Selling to businesses rather than consumers moves the entire compliance burden onto paperwork. An exempt sale is only exempt if you are holding a valid resale or exemption certificate for that customer in that state, and the certificate file is the first thing a state asks to see. Meanwhile landed cost — freight, duty, brokerage — usually never reaches inventory, so every unit is costed low and gross margin is overstated across the board.
Certificates on file
Tracked per customer, per state, with expiry dates.
Landed cost in inventory
Freight, duty, and brokerage costed into the unit.
Margin after freight
Customer profitability once real delivered cost is applied.
Rebates against cost
Recorded where they belong instead of as windfall income.
What we handle
- Resale and exemption certificates tracked per customer and per state, with expiry dates
- Landed cost built into inventory, including freight, duty, and brokerage
- Customer and product-line profitability once real landed cost is applied
- Drop-ship transactions recorded so the tax position on each leg is explicit
- Vendor rebates, allowances, and chargebacks recorded rather than netted away
Common problems we fix
- Exempt sales with no certificate on file, which the state treats as taxable
- Freight and duty expensed, so inventory is understated and margin overstated
- Rebates booked as income when received rather than against the cost they reduce
- No visibility of which customers are actually profitable after freight
Why your state matters here
Bookkeeping for wholesale and distribution is not the same in every state. Sales tax rates and what is taxable, registration and licensing, payroll rules, and filing cadence all vary — and for this industry those differences change real work, not just a number on a form. Pick your state below for specifics.
We keep the books. You run the business.
Categorization, reconciliation, month-end close, and clean financial statements — with nothing left for you to chase.
View pricingHow It Works
Free review
We look at how your wholesale and distribution books are set up today.
Fix the structure
Chart of accounts rebuilt around how your industry actually earns and spends.
Catch up
Anything behind gets cleaned up at a fixed quoted price.
Close monthly
Current, reconciled books every month — ready for your CPA.
Wholesale & Distribution Bookkeeping by State
Sales tax nexus and taxability, licensing, payroll rules, and filing cadence differ by state. Pick yours for a state-specific guide.
Wholesale & Distribution — Frequently Asked Questions
Do you understand wholesale and distribution specifically?
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Do you work in my existing accounting file?
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Can you help if I am months behind?
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Bookkeeping built for wholesale and distribution
Book a free consultation and we will tell you what your books need — and what it costs.
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