What specific documentation and reseller-permit requirements does Washington DOR require to purchase bullion tax-exempt as a wholesaler?

1. What the rule change does and why it matters

Effective Jan. 1, 2026, sales of precious metal bullion and monetized bullion are no longer excluded from the statutory definitions of wholesale and retail sales, meaning these transactions fall squarely under Washington’s retailing or wholesaling business and occupation (B&O) tax classifications and—when retailing B&O applies—are subject to retail sales tax ^{[1] [4]}. This repeal of the exemption converts many bullion transactions that previously avoided sales tax into taxable sales unless they meet the ordinary wholesale resale documentation standards, shifting tax incidence and compliance obligations for both dealers and buyers ^{[5] [6]}.

2. The specific documentation buyers must provide to purchase tax-exempt as wholesalers

To buy bullion without paying retail sales tax, the buyer must present a valid reseller permit (sometimes called a reseller certificate) or another acceptable exemption form such as the Multi‑State Tax Exemption Certificate to the seller; the Department of Revenue explicitly lists a reseller permit or the Multi‑State certificate as the documentation required to “document the wholesale nature of the sale” ^{[1] [2]}. Washington guidance ties the tax treatment to possession of that documentation at the time of sale: when a valid permit is provided, the gross income is subject to the Wholesaling B&O tax classification rather than retailing and retail sales tax is not charged at the point of sale ^{[1] [3]}.

3. Seller responsibilities and tax reporting when a reseller permit is presented

Sellers must obtain and retain a copy of the buyer’s valid reseller permit or exemption certificate to substantiate the wholesale sale on their tax records; with that documentation the seller reports the transaction under the Wholesaling B&O classification for gross income purposes, and retail sales tax does not apply to the transaction ^{[1] [2]}. The Department’s industry guidance reiterates that wholesale sales are exempt from retail sales tax provided appropriate documentation is received and retained, and it distinguishes wholesaling B&O tax treatment from retailing B&O plus retail sales tax ^{[4] [7]}.

4. Edge cases, definitions and practical limits in the public guidance

Washington defines “precious metal bullion” as smelted or refined metal valued by content rather than form (gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, etc.) and also treats monetized bullion (coins used as legal tender) similarly for the new tax regime, but the sources do not provide exhaustive examples of borderline items or a step‑by‑step form‑validation checklist for sellers ^{[1] [4] [7]}. The publicly available notices and industry commentary explain the documentation expectation (reseller permit or Multi‑State certificate) but do not set forth in the cited materials precise procedures for verifying permit authenticity, renewal timing, or record retention periods—matters sellers should confirm directly with DOR guidance or counsel ^{[2] [3]}.

5. Political context and why documentation rules matter to dealers and buyers

The legislature repealed the exemption after policy review and audit findings that the exemption may not have achieved its original objective of competitiveness for in‑state dealers, a backdrop that helps explain why lawmakers kept traditional reseller documentation rules to allow ordinary wholesale commerce to continue while broadening the tax base ^{[5] [8]}. Industry sources warn dealers that the change will squeeze margins and push consumers across state lines, which increases the importance of strict documentation and compliance to avoid audit risk and to preserve wholesale treatment when it legitimately applies ^{[6] [9]}.

6. What remains unanswered in the available reporting

The DOR materials and media summaries establish that a “valid reseller permit” or Multi‑State certificate is required to buy bullion tax‑exempt as a wholesaler, but the sources provided do not include the DOR’s detailed administrative procedures for accepting, validating, or storing those permits, nor do they specify statutory retention periods or sample forms in the cited snippets—those operational specifics are not available in the supplied reporting and should be confirmed with the Department of Revenue directly ^{[2] [1]}.