First of all, you DON’T need a license to sell on eBay.
You MAY need some form of license of sell where you live. Some cities require this before opening a "business" at your home. Some cities don’t allow it at all.
You WILL need a license to make legitimate purchases from wholesalers. Please note the word "legitimate". There are LOTS of "wholesalers" out there who offer wholesale prices, but there are too many of them who market themselves as wholesalers but really sell items at a bit below retail.
You can determine a true wholesaler if they meet the following criteria:
1. They do NOT show you their prices up-front until you register with them.
2. During the registration process they require that you enter in your business license # (or state-issued Tax ID).
3. They require that you buy in bulk. And by bulk, I don’t mean like "5 or more"; I mean by the case.
If you find a wholesale site that doesn’t require these 3 points, chances are you are looking at a retail store marketing itself as a wholesaler.
The reason you need a Tax ID is primarily so that you can buy your items without having to pay any sales tax. If you go to your state’s web site, it’s actually pretty easy to find some business link that will eventually let you apply for a #. Getting one in Ohio is pretty simple, and took less than 2 weeks.
Hope this helps.
References :
Me…I’ve been a seller on eBay for WELL over 10 years.
Hope this helps.
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