What is the sales tax ID for a California based business?

Accounting & Taxes

Topic summary

A California sole proprietor asks which number to use as a sales tax ID—SSN (Social Security Number), seller’s permit number, or something else.

Key guidance:

  • A support advisor notes tax requirements vary by region and can change. They recommend consulting a local accountant or tax authority to confirm the correct Sales Tax ID for California and to ensure proper filing and remittance. They provide links to general US tax resources and setup guides.
  • Another participant states the sales tax ID is separate from an SSN and is required to legally collect sales tax. They offer a third‑party service (Sidr Tax) for registration, reporting, and filing.

Outcome/status:

  • No definitive, California‑specific answer is given in the thread about which exact number to use. The discussion remains open, with the advised next step to verify with local tax authorities or a tax professional; optional assistance via a tax service is available.
Summarized with AI on January 23. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hi,

My business is based in California. I applied seller’s permit in order to collect taxes. I am very confused about what is the sales tax id. Is it my SSN, my seller’s permit number or something else? Also, I am running as sole proprietorship.

Thank you for your help!

2

Hi, @mirandafu1 .

Each region will have their own rules and regulations for taxes and which number is needed to be inputted under the account’s Sales Tax ID. Because of this, and due to the fact that tax laws and regulations can often change, you’ll need to consult with a local accountant or tax authority so that they can help you verify this for your particular location. They’ll also be able to ensure that you’re filing and remitting your taxes correctly.

In saying this, although our Shopify Support team aren’t tax experts and can’t provide tax advice, we have some guides available that you can read to further help you in setting up your taxes. Feel free to take a closer look at them below:

3

Hi @mirandafu1 ,

The sales tax ID is a separate ID from your SSN. You need the sales tax ID to start legally collecting tax in any state. We at Sidr Tax handle everything from sales tax ID registration to reporting and filing. We are happy to assist you.