Diplomatic tax exemption cards marked as “personal tax exemption” are used by members of eligible foreign missions and their dependents to obtain an exemption from sales and other taxes similarly imposed on personal purchases in the United States. The card can only be used for the benefit of the person identified and represented on the card. The card is non-transferable and cannot be loaned to another person, whether or not that person is entitled to a tax exemption. There is no limit to the payment method that can be used with the card. Note that the renewal period for exemption certificates varies depending on the state and the type of exemption. Exemptions from some states do not expire. Certificates from other countries expire within a specified period of time. In accordance with the Agreement, the procedure for obtaining a VAT exemption on the basis of diplomatic or consular status remains similar to previous procedures. Please note that this procedure only applies to purchases made in the countries listed above. The process of obtaining a tax exemption for purchases made in all other states and the District of Columbia has not changed. In order for foreign missions, international organizations or their eligible members to benefit from a tax exemption for purchases in the aforementioned states, the following procedure must be followed: As long as the buyer issues you the corresponding certificate duly completed within 90 days of the date of purchase, you do not have to charge VAT to the buyer.

If the tax exemption cards are not returned to the Ministry, the GFO reserves the right to take appropriate measures, including the temporary suspension of the issuance of new tax exemption cards for this mission. • Hirsch: personal tax exemption cards with a certain degree of restriction. You must accept the certificate in good faith, which simply means that you had no prior knowledge that the certificate was false or fraudulent. U.S. states and territories typically adopt laws and/or regulations or issue other guidelines regarding how sellers in that state or territory should include the diplomatic tax exemption in their records. GFO continues its efforts to ensure that tax authorities in all states and territories issue guidelines in support of the Diplomatic Tax Exemption Card Program so that sellers can adequately extend a tax exemption with confidence. Missions and their members should encourage suppliers to check the validity of the card online or by calling the GFO during business hours. If a supplier is not familiar with the Diplomatic Tax Exemption Card Program, they should be encouraged to visit the GFO website and in particular the GFO online resources that provide relevant state-specific advice.

or email the GFO for more information about the program. The GFO regularly communicates with suppliers to inform them about the program. You can use an exemption certificate if you are a purchaser: Eligibility for personal tax exemption cards is determined on a case-by-case basis, but the following individuals are generally eligible to apply for a card if they are neither U.S. citizens nor permanent residents of the United States for the purposes of the VCDR or VCCR: The Department`s Office of Foreign Missions (OFM) provides authorized foreign representations and their accreditation as Members of diplomatic tax exemption cards and dependants on the basis of international law and reciprocity. These cards make it easier for the United States to comply with its obligations under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations (VCDR), the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (VCCR) and other treaties to grant exemption from certain taxes. If you intentionally or knowingly issue a false or fraudulent exemption certificate, penalties, fines or imprisonment may be imposed on you. For more information about these penalties, see Tax Bulletin Sales and Use Tax Penalties (TB-ST-805). Let`s say you`re a plumbing wholesaler and you plan to make several purchases of copper pipes and fittings from a manufacturer and then resell those items to plumbing stores and hardware stores. Instead of issuing a separate exemption certificate to the manufacturer with each purchase, you can issue the manufacturer with a lump sum certificate for all your similar purchases.

If you are using an exemption certificate as a lump sum certificate, select an X in the Lump Sum Certificate field and not in the single purchase certificate field. If the certificate does not contain these fields, you should not use it as a general certificate. You must attach the exemption certificate to the purchase file or have another method to associate the exemption certificate with a specific sale. You must keep the exemption certificate for at least three years from the due date of the VAT return on which the last sale was declared with the exemption certificate. For more information, see Tax Bulletin Record Keeping Requirements for Sales Tax Providers (TB ST-770). In some cases, you must also have a valid authority certificate to use an exception (see the table at the end of this bulletin). Note that many exemption certificates are very specific about the type of buyer who can use the certificate; For more information, see the certificate instructions. Since the sale of cleaning products is usually subject to sales tax, the merchant needs a record of the reasons why they did not collect VAT from you.

Otherwise, the distributor could be held liable for the tax. Therefore, if you provide the merchant with a completed exemption certificate (in this case, Form ST-120, Certificate of Resale) within 90 days of purchase, you confirm that you intend to resell the items you purchased. In addition to the specific text, each tax exemption card bears one of four animal symbols indicating the specific type of tax exemption of the cardholder: most sellers must have a valid authority certificate to accept an exemption certificate. A duly completed exemption certificate, accepted in good faith, protects the seller from liability for VAT not collected by the buyer. If you intend to use the supplies yourself, you will not be able to use a resale exemption certificate and the dealer will have to collect VAT from you. As a buyer, you must use the correct exemption certificate and fill it out correctly before giving it to the seller. The exemption certificate must contain the following: Please note that this table contains a brief description of the various exemption documents. Additional requirements may apply.

For more information, see the individual forms and instructions. A VAT exemption certificate is required to make duty-free purchases of taxable items and services. This includes most material personal belongings and some services. The buyer must present the completed certificate to the seller within 90 days of the date of sale, but preferably at the time of sale. To apply for a first tax exemption card or a renewed tax exemption card, eligible services and their members must apply for the ministry`s e-government system (E-Gov). Requests are usually processed within five business days. You have the right to refuse to accept an exemption certificate, even if it is correctly and correctly completed. .