When “Required” Business Notices Are Really Sales Pitches

Jeremy Springer
13 minutes ago
3 min read

Owning a business means receiving a steady stream of mail, and some of it can look remarkably official. An envelope arrives with an official-sounding company name, a seal, a document number, a response deadline, or bold language such as “Required by Law.” There may even be warnings about penalties for failing to act.

That does not necessarily mean the notice came from the government, or that you need to purchase what it is selling.

Black-and-white close-up of an overflowing mailbox stuffed with stacked letters.

Some of these notices are outright scams. Others are advertisements for legitimate products or convenience services, but they are presented in a way that creates urgency and makes the purchase seem mandatory. The Federal Trade Commission has specifically warned small businesses about government impersonation tactics, unnecessary compliance products, and solicitations for workplace posters that businesses can obtain free from the government.

"Required to Have" Does Not Always Mean Required to Buy

This distinction is especially important when it comes to employment law posters.

Depending on your business and employees, federal and state laws may require certain notices to be displayed in the workplace. That requirement is real. What is not required is purchasing those notices from whichever company happened to send you a solicitation.

The U.S. Department of Labor provides its required federal workplace posters free of charge and even offers an online Poster Advisor to help employers determine which federal posters apply to them. The Oklahoma Department of Labor also makes state workplace posters available online for Oklahoma employers. OSHA provides its required workplace safety poster free as well and specifically tells employers they do not need to pay a third-party vendor for it.

There is nothing wrong with paying for convenience. Many established office-supply, payroll, HR, and compliance companies sell consolidated posters that combine commonly required notices into one professionally printed product. For some businesses, that may be easier than downloading and printing individual posters.

The key is that you should be making that purchase intentionally, not because an unsolicited mailing convinced you that buying its particular product was your only way to comply with the law.

The Same Rule Applies to Other Business Documents

Employment posters are not the only example.

An Employer Identification Number, or EIN, is a legitimate and often necessary business document. But the IRS issues EINs directly to eligible businesses for free and specifically warns that you never have to pay a fee to obtain one. A third-party company may charge you for the convenience of completing the process, but that is a service fee, not an IRS requirement.

Certificates of good standing, certificates of status, registrations, renewals, and other business records can generate similar solicitations. Some of those documents are necessary in particular circumstances. Others may not be needed at all. The FTC has warned businesses about official-looking solicitations that attempt to sell government documents or services by creating the impression that immediate payment is required.

Before You Pay, Take Five Minutes

When an unfamiliar business notice arrives, a little verification can save both money and frustration.

Read the entire notice, including the fine print. Look for words such as “advertisement,” “solicitation,” or statements explaining that the company is not affiliated with a government agency.
Verify the requirement independently. Visit the appropriate .gov website rather than relying solely on the phone number, website, or payment instructions included in the notice.
Ask whether you already have it. Your accountant, attorney, payroll provider, HR professional, or business records may already have the answer.
Ask whether you actually need it. A document can be legitimate without being necessary for your particular business.
Be cautious when urgency is part of the sales pitch. A response deadline printed by a private company is not automatically a government deadline.

Compliance requirements deserve attention. High-pressure sales tactics do not deserve panic.

At The Springer Company, we believe business owners should understand what they are paying for and why they need it before money changes hands. When something arrives that does not look quite right, taking a few minutes to verify it can help you avoid paying for something you do not need, already have, or could obtain directly for free.

Legal Disclaimer: This post contains general information for taxpayers and should not be relied upon as the only source of authority. Taxpayers should seek professional tax advice for more information. This information was current at time of posting; we are not responsible for updating this or any blog post/article for subsequent changes in the law or its interpretation.