Sales tax exemption process

IMPORTANT: do not place your order until we have approved your request to be made tax exempt. We are unable to refund sales tax paid on previous orders.

Are you ordering on behalf of a US-based tax-exempt institution? Or do you have a valid reseller's certificate for a US state? If so you can apply to have US state sales tax automatically omitted from future orders by following the steps below.

READ THIS FIRST

It's your responsibility to ensure that you/your organization can legally have sales tax omitted. If you're unsure, contact a tax professional for advice before you continue.
Review the information below carefully. Incomplete or incorrect submissions will be rejected.
Do not place your order until we have approved your request to be tax exempt. We are unable to refund sales tax paid on previous orders.
Please only apply if we currently charge sales tax in your state. Check our list of taxable states or place a book in your Blurb shopping cart and walk through checkout, using an address in your state, to see if tax is applied.
Tax exempt/reseller status is typically state based. If you hold tax-exempt or reseller status in a specific state it is valid only for orders shipping to that state. For example, if you are tax exempt in New York, an order shipping to California would not qualify as exempt.

HOW TO APPLY

1. Create a dedicated Blurb account for your tax exempt orders

Once approved, sales tax will be omitted for all purchases under that account. You must use that account only for qualifying tax-exempt/resale purchases, and only for orders shipping to US state(s) in which you are exempt or hold reseller status.
You must use a separate account for personal purchases, non-qualifying/non-exempt purchases, and orders to US states in which you're not tax exempt or not licensed as a reseller.

2A. Prepare your documents

Scan or photograph your valid state-issued tax-exempt certificate or resale certificate.

a. Save the file as a high resolution PDF, JPG or PNG file only. No Word documents.

b. Save the file with your Blurb username, e.g. bookmaker1000.pdf.

c. Be sure all information in your documentation is legible. Illegible documents will be rejected.

d. Complete any required fields such as vendor name, merchandise description, signatures and dates. Incomplete documents will be rejected.

e. If your form has a vendor info field you must complete it. Blurb's address, via our parent company Reischling Press Inc/RPI, is:

RPI DBA Blurb
3325 S 116th St
Tukwila, WA 98168

2B. Know your forms (and the law)

If you're a reseller we'll need a resale certificate, which is different than a seller's permit. Please do not send us a seller's permit.
- Resale certificates are sometimes known as nontaxable transaction certificates, sales tax exemption certificates, and sales and use tax resale certificates.
We cannot assist you with completing or understanding tax exempt forms or status but below are a few resources you may find helpful. For additional resources, or if the links below no longer work, do a Google search for your state and sales tax exemption or consult a tax professional in your area.

3. Submit your application

Follow these steps carefully. Incomplete or incorrect applications will be rejected.

Contact us from the email address associated with the Blurb account you'd like to be tax exempt and include ALL THREE of the following:

i. Your valid, legible, and completed document(s).

ii. The subject line of Tax exempt account request

iii. The following message in its entirety, with the username, account email, and exempt US state(s) completed where specified.

- - - - I am requesting tax-exempt or reseller status for the Blurb account of [USER NAME HERE], which is under the email address of [ACCOUNT EMAIL HERE].
        
        I agree that I will use this account only for orders shipping to the state of [NAME OF US STATE(S) IN WHICH YOU ARE EXEMPT], in which my organization is tax exempt or in which I hold reseller status.
        
        I understand that once this account is set to tax-exempt or reseller status, I must only use it for qualifying tax-exempt or resale orders, for the business or organization named in the documentation I have provided.
        
        I understand that personal purchases and other non-qualified purchases must not be made under this account and that any misuse may result in suspension of my Blurb account as well as government penalties.
        
        I agree to provide updated documentation before my tax-exempt or reseller certificate/status expires or as requested by Blurb, and agree to inform Blurb if/when my tax exempt or reseller status expires or is revoked.

4. Wait for Blurb to process and approve your request

You will receive an initial automated reply and, later, a separate reply from our support team confirming receipt of your request.
If your submission is complete and correct we will process your request. This can take up to 7 business days.
After your application has been processed and approved we will send you another email confirming your exempt status. You will then no longer see sales tax applied to any orders under that account.
Do not place your order until we confirm your exempt status is approved and active. We are unable to refund sales tax on orders that you have already placed.

5. A final reminder

It's up to you to ensure that you qualify for a tax-exempt or reseller account and that your orders qualify for those purposes. You may be subject to a government audit and government-imposed fines or other penalties if you misuse a tax-exempt account, even if unintentionally. Consult a tax professional if you have any questions.

Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this process.