Resale certificates by state
South Carolina resale certificate
The official form, whether South Carolina takes the multistate certificates, and what buyers and sellers need to do to keep a resale purchase tax-free.
Official sources checked
Quick answer
- Official form
- Resale Certificate (ST-8A) · Get the form (opens in a new tab)
- Issued by the South Carolina Department of Revenue.
- Expires?
- No set expiry
- ST-8A stays in effect unless revoked or canceled in writing. Only one certificate per customer is needed, but the seller should still check each later purchase against it (SC Revenue Procedure 98-2).
- Accepts the SST certificate?
- Unconfirmed
- Accepts the MTC certificate?
- Yes
- Out-of-state buyers can use it?
- Yes
- Another state's resale certificate and number are accepted. On ST-8A, a non-SC buyer lists a valid retail license number and the issuing state.
- Buyer must be registered in South Carolina?
- No
- An SC Retail License number (9 digits), an SC wholesaler exemption number, or another state's retail license number is accepted. SSNs, FEINs, and SC Use Tax registration numbers are not.
How to fill out and accept the certificate
- Enter the seller's name and address.
- Enter the buyer's type of business and the type of items it sells, leases, or rents. The seller uses these to judge whether the purchase fits.
- Enter the buyer's business name and address plus its SC Retail License or file number, or another state's retail license number and that state.
- Print the name of the owner, partner, or officer, then sign, add title, and date.
When a seller is protected
Tax liability shifts to the buyer if the certificate has all required information and is fully completed, the seller did not fraudulently fail to collect or remit, and the seller did not solicit an unlawful resale claim (ST-8A; S.C. Code 12-36-950 and 12-36-2510). SC Revenue Procedure 98-2 adds that acceptance must be in good faith: the seller should check that the items fit the buyer's stated business, and ask and document if unsure. No SC-specific deadline for obtaining the certificate was found.
Seller record-keeping
The seller must keep a copy of the certificate for audit (ST-8A). S.C. Code 12-36-2540 requires records such as purchase invoices to be kept for three years. No certificate-specific period was found.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue lets sellers check a buyer's registration or certificate online: official lookup (opens in a new tab).
Common mistakes
- Entering an SSN, FEIN, or SC Use Tax registration (certificate of registration) number instead of a retail license number.
- Accepting a certificate for items that clearly don't match the buyer's business. SCDOR's examples include weed killer on a funeral home's certificate. That is not good-faith acceptance, and the seller owes the tax.
- Buyers withdrawing resale inventory for their own use without reporting it as a withdrawal from stock. Tax is due at no less than the original purchase price (Reg. 117-309.17).
Multistate certificates in South Carolina
SST Certificate of Exemption
Unconfirmed
South Carolina is not a Streamlined Sales Tax member, and we found no official statement on whether it accepts the SST certificate. SCDOR accepts another state's resale certificate if it has the ST-8A information, and names the MTC form as usable.
South Carolina resale certificate FAQ
What form is used for a resale certificate in South Carolina?
South Carolina's resale certificate is the Resale Certificate (ST-8A), published by the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Download it from the South Carolina Department of Revenue website; sellers keep the completed certificate rather than sending it to the state.
Does South Carolina accept multistate resale certificates?
South Carolina is not a Streamlined Sales Tax member, and we found no official statement on whether it accepts the SST certificate. SCDOR accepts another state's resale certificate if it has the ST-8A information, and names the MTC form as usable. South Carolina is on the Multistate Tax Commission's list of states that accept its Uniform Sales & Use Tax Resale Certificate.
Do South Carolina resale certificates expire?
ST-8A stays in effect unless revoked or canceled in writing. Only one certificate per customer is needed, but the seller should still check each later purchase against it (SC Revenue Procedure 98-2).
Can an out-of-state business use a resale certificate in South Carolina?
Another state's resale certificate and number are accepted. On ST-8A, a non-SC buyer lists a valid retail license number and the issuing state.
Related reading
- South Carolina sales tax guide: rates, nexus thresholds and filing rules
- What is exempt from sales tax in South Carolina
- Resale certificates: who qualifies and how to get one
- How out-of-state resale certificates work
- Sales tax exemption guide
Sources
- SCDOR Form ST-8A Resale Certificate (Rev. 12/29/25) (opens in a new tab)
- SC Revenue Procedure 98-2 Resale Certificates (opens in a new tab)
- S.C. Code Title 12 Chapter 36 (12-36-950, 12-36-2510, 12-36-2540) (opens in a new tab)
- SCDOR Policy Manual Chapter 23 FAQs (opens in a new tab)
- SCDOR Verify a Retail License (opens in a new tab)
- MTC Uniform Sales & Use Tax Resale Certificate (rev. 10/14/2022) (opens in a new tab)
- SST member state list (non-member) (opens in a new tab)
This page is general information, not tax or legal advice. Forms and rules change, so confirm with the South Carolina Department of Revenue before you rely on a certificate.
Resale certificates in other states
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