How to get a Florida Resale Certificate [2023 Guide]
A Florida Resale Certificate is a document that allows a business to purchase goods and services tax-free from suppliers for the purpose of reselling those goods and services. In order to use one, the retailer will need to provide a Florida Resale Certificate to their vendor.
Learn more about what a resale certificate is, how to get one, and more.
What is a Resale Certificate?
When retailers purchase products to resell, they often don’t pay sales tax to the supplier on the purchase. The sales tax will still be paid, but instead of the retailer paying sales tax, the retailer charges sales tax to their customer on the final value of the merchandise. The collected state sales tax is then sent by the retailer to the Florida Department of Revenue.
For instance, when a restaurant in Florida purchases ingredients and food supplies from a wholesaler to prepare meals for their customers, by having a resale certificate, the restaurant owner won’t have to pay sales tax on the purchase of these supplies. When a customer orders a meal in the restaurant, the establishment will charge sales tax to the customer based on the full price of the meal.
Throughout the course of the business day, the restaurant will accumulate sales tax from all their transactions with customers. Periodically, typically at the end of each quarter, the restaurant owner will collect all the sales tax that has been charged to the customers and send it to the state of Florida. This way, the sales tax is effectively paid by the final consumer, not by the businesses involved in the supply chain.
The purpose of the resale certificate is to provide evidence of why sales tax was not collected on a transaction. Similar names for a resale certificate include reseller number, seller’s permit, exemption certificate, wholesale license, sales tax exemption certificate, reseller’s permit, or reseller’s license. In order for the supplier to allow the tax-exempt purchase, the seller needs proof the buyer intends to resell the product by providing a valid resale certificate.
The sales tax exemption is only intended to be used for tangible personal property that will be resold and not intended for the tax-free purchase of items used in normal business operations such as paper, pens, etc.
Getting Started
Before a business starts selling products or providing taxable services, it must first get a Florida Sales Tax Permit from the Florida Department of Revenue. The Sales Tax Permit is sometimes referred to as a seller’s permit, sales tax certificate, resale license, sales tax number, or sales tax license.
Is a Resale Certificate the same as a Sales Tax Permit?
The Sales Tax Permit and Resale Certificate are commonly thought of as the same thing but they are actually two separate documents. The Sales Tax Permit allows a business to sell and collect sales tax from taxable products and services in the state, while the Resale Certificate allows the retailer to make tax-exempt purchases for products they intend to resell.
To get started be sure to register for a Florida Sales Tax Permit (sometimes referred to as a state tax ID or Form DR-1 Florida Business Tax Application)
After registering for the Sales Tax Permit, the Department of Revenue provides a Florida Certificate of Registration (Form DR-11) and Florida Annual Resale Certificate for Sales Tax (Form DR-13) to provide to the vendor.
Florida Resale Certificate FAQs
How much does a Resale Certificate cost in Florida?
Online registration is free, however, there is a $5 fee to register by mail.
Does a Florida Resale Certificate expire?
Florida Resale Certificates expire each year on December 31. Active businesses will have their certificate automatically reissued by the Florida Department of Revenue.
How often is Florida sales tax due?
Most new businesses are set up to file and pay sales and use tax quarterly, but depending on the amount of tax collected, your business may qualify for a different filing frequency.
Are sellers required to accept resale certificates?
Sellers are not required to accept resale certificates, however, most do. If the vendor doesn’t accept the certificate, the buyer will have to pay sales tax on the merchandise being purchased. In most cases, a credit is available when filing the Florida sales tax return.
If the seller is out-of-state, Florida is one of a few states that don’t recognize out-of-state resale certificates. In order to purchase tax-free from vendors in other states, the buyer will have to register for a sales tax permit in the seller’s state.
What steps should a business take to accept a resale certificate?
When a business is presented with a resale certificate, the burden of proof is on the seller dealer to verify that the buyer’s information is correct and to keep these records. Failing to verify this information may put the liability of paying Florida sales taxes on the seller.
Before accepting a resale certificate, a seller should:
Obtain a copy of the buyer’s Annual Resale Certificate. There are three methods to obtain a certificate.
Method 1: Have the buyer send a paper or electronic copy. The seller should retain a copy of this certificate for three years. The resale certificate should be kept on file by both the buyer and seller and is not filed with the state.
Method 2: For each sale, obtain a transaction authorization number using the buyer’s certificate number. A copy of the certificate isn’t needed when the authorization number is recorded with the invoice. To get the authorization number either dial 877-357-3725, visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s verification page, or use the FL Tax mobile app.
Method 3 – each calendar year, the seller can obtain annual vendor authorization numbers for regular customers who qualify to purchase tax-free. Visit the Certificate Verification page and upload a batch file for customer certificate verification.
Sellers are also responsible for examining the certificate and evaluating whether the goods sold are reasonably consistent with the purchaser’s line of business. For example, if the buyer’s business is a car dealership but they are wanting to purchase office supplies tax-free, the seller may want to investigate further.
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2 Responses
Great site! I have a question – Are these parameters the same in Florida if you sell online, on sites like Etsy? Do you have to collect sales taxes on sites like Etsy?
Hi Dee
The parameters are still similar, but the good news is that Etsy collects sales tax – https://startingyourbusiness.com/does-etsy-collect-sales-tax/. Even so, a Seller’s Permit is still required for businesses in Florida because you are operating a business in the state (called nexus)- https://startingyourbusiness.com/how-to-register-for-a-sales-tax-permit-in-florida/
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Greg