Changing your Seller Entity

AI Summary

If your business structure changes, you must complete TikTok Shop’s ownership change process before updating legal and tax details. It applies to sellers moving between sole proprietor, corporation, or partnership structures. To proceed, the shop must be Normal, in Holiday Mode, with no ongoing withdrawals or deliveries, and the owner account already transferred. Submit the new entity’s exact business details plus a valid Novation Agreement; expect temporary fund freezes, bank account rebinding, and possible qualification resets.

artifacts_seller_entity_change_banner.pngIf your business structure has changed — such as moving from a sole proprietorship to a corporation or partnership — you must complete a formal entity change process to update your shop’s legal ownership and tax information.
This feature guide outlines the required eligibility criteria, documentation, and step-by-step instructions to ensure a smooth and compliant transition.
Supported change types:
From
Old Type
To
New Type
Sole proprietorIndividualCorporationCorporate
Sole proprietorIndividualPartnershipCorporate
Sole proprietorshipCorporateCorporationCorporate
Sole proprietorshipCorporatePartnershipCorporate
CorporationCorporateCorporationCorporate
CorporationCorporatePartnershipCorporate
PartnershipCorporateCorporationCorporate
PartnershipCorporatePartnershipCorporate

Ownership Change Process

Entity Ownership Criteria Acknowledgement

To begin the ownership transfer:
  1. Go to Qualification Center
  2. Click the "begin the process" link to start the ownership transfer process: image (88).png
  3. Complete the Entity Ownership Criteria Acknowledgement checklist
    1. You must confirm:
      • Shop status is: Normal
      • There are no ongoing withdraw orders
      • All prior entity withdraws are complete before the entity change starts
      • Your account is in Holiday Mode
        • Once Holiday Mode is turned on, your shop will not be able to make sales
        • Orders also cannot be in delivery during this period
      • You understand (and acknowledge) that funds for this account will be frozen after the entity switch request is submitted until 24 hours after approval (seller self check).
        • Note: Distribute all settled money to a current bank account if funds are needed before starting the entity transfer process.
      • There are no other shops in any other status but Active or Deactivated.
      • The owner account in Seller Center is transferred to the new entity prior to the entity change request
  4. Complete one-time password verification
  5. Select "Next" when done.

System Checks

  • The account health section will be confirmed as either 'normal' or will appear grayed out, and you will not be able to proceed until the issue is resolved.
  • The sale withdraw section will appear grayed out until there is no more ongoing, and you will not be able to proceed until the issue is resolved.
Note: If you refresh the page, re-check any previously completed items

After Checklist: What to Expect

You may encounter a few limitations as you await the approval of your submission.
  • Withdrawal Restrictions: After changing ownership, you cannot make withdrawals for 24 hours.
  • Bank Account Binding: All previous bank accounts will be unbound.
    • Please bind a new bank account under the new owner's name.
  • Brand Qualification: Previous Brand Qualifications will be invalid.
    • These products will be deactivated.
    • If you want to re-list products that need these qualifications, please apply for them again.
  • Category Qualifications: For certain product categories, Category Qualifications will be invalid.
    • These products will be deactivated.
    • To re-list them, you need to apply for Category Qualifications again.
  • Future Ownership Change Restrictions: After successfully changing ownership, you cannot request another ownership change for a period of time.

New Owner Information Check

After completing the checklist, you must submit the new entity’s information:
  • Company type (Corporation or Partnership)
  • Business details:
  • Legal company name
  • Business address
  • EIN
  • Operating address
  • Parent company (if applicable)
  • Primary representative information
  • UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner) information, if required
  • Product categories the new entity intends to sell
Note: Ensure all information matches official documentation exactly.

Novation Agreement Check

A Novation Agreement is required to legally transfer contractual rights from the original entity to the new entity.
This agreement:
  • Replaces the original business entity with the new one
  • Transfers all rights and obligations to the new entity
Please be sure to use the official Novation Agreement template provided to you.

Document requirements

The agreement must:
  • Be a high-quality scan or image
  • Show the full document (no cropped sections)
  • Include names, signatures, and addresses of both entities
  • Contract date is not older than 3 months
  • Include State of registration
  • Match Seller Center registration details exactly