Getting A Tax Resale Certification Is One Of The Best Things You Can Do As An Entrepreneur
If you decide to start a business, a tax resale certificate can really save you money on taxes.
In short, a tax retail certificate allows you not to pay sales tax on items that you plan to resell. This can also apply to supplies that are going to be used in products that you will resell, such as wood for a cabinet.
However, the process can be difficult and the rules are different for each state. That is why TaxResaleCertificate should do all the hard work for you. We can make sure that you get all the advantages of a tax resale certificate without having to deal with the hassle of government red tape. Let us handle the hard stuff so you can proceed to run your business with confidence. Make sure you check out our second blog in this series so you can learn even more valuable information about tax resale certificates.
Why Register For A Tax Resale Certificate In Florida?
There are many advantages to having a tax resale certificate in the Sunshine State. First, if you have any type of retail business in Florida that sells items to consumers, you are required by state law to collect Florida Sales Tax. This will require you to register with the Florida Department of Revenue for a Florida Resale Certificate.
What Is A Florida Resale Certificate
It is critical that you understand that tax resale certificates can also be used on items that will be resold. Office supplies, such as new computers for your employees, would not fall under the category of retail. It would be considered fraud not to pay sales tax on these items. In California, the State Board of Equalization, known as the BOE or the SBE, imposes sales tax on the sale at retail of tangible personal property.
If this is confusing for you, just think of tax resale certificates as state tax exemption certificates. Some states actually call them exemption certificates or reseller’s permits. Purchasers who are engaged within the business of selling tangible personal estate may issue resale certificates when purchasing items they’re going to sell within the regular course of their business operations. When a seller accepts a legitimate resale certificate that is presented in good faith and during the proper time period, the seller does not owe tax on that sale. CDTFA-230, General Resale Certificate, is often issued by purchasers when purchasing goods they’re going to resell within the regular course of their business operations.
Generally, resale certificates are used:
- When purchasing finished items that are for resale.
- When buying materials which will become a physical part of an item that will be held for resale.
- When purchasing items which will be solely for demonstration or display while holding them for sale in the regular course of business operations.
Purchasers can not use a resale certificate when buying a product they will:
- Use rather than sell*,
- Use in their business before they sell it,
- Use for a personal purpose, or
- Hold as an investment for appreciation in value and for sale in the future.
How Do I Know If I Need To Register For A Florida Resale Certificate?
You have to register if your business has nexus to the state.
The definition of sales nexus can vary greatly from state to state. Here is a list of the different ways in which states can determine sales tax nexus:
- Click-Through Nexus legislation
- Affiliate Nexus legislation
- Marketplace Nexus legislation
- Notice and Reporting Requirements
- Economic Nexus
Click-Through Nexus legislation- This usually requires a remote seller to meet a minimum sales requirement in the state resulting from an in-state referral agent who is a resident of the state. The agent must be making commission payments to the referral agent for any sales that are the result of the click-through referrals from the agent’s website.
Affiliate Nexus legislation– A remote retailer holds a substantial interest or is owned by a retailer that is located within the state and sells a similar type of product under a similar business name. Instate retailers can also be used to promote or market the product to in-state customers. Affiliate nexus does not require common ownership and may not include services such as sales and delivery.
Marketplace Nexus legislation– This definition applies to marketplace facilitators who operate a business in the state and provides e-commerce infrastructure, customer service, payment processing, and marketing services to individual sellers. The facilitator is the one that is required to register with the state and collect the sales tax rather than the individual sellers.
Notice and Reporting Requirements– This legislation requires that a retailer does not collect the state sales tax themselves but notify their buyers that they must report state use tax on all their purchases. The retailer might be required to send the purchaser a statement of all their purchases.
Economic Nexus- An out-of-state retailer generally is required to collect and remit sales tax once the retailer meets a set level of sales transactions or gross receipts activity (a threshold) within the state. No physical presence is required.
To find out more about state sales tax please visit the sales tax institute.
That Is Why We Are Here To Help
It is understandable that all this information can be very daunting. Not correctly understanding sales tax and the benefits of a tax resale certificate can lead to a great deal of trouble. A retailer could lose out on extremely beneficial sales tax exemptions status. A savvy business owner will understand that having a tax resale certificate will save them a good deal of money but leave the actual headache of registration to someone else.
On the other hand, misunderstanding and not paying the correct sales tax to a state government could very much hurt a business’s standing and reputation. At Tax Resale Certificate, we make the process as easy as possible. Just take advantage of our user-friendly interface to help take the headache of applying for a tax resale certificate off your plate.