The Denver sales tax license is the Denver Retail Sales/Use/Lodger's Tax License Account that the City and County of Denver Department of Finance, Treasury Division, issues after it processes an application for a tax license. It authorizes the vendor named on it to collect the city's retail sales, use or lodger's tax, and it must be posted while it is valid. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the city publishes the original at denvergov.org, and its PDF is marked as an example of the issued license.
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What is Denver sales tax license?
The Denver sales tax license is the Denver Retail Sales/Use/Lodger's Tax License Account issued by the City and County of Denver Department of Finance, Treasury Division, authorizing the vendor named on it to collect Denver's retail sales, use or lodger's tax.
The document opens with a letter to the business owner saying the city has processed the application for a Tax License. Below it is the license itself: the Department of Finance heading, a license account number, the vendor, the effective date and the expiration date, and the approval lines for the Manager of Finance and the Director of Excise & Licenses. The license states that the tax is imposed under Chapter 53 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. The letter adds that every license issued by the city must be posted during the period it is valid.
The Treasury Division is located in the Wellington Webb Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80202-5329, telephone (720) 913-9400.
What it is not: the license says in capital letters that it is not a license or permit to do business in the City and County of Denver. It is not transferable, and any alteration makes it null and void. The PDF on the city's site is labeled "This document is an example" of the issued license.
In the city's retail food license application, a copy of the Denver sales tax license is one of the documents the applicant may need to provide.
Who needs to file Denver sales tax license?
The main group is businesses and vendors that the City and County of Denver has authorized to collect retail sales, use or lodger's tax. The license is issued to the vendor named on it after the city processes its application for a Tax License, and it must be posted while valid.
Other groups meet the document in specific situations:
- Applicants for a Denver retail food license. If you answer yes to the question about a Denver sales tax license on that application, you must provide a copy of the license.
- Business owners who read the license's warning. It is not a license or permit to do business: a Use Permit must be obtained from the Department of Zoning Administration, and licenses or permits may also be needed from the Department of Excise and Licenses, the Denver Health Authority, the Building Inspection Division or other departments.
The license cannot be passed to another vendor, because it is not transferable. The document does not describe who may sign for or act on behalf of the vendor.
When to file Denver sales tax license
The city sends the Denver sales tax license after it has processed your application for a Tax License, so there is nothing to file on receipt. The document prints an effective date and an expiration date, and it must be posted for the whole period it is valid.
If you are applying for a Denver retail food license, have a copy ready when you start: the application asks whether you hold a Denver sales tax license, and a yes answer means you must provide a copy.
The document sets no renewal deadline of its own and gives no processing time. For questions about the license, call the Treasury Division at (720) 913-9400.
How to fill out Denver sales tax license
Check the example marking
The city's PDF is marked "This document is an example" under the Treasury Division heading and date. Treat it as the layout of the issued license, not as a license itself.
Confirm the issuing department
The heading names the City and County of Denver Department of Finance, Treasury Division, Wellington Webb Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80202-5329, with the phone number (720) 913-9400.
Enter the license account number
Under DENVER RETAIL SALES/USE/LODGER'S TAX LICENSE ACCOUNT, complete the NUMBER area with the account number the city assigned.
Identify the vendor shown
The license authorizes "the vendor shown hereon" to collect the retail sales, use or lodger's tax, so the vendor's details must match the business named on the city's license.
Enter the effective and expiration dates
Fill in the EFFECTIVE DATE and EXPIRATION DATE exactly as the city issued them. The license must be posted for the period between them.
Check the approval lines
The license shows APPROVED BY Manager of Finance and ISSUED BY Director of Excise & Licenses. Do not change either line; any alteration makes the license null and void.
Review and download the completed PDF
Check each entry against the license the city issued, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Post the license where it is visible, or upload a copy where a city application asks for one.
How to submit Denver sales tax license
The Denver sales tax license is a document the city issues, and the PDF prints no filing address, portal or deadline. In practice it is used in two ways.
- Posted at your business: the license must be posted, in a conspicuous place, during the period it is valid.
- Uploaded with a retail food license application: if you answer yes to the sales tax license question, you provide a copy in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center, under Business/Occupational, Short-Term and Residential Rental Licensing, Apply New. Upload only .pdf or .jpg files, name them with letters and numbers and without symbols or spaces (for example, drivers-license-name-2022.pdf), and make sure every page is legible. Incomplete applications are rejected.
Questions about the license go to the Treasury Division, 201 W. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80202-5329, (720) 913-9400. Questions about the retail food application go to the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Dept. 206, Denver, CO 80202, open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the city's channels described above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Treating the license as permission to operate: it states it is not a license or permit to do business in the City and County of Denver.
- Altering anything on the license; any alteration automatically makes it null and void.
- Trying to transfer the license to another vendor; the license states it is not transferable.
- Failing to post the license during the period it is valid, as the city's letter requires.
- Skipping the Use Permit from the Department of Zoning Administration, which the license says must be obtained separately.
- Uploading the copy for a retail food application as a file type other than .pdf or .jpg, or with symbols or spaces in the file name.
- Submitting an illegible copy or an incomplete retail food application; incomplete applications are rejected.
- Answering no to the sales tax license question on the retail food application when you hold the license, then having no copy to provide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Denver sales tax license?
It is the Denver Retail Sales/Use/Lodger's Tax License Account, issued by the City and County of Denver Department of Finance, Treasury Division. It authorizes the vendor shown on it to collect Denver's retail sales, use or lodger's tax under Chapter 53 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code.
Is the Denver sales tax license the same as Denver property tax?
No. This document is the retail sales, use or lodger's tax license, which authorizes a vendor to collect those taxes. It does not concern property tax. Contact the Treasury Division at (720) 913-9400 if you are unsure which Denver tax document you need.
Is the Denver sales tax license a license to do business?
No. The license states in capital letters that it is not a license or permit to do business in the City and County of Denver. A Use Permit must be obtained from the Department of Zoning Administration, and other departments may also require licenses or permits.
Does the Denver sales tax license have to be posted?
Yes. The city's letter says every license issued by the city must be posted during the period the license is valid, and the license itself says to post it in a conspicuous place. The effective and expiration dates are printed on it.
Can I transfer or edit my Denver sales tax license?
No. The license states that it is not transferable, and any alteration made on it automatically makes it null and void. If details are wrong, contact the Treasury Division at (720) 913-9400 rather than changing the document.
Do I need the Denver sales tax license for a retail food license application?
Only if you answer yes to the sales tax license question on the Denver retail food application. In that case you must provide a copy, uploaded as a .pdf or .jpg file that is legible, with a file name that has no symbols or spaces.
Where do I contact the office that issues the Denver sales tax license?
The City and County of Denver Department of Finance, Treasury Division, is in the Wellington Webb Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80202-5329. The telephone number printed on the license is (720) 913-9400.
Can I fill out the Denver sales tax license on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not connected to the City and County of Denver, and it does not issue the license or submit anything to the city.
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