Sales tax for trade accounts

We charge sales tax only on orders that ship to these 9 states:

Colorado · Connecticut · Florida · Illinois · Maryland · Massachusetts · Minnesota · New Jersey · New York

These are the states where we're registered to collect tax. We do not collect sales tax on orders shipped to other states. Tax is based on the ship-to address, not your office address.

Orders ship outside those 9 states: no certificate is needed. You may skip the tax question on the application.

Orders ship to one of the 9 and you buy for resale: send that state's resale certificate. Once it is on file, we remove sales tax from your orders to that state.

No sales tax permit: a resale certificate requires a permit number, so sales tax applies. Trade pricing still applies.

Timing: trade approval does not depend on a certificate, but we cannot remove sales tax from any order until your signed, current certificate is on file. Orders placed before then include sales tax.

Florida: the state issues your DR-13. Download it from your Florida Department of Revenue account.

The multistate (MTC) resale form works in most of these states. Send the state's own form for Florida, Massachusetts and New York, where it doesn't.

Most state forms ask for the following.

1. Buyer (you): your business name, address and type of business.
2. Seller (us): Dutton Brown Design, LLC, 1995 Oakcrest Avenue, Roseville, MN 55113.
3. What you're buying: "Lighting fixtures and hardware for resale."
4. Reason: check the box for resale.
5. Your number: your sales tax permit or registration number for that state.
6. One order or all of them: if the form asks, pick "blanket." That covers every future order.
7. Sign and date it, with your name and title.

Save it as a PDF or take a clear photo of the whole page.

A sales tax permit, a registration certificate or a business license is not a resale certificate. Those show you are registered; the resale certificate is the signed form above stating that you buy for resale. If you send a permit, we will ask for the form.

Florida's DR-13 is valid for one calendar year and expires December 31. Send the new one when Florida issues it to keep tax off your Florida orders.

• Applying now? Attach it in the upload field on the trade application.
• Already applied? Email it to [email protected] with your business name.

We review each certificate, usually within one business day, and contact you if it needs correction.

Do I need a certificate to get approved?
No. Approval and tax are separate. You can be approved and order before we receive a certificate.

I have a certificate for a state that isn't on the list.
Keep it for your records. We don't charge tax there, so we don't need it.

I ship to more than one of these states.
Send one form for each of those states.

I'm not reselling. Is my organization tax-exempt another way?
Email [email protected] and tell us what kind of exemption you have.