compliance-checklist

name	compliance-checklist
description	Creates industry-specific regulatory compliance checklists with documentation requirements and audit preparation. Use when ensuring your business meets regulatory obligations.
allowed-tools	Read Write Glob
metadata	{"author":"Mamdouh Aboammar","version":"1.0"}

Compliance Checklist

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create a regulatory compliance checklist for your industry
• Identify compliance obligations for a new business or product launch
• Prepare for a compliance audit or review
• Document compliance procedures and responsible parties

DO NOT use this skill for legal advice or as a substitute for a compliance officer. This is a planning and tracking tool. Consult industry-specific legal counsel for complex compliance requirements.

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Core Principle

COMPLIANCE IS NOT OPTIONAL — IT IS THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN A REGULATED ENVIRONMENT. PROACTIVE COMPLIANCE IS CHEAPER THAN REACTIVE PENALTIES.

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Phase 1: Business and Industry Profile

Required Inputs

Input	What to Ask	Default
Industry	"What industry are you in? (e-commerce, health, finance, education, food, SaaS)"	No default — must be provided
Business model	"What do you sell or provide?"	No default — must be provided
Location	"Where are you based and where do you sell? (states, countries)"	United States
Customer type	"Who are your customers? (consumers, businesses, minors, patients)"	Consumers (B2C)
Data collected	"What personal or sensitive data do you collect?"	Name, email, payment info
Team size	"How many employees or contractors?"	1-10

GATE: Do not proceed without industry, business model, and location.

---

Phase 2: Universal Compliance

These apply to nearly all businesses. Check all that apply and complete accordingly.

## Universal Business Compliance

### Business Formation and Registration
- [ ] Business entity properly formed (LLC, Corp, etc.)
- [ ] Registered with Secretary of State
- [ ] EIN obtained from IRS
- [ ] State tax registration completed
- [ ] Local business license obtained (if required)
- [ ] DBA ("doing business as") filed (if using a trade name)
- [ ] Annual report filings current

### Tax Compliance
- [ ] Federal tax obligations identified (income, self-employment)
- [ ] State tax obligations identified (income, sales, franchise)
- [ ] Sales tax collection set up (if selling taxable goods/services)
- [ ] Sales tax nexus states identified
- [ ] Quarterly estimated tax payments scheduled
- [ ] 1099-NEC filing for contractors paid $600+
- [ ] W-2 filing for employees
- [ ] Payroll tax compliance (if employees)

### Employment and Contractor
- [ ] Worker classification correct (employee vs. contractor)
- [ ] Employment agreements in place
- [ ] I-9 forms completed for employees
- [ ] Workers' compensation insurance (if required by state)
- [ ] Anti-discrimination policies in place
- [ ] OSHA compliance (if applicable)
- [ ] Minimum wage and overtime compliance

### Data Privacy and Security
- [ ] Privacy policy published on website
- [ ] Cookie consent mechanism implemented (if EU visitors)
- [ ] CCPA compliance (if California customers and revenue >$25M or data thresholds)
- [ ] GDPR compliance (if EU customers)
- [ ] Data breach response plan documented
- [ ] PCI compliance (if processing credit cards)
- [ ] SSL/TLS certificate on website

### Consumer Protection
- [ ] Refund/return policy clearly posted
- [ ] Terms of service published
- [ ] FTC advertising guidelines followed (truthful, not deceptive)
- [ ] Testimonial and endorsement disclosures (FTC guidelines)
- [ ] Affiliate disclosures on all affiliate content
- [ ] CAN-SPAM compliance for email marketing
- [ ] Unsubscribe mechanism in all marketing emails

### Insurance
- [ ] General liability insurance
- [ ] Professional liability / E&O insurance (if providing services)
- [ ] Cyber liability insurance (if handling sensitive data)
- [ ] Product liability insurance (if selling physical products)

---

Phase 3: Industry-Specific Compliance

Select the applicable industry section and customize.

