Is a seller's permit/resale license and EIN/Tax ID the same? These are not the same thing. A seller's permit/resale license is the same as a state tax ID, as both are issued by the state for sales tax purposes. An EIN or federal tax ID number, however, is issued by the federal government, not the state.
Form E-595E, Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Exemption. NCDOR.
Some customers are exempt from paying sales tax under North Carolina law. Examples include government agencies, some nonprofit organizations, and merchants purchasing goods for resale. Sellers are required to collect a valid exemption or resale certificate from buyers to validate each exempt transaction.
DO I NEED A RESALE CERTIFICATE IN NORTH CAROLINA? If your business is a retail or wholesale operation that does not want to be responsible for collecting sales tax on resold items and does not want to have any exposure to any future tax liability, then a North Carolina resale certificate will be required.
In order to have a North Carolina resale certificate, you must first apply for a North Carolina sales and use tax registration. This permit will provide you with a North Carolina Tax ID number (sales tax number) which will be a necessary field on the North Carolina resale certificate.