Brian Cleverly wrote:

An earlier respondent advised against getting a "Resale Certificate"
because of the hassle involved... That is just pure bad advice... You
*must* arrange to buy at at least wholesale due to the high markups on
anything to do with our business (read "Marine")...

Having been both a wholesale distributor and a mail order retailer,
you're right...BUT--not everything is cheaper wholesale. The discount
retail prices can often be less than dealer price (toilets are just one
example)...so while I agree that getting a sales tax certificate isn't
optional, it essential, it also pays to shop the discount retail prices
instead of blindly buying everything wholesale. With a tax #, you can
buy most things retail without also paying the sales tax...if you have
to pay it, you can deduct it from either the quarterly sales tax owed or
on your business income tax return. Which makes the other thing you
advised--a good inventory based accounting system--absolutely essential.

--
Peggie
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Peggie Hall
Specializing in marine sanitation since 1987
Author "Get Rid of Boat Odors - A Guide To Marine Sanitation Systems and
Other Sources of Aggravation and Odor"
http://www.seaworthy.com/store/custo...0&cat=6&page=1
http://shop.sailboatowners.com/books...ku=90&cat=1304