E-Commerce

## E-Commerce Compliance

- [ ] Sales tax collection in nexus states
- [ ] Marketplace facilitator laws compliance (if selling on Amazon, etc.)
- [ ] Product safety regulations (CPSC for consumer products)
- [ ] FTC labeling requirements (textiles, care labels, country of origin)
- [ ] ADA website accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA recommended)
- [ ] Shipping and delivery disclosures
- [ ] Subscription billing compliance (ROSCA / state auto-renewal laws)
- [ ] Import/export regulations (if international)

Health and Wellness

## Health/Wellness Compliance

- [ ] FDA regulations (supplements, health claims, labeling)
- [ ] FTC health claim restrictions (no unsubstantiated claims)
- [ ] HIPAA compliance (if handling protected health information)
- [ ] State licensing requirements (if providing health services)
- [ ] Disclaimer that content is not medical advice
- [ ] Informed consent procedures (if providing services)

Financial Services

## Financial Compliance

- [ ] State money transmitter licenses (if handling payments)
- [ ] SEC/FINRA registration (if providing investment advice)
- [ ] Anti-money laundering (AML) procedures
- [ ] Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures
- [ ] Financial disclaimer (not financial advice)
- [ ] State lending/usury laws (if offering financing)

SaaS / Technology

## SaaS/Technology Compliance

- [ ] SOC 2 Type I or II (if handling customer data)
- [ ] GDPR compliance (DPA, data subject rights, breach notification)
- [ ] CCPA compliance
- [ ] COPPA compliance (if under-13 users)
- [ ] App store compliance (Apple/Google requirements)
- [ ] Open source license compliance
- [ ] Accessibility (Section 508 / WCAG)
- [ ] Data residency requirements

Education / Courses

## Education/Course Compliance

- [ ] FTC earnings claims guidelines
- [ ] Refund policy (state requirements vary)
- [ ] ADA/accessibility for course content
- [ ] COPPA (if under-13 students)
- [ ] FERPA (if handling student educational records)
- [ ] State education provider registration (some states require)
- [ ] Testimonial/results disclaimers

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Phase 4: Compliance Management

## Compliance Tracking

### Compliance Calendar
| Obligation | Frequency | Due Date | Owner | Status |
|-----------|-----------|----------|-------|--------|
| [Annual report filing] | Annual | [Date] | [Who] | [Done/Pending] |
| [Sales tax filing] | [Monthly/Quarterly] | [Date] | [Who] | |
| [Privacy policy review] | Annual | [Date] | [Who] | |
| [Insurance renewal] | Annual | [Date] | [Who] | |
| [Tax return filing] | Annual | [Date] | [Who] | |

### Audit Preparation
- [ ] All compliance documentation organized and accessible
- [ ] Policies and procedures are current and dated
- [ ] Training records maintained
- [ ] Incident/complaint log up to date
- [ ] Third-party compliance certifications current

### Review Schedule
- Monthly: Tax filings, payroll compliance
- Quarterly: Privacy policy, advertising compliance, contractor classifications
- Annually: Full compliance audit, insurance review, license renewals

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Example: Online Course Business

Key compliance areas: Business registration (LLC in Texas), sales tax (economic nexus in 5 states), FTC earnings claims compliance (uses income examples in marketing), CAN-SPAM for email list, privacy policy + cookie consent for website, CCPA compliance (California customers), refund policy posted, affiliate disclosures on recommended tools, testimonial disclaimers.

Gaps identified: No earnings disclaimer on sales pages, no CCPA "Do Not Sell" link, sales tax not collected in 2 nexus states.

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Anti-Patterns

• Assuming compliance is a one-time task — regulations change. Review compliance at least annually.
• Copying a competitor's policies — their compliance obligations may differ from yours. Build from your specific situation.
• Ignoring state-level requirements — many compliance obligations vary by state (sales tax, employment law, licensing). Do not assume federal compliance is enough.
• No documentation — if you cannot prove compliance, you are not compliant in the eyes of an auditor.
• Waiting until you get caught — fines and penalties far exceed the cost of proactive compliance.

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Recovery

• Discovered a compliance gap: Address it immediately. Document the gap, the remediation steps, and the completion date. Proactive remediation is viewed favorably.
• Received a regulatory notice: Consult an attorney immediately. Respond within the specified timeframe. Do not ignore it.
• Operating without required licenses: Apply immediately. Most regulatory bodies prefer voluntary compliance over enforcement.
• No compliance documentation: Start documenting now. Create a compliance folder and begin building records going forward.

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