National Sales Tax

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Is there a national sales tax number? We will be selling at farmers market and flea markets. We have a state tax number, but is there a nat'l that I don't know about?





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Sales Tax Permits


There's no national sales tax ID number that covers you for all states.

Each state that you sell in, where you are required to collect sales tax, you need to do it separately for that state. For instance, if you work flea markets in South Dakota, you'd need a SD sales tax permit for that. You'd file the SD report and remit the sales tax you collected while selling there. Then, if you move on to Minnesota, and sell at flea markets there, you'd need a Minnesota sales tax number for that. You'd file the MN report and remit the sales tax you collected from sales there. And, so forth, for every individual state where you go and make sales, providing they have sales tax.

Some counties and cities have additional sales tax. As far as I know, those taxes can be sent in as part of the state report.

How often you file depends on the state and your business activity. It might be monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Some places allow you to have a temporary permit or to pay immediately following the event. For example, the flea market may have sales tax reporting envelopes and at the end of the weekend, you list your information, enclose your payment, and leave it at the flea market office. This, however, is not the norm.

To find out the regulations for the sales tax in each state, go to the official state website. You should be able to find it there, or at least a link to the state revenue department. You'll may find the application form online and may be able to apply for the permit online. But, again, it all varies from place to place.

Some folks choose only to work in states or areas that do not have sales tax.
Sales Tax


Coleen, Since Watkins says they pay in the sales tax for us that's collected when we purchase products, we just collect it from our customers to get it back? Plus, is there a list any where of states that don't have sales tax? Thanks, Linda
Sales Tax


Right. One of the advantages of working as an independent associate of a direct sales company is that they oftentimes do handle the remitting of the sales tax for you.

When they do this, they charge you the amount of the tax and send it in on your behalf. You then recoup by collecting it from the customer.

Should you want to do it yourself, rather than having the company do it for you, you usually need to fill out a form letting the company know, along with sending them a copy of your sales tax permit.

Here's a link to a website that has a table of state sales tax rates, including those with none.
http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/245.html

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