November 3, 2026. Nothing here is investment, legal, tax or sanctions advice. Check current status with the organization before you rely on it.