How to get a Resale License --- Sales Tax ID

@Christine: As stated in the article above - You apply for a sales tax ID and reseller certificate/license with your state tax department. For instance, if you are in New York, then you would go to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (either online, by phone or in person) and fill in the appropriate form.

If you do not know the site for you state tax department, you can try Googling it – Most states have an online form on their website these days. Most states also charge a small fee. This varies from state to state, but it's usually around $50.

If you can’t find any information online on how to get a seller permit, then just contact or visit your local County Clerk Office.

@naanaa: Tell the supplier that you are not going to resell in the USA, and that you will ship the goods to South Africa. They can help determine what documents will be required from you.

@Kristi: You need to confirm this directly with the wholesale suppliers, as wholesale pricing is granted for resellers, just not sure for cases when you need to use it to create a design or a product first, before you sell it. :) Yes, a resellers license will allow you to get the products in wholesale prices, since you are licensed to resell it and collect sales tax from your buyers.

@Lisa: A lot of people operate home-based businesses and there is no specific state law that would prevent the situation of your office in your apartment. However, you need to check you lease provision. It may prohibit the operation of a business from the leased premises, and in that case you need to decide on a business location. You will need a physical business location to apply for a reseller's permit.

@Michelle: With a reseller license, the suppliers pass on the product to you without the tax, at wholesale prices, therefore you will need to collect it from your buyers, so the tax is based on your sales, not on how much you purchased them for.

The requirements in sending in your sales tax vary per state. Some will ask you to send in your sales tax quarterly, while other states want this tax to be remitted every month. This schedule may also depend on the volume of sales you have as a seller.

It is quite easy to confirm these details by going to the state's website. Hope this helps! We wish you the best in your business.

@milesww2290: You may sometimes need a reseller license in order to purchase from a drop shipper. This wholesale drop shipper needs to show this proof to the government that they can sell you the goods without charging you sales tax. However, please note that not all of the drop shippers will ask for this license because the tax reporting structure varies from state to state. Learn more about the steps needed to start a drop shipping business from http://www.salehoo.com/blog/how-to-start-a-drop-shipping-business-in-5-easy-steps Cheers!

@Paola: I am not so sure how this will actually work and I am not happy to assume or give what could be incorrect information. I believe the box supplier will have a clearer idea of how sales tax collection would fall into this business set up, for this product. Kindly get in touch with them and let them know of this situation. Cheers!

@ady: You can apply for your sales tax ID and reseller certificate/license with your state tax department. For California go to http://www.boe.ca.gov/info/reg.htm

@Cassie-Rea: Sales tax returns may be filed on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis. For Missouri sales tax, you may find detailed information from Missouri sales tax

@Chelsea: Please note from the information provided above - The physical location of your business is what matters to the authorities, not where it is incorporated. So, if you are running your business from New York but have incorporated in Delaware, you will be collecting the New York rate of sales tax from New York buyers. You will be collecting sales tax from buyers within your state - Maryland Sellers are not required to collect sales tax on items shipped outside of the state, however buyers are technically required to pay "use tax" - to the state in which the good is purchased.

!Vanessa: The information is given from the article above. If you are in New York, then you would go to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance (either online, by phone or in person) and fill in the appropriate form.

@Tina: As stated above, if you are a US citizen buying wholesale goods from a wholesaler within the USA, then you will need this reseller license from the state in which your business is located. This does not cover buying the goods from HongKong.

@botrinics: The sales tax Id is also called a Retail or Reseller's License, State Sales Tax Id, Tax Id, Resale Number, Resale Certificate, or Vendor's License. And is mainly for sales tax collection purposes

This is different from the EIN/Federal Tax ID, which is used to identify a business entity. http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=98350,00.html

Cheers!

@Daniel: Oregon is among the states that do not collect sales tax, so you do not need to. For those out of state buyers who purchase from you, they will be charged a consumer’s use tax at their end. :).

@Vee: Info regarding the current fee can only be confirmed with www.tax.ny.gov
Sales Tax Information Center: (518) 485-2889

@Rachael: The reseller license is a certification that you are legally permitted to collect sales tax from your end costumers, and the suppliers are obliged to ensure that the taxes will be appropriately collected by the resellers, in their respective states, and that the resellers are certified to do so. That is the reason the New York supplier is asking that you provide a North Carolina sales tax license. As long as the sales tax gets collected /paid then you are on the right track.

@Lauren: You can pay this tax to the Ohio state on a monthly, quarterly or even semi-annual basis. And it doesn't matter if the business is based at home, the reseller's license is about collecting sales tax from your buyers. I have found a detailed information that can help you http://www.ehow.com/how_7530300_pay-quarterly-ohio-sales-tax.html
We wish you the best!

@Andreia: There is very little legislation in this area, such that a lot pf people do resell items they have purchased retail. It somehow makes sense that once you have purchased a product at retail it is yours to use as you choose. You can decide to sell it again, to use it or to give it away. Please take note however, that there are brands which are quite strict with their trademark and that you are not supposed to use the brand name in your ads/campaign. There are also companies which have exclusive licensing deals. For example, a specific brand only permits its items to be sold in certain retail outlets or salons. Companies also protect their brands by ensuring that their products don't get sold for less than a certain price, they stipulate a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP). You may tend to face troubles if you are not aware of these facts, plus the importing rules, taxes etc on the country you plan to sell to.
Custom duties are always paid for by the buyers, not by the sellers.
Hope this helps. :)