Do I have to pay sales tax when I buy?

PaperCrane collects sales tax on orders shipped to states where we're registered to collect it. That's the law for marketplaces, and it means your sellers don't each have to register in every state — we handle it for them.

But you're buying inventory to resell. The tax is meant to be paid once, by whoever buys the piece at the end — your customer — not twice on the way there. A resale certificate is how you tell us that, and it takes the tax off your orders.

Most resellers who've never sold on a wholesale platform don't have one, because nobody sourcing from Instagram or a Discord ever asked. It's worth getting: it works everywhere you buy stock, not just here.

1. Search for your state's tax agency and "sales tax registration" or "seller's permit". It's the same agency that would collect tax from your own sales.
2. Register as a retailer. It's an online form in most states, usually free, and typically takes under half an hour. You'll need your business details — a sole proprietorship under your own name is fine in most states.
3. You'll get a permit or licence number. That number is what lets you issue resale certificates.
4. Add it in the app under Settings, Resale certificates — one per state, with its expiry date.

Once it's approved, orders shipped to that state stop being taxed. You can file more than one if you take delivery in more than one state.

It has to be on file before you order. A certificate applies to orders placed after it's approved — we can't refund tax on past orders, because a certificate has to be valid at the time of the sale.

Registering also means you're expected to collect and report tax on your own retail sales. That's already true if you're selling to the public — the certificate doesn't create the obligation, it just makes your buying side correct.