This Lynxhollow Funding guide explains, for owners in Walla Walla, Washington, where to look up, apply for, renew and verify a Washington reseller permit through the Department of Revenue, and why a funding partner may ask about a business's state tax registration. Rule statements are for the department and the owner's advisers.
What a reseller permit is, in the Department of Revenue's words
The Washington Department of Revenue issues reseller permits. The Department of Revenue's reseller permits page describes what the permit allows, who can get one, how long it lasts, what it may and may not be used to buy, and the penalties for misuse. Read that page before relying on a permit; this guide does not restate the rules.
The businesses most likely to deal with reseller permits in Walla Walla County include stores, wholesalers, wineries and contractors. County Business Patterns counted 174 retail employers, 76 wholesale employers, 74 wineries and 185 construction employers in the county in 2023.
Washington reseller permit lookup for a Walla Walla, WA winery or shop
To check whether a business holds a permit, its own or a customer's, start on the department's page on verifying a reseller permit. The department also offers a general business lookup that shows a business's registration and license details; the reseller permit pages link to it.
- Have the business's legal name or its Unified Business Identifier (UBI) number ready.
- Use the department's verification tools linked from its reseller permit pages.
- Note the permit number and its expiration date as shown.
- Keep a copy with the business's tax records.
A winery checking its own permit before a large glass or label order, or a shop checking a supplier, uses the same tools.
Washington reseller permit application for a new Walla Walla, WA store
A new store applies for a reseller permit after it is registered with the state. The Department of Revenue's Open a business page covers opening a business and the business license; the department's apply, print or appeal page covers the permit itself. The Secretary of State's Corporations and Charities page covers forming a corporation or LLC, if the store is one.
- Register the business entity, if it is a corporation or LLC.
- Open the state business license and tax account.
- Apply for the reseller permit through the department's pages.
- Keep the permit and license numbers with the records a partner may read.
Use the same legal name on every registration, bank account and permit. A partner matching records across the state lookup, the bank statements and the returns has fewer questions to ask when the names agree.
Washington reseller permit renewal for Walla Walla, WA landscapers and contractors
Permits expire, and the department describes how renewal works on its reseller permit pages, including when it renews permits on its own and when a business must apply again. Contractors, landscapers that buy materials for resale or installation, and businesses with short or interrupted reporting histories should read the department's renewal terms closely, because they may differ by business type.
Put the expiration date on a calendar and check its reseller permit questions and answers for the department's answers on renewal. County Business Patterns counted 33 landscaping employers and 185 construction employers in Walla Walla County, WA in 2023.
Washington reseller permit verification for Walla Walla, WA wineries selling at wholesale
A winery selling to retailers or restaurants that buy for resale may be asked to accept their reseller permits instead of charging sales tax. The department's verification page explains how a seller checks a buyer's permit and what records to keep. A seller that keeps those records in order is better placed if the department reviews the sales later.
- Verify each buyer's permit before the first sale made without sales tax.
- Keep the permit details or an approved certificate on file for each buyer.
- Recheck permits when they expire.
- Ask the winery's tax adviser how to report those sales.
Of the 74 county winery employers counted in 2023, 72 had a ZIP 99362 address (ZIP Code Business Patterns).
Where a Washington reseller permit number shows up in a funding request
A funding partner does not need the permit to read a request, but it may ask for the business's state registration and license details to confirm the business is active, and the permit number sits alongside them. Inventory financing is where it comes up most: a partner lending against stock bought for resale may ask how the business buys and reports that stock.
- The UBI number and the business license.
- The reseller permit number and expiration date, if the business holds one.
- Recent excise tax returns, if a partner asks for them.
Inventory financing and the six funding types cover the funding side; the Walla Walla, WA page lists local business contacts.
By Lynxhollow Funding · Updated