Triangle, VA
The owner wrote: “I'm looking to obtain a seller's permit. I have an EIN already and am not sure that is all I need. I'm in the process of opening an ecommerce site. Is a vendor license the same as a seller's permit?”
An EIN is only the federal tax ID, so it is not enough. Virginia's Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration is the seller's permit, and the Form ST-10 Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption is what suppliers take for resale purchases. Vendor license is often a loose term for a local business license, which is separate. For a home-based ecommerce site, ask the city or county whether it requires one.
Short answer: In Triangle, Virginia, businesses are required to obtain licensing before they start operating. For an ecommerce business, that means the Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration, a federal tax ID number (EIN) and a local business license, plus a structure and name registration.
In Virginia, the seller's permit goes by the name Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration. To buy for resale without paying sales tax, you give the supplier a Form ST-10 Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption. Suppliers generally accept a resale certificate only from a buyer registered for sales tax, so even a business that mostly buys and sells wholesale usually registers. In-state buyers using Form ST-10 generally need a Virginia registration; out-of-state buyers can cite their home-state number. Out-of-state buyers do not need a Virginia registration to give a valid Virginia resale certificate.
Industry code: NAICS 454110 (Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses)
Get your Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration filed · Start your LLC, DBA and EIN · Business licenses
Joseph · Frazier Direct · Las Vegas, NV
Joseph wrote: “At Frazier Direct we are an online retail business offering a wide variety of products. We ship to all 50 states from our location in sunny Las Vegas, NV.”
Hi Joseph, Nevada's seller's permit is the one that matters for an online retailer shipping from Las Vegas. Suppliers will take Nevada's resale certificate, which requires the buyer to hold a seller's permit, for tax-free inventory. Shipping to all 50 states means other states' sales thresholds may apply to you, so watch your numbers by state. Nevada has no state income tax on wages, so employer registration there is for unemployment insurance.
Short answer: For an online retail business in Las Vegas, Nevada, the essentials are the seller's permit, a federal tax ID number (EIN) and a local business license, plus an LLC or other structure.
Nevada calls its seller's permit the seller's permit. Suppliers selling to you tax-free will ask for a Nevada resale certificate (buyer must hold a seller's permit). Nevada requires businesses selling tangible goods in the state to register, and a seller's permit is a prerequisite for issuing resale certificates. Nevada also has a Commerce Tax on businesses with large Nevada gross revenue, which can reach wholesalers.
Industry code: NAICS 459999 (All Other Miscellaneous Retailers), 454110 under the 2017 codes
Get your seller's permit filed · Start your LLC, DBA and EIN · Business licenses
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All Businesses Need a Triangle Business License & a Trade Business Name ( Prince William County Trade Business Name required if using a trade name).
Retailers / Wholesalers, Need a Reseller Tax ID, & a Business License.
Employers Need a Federal Tax Id Number (EIN), a VA State Tax Id ( State EIN), & a Business License.
Corporations, & LLC Need a Federal Tax Id Number (EIN)& a Business License.
Partnerships Need a Federal Tax Id Number (EIN) & a Trade Business Name, but also need a Business License.
Sole Proprietors May Use a Federal Tax Id Number as a VA Business Tax ID but also need a Business License.
Instead of filing a Trade Business Name, You Can Incorporate in VA or form a(n) VA LLC & You Will Not Need To File A DBA
The licenses below are required for all businesses including internet as well as home and businesses like Etsy etc.
1. Ecommerce Nearly all businesses need a(n) , Triangle business tax id registration (business license).
2. Ecommerce All Businesses that use a business name to trade that is other than the surname and first name of a sole proprietor or a fictitious business name other than the LLC or Corporation legal name need a(n) Prince William County DBA ( doing business as ) fictitious business name.
3. In VA you may also need a tax id called a resale tax ID or seller's license if you are selling touchable items. ( A.K.A VAseller's permit, state id, wholesale, resale, reseller certificate).
4. Keep in mind that employers will need to obtain a federal EIN and a State EIN tax identificattion number as well. I.e., a VA Federal Tax ID Number and a(n) VA State Employer Tax Number.
5. Instead of filing a fictitious business name DBA Filing in Triangle, Incorporate in VA or form a(n) LLC.