How To Get A West Virginia Certificate of Exemption (Resale Certificate)

If you’re a West Virginia business owner, you can get a Certificate of Exemption and not pay sales tax on certain purchases. 

Learn more about what a Certificate of Exemption is (commonly known as a Resale Certificate or Sales Tax Exemption Certificate), how to get one, and more.

What is a Certificate of Exemption?

When retailers purchase products to resell, they often don’t pay state 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 sales tax is then sent by the retailer to the Virginia State Tax Department.

For example, when a home decor store in West Virginia orders a variety of designer lamps to sell in their store, the use of a Certificate of Exemption ensures the store owner won’t pay sales tax on this purchase. Sales tax becomes relevant when a retail customer buys the designer lamp from the store. At this point, the retailer applies the sales tax to the full price of the lamp.

The home decor store compiles the sales tax from all their transactions over a specific period, typically at the end of the month. Once the month concludes, the store transmits this collected sales tax to the state. This process effectively transfers the task of paying the sales tax from the retailer to the retail customer, with the retailer acting as an intermediary, accumulating and remitting the tax to the state.

The purpose of the certificate is to provide evidence of why sales tax was not collected on a transaction. Similar names for a Certificate of Exemption include a resale certificate, reseller number, seller’s permit, wholesale license, 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 for inventory that will be resold and not 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 state of West Virginia Sales and Use Tax Permit from the West Virginia State Tax Department. The Sales Tax Permit is sometimes referred to as a seller’s permit, sales tax number, or sales tax license.

Fillable SSTGB FORM F0003 Certificate of Exemption

How to fill out the West Virginia Certificate of Exemption – SSTGB FORM F0003

Filling out SSTGB FORM F0003 is pretty straightforward but is critical for the seller to gather all of the information. The SSTGB is short for the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board, where several states came together to agree on a common framework for which businesses collect and remit sales taxes. 

If audited, the West Virginia State Tax Department requires the seller to have a correctly filled out SSTGB FORM F0003 Certificate of Exemption.  Without it correctly filled out, the seller could end up owing sales taxes that should have been collected from the buyer in addition to penalties and interest.

Steps for filling out SSTGB FORM F0003 West Virginia Certificate of Exemption

Step 1 – Begin by downloading the West Virginia Certificate of Exemption Form SSTGB FORM F0003

Step 2 – Indicate whether the Multistate Supplemental form is being attached.  This is the second page of the exemption form.  Several states joined together under the Streamlined Sales Tax Agreement to accept one resale form to make it easier for merchants

Step 3 – Check whether the certificate is for a single purchase. Otherwise, the form is considered a blanket certificate which allows a buyer to purchase multiple times from a vendor without having to file a separate certificate.

Step 4 – Include the name, address, and State Tax ID Number.  If there is no State Tax ID Number, enter the purchaser’s FEIN and Driver’s license number.

Step 5 – Enter the name and address of the seller.

Step 6 – Check the box that corresponds closest to the type of business the buyer is in.

Step 7 – Indicate the reason for exemption.  Most retailers are going to check box G for Resale.

Step 8 – The purchaser will certify the property being purchased is for resale and include their title, phone number, and email address, then sign and date the certificate.

The Certificate of Exemption is kept on file by the seller and is not filed with the state.

West Virginia Certificate of Exemption FAQs