North Carolina alcohol tax permits and rules

DTC License Required: Yes

License Type: DTC Permit

License Fee: $0

License Expiration: Does not expire

License Bond: No

State Sales Tax: Yes

State Sales Tax Rate: 4.75%

Local Sales Tax: Yes

Local Sales Tax Range: 0%–2.75%

Sales Tax on Shipping: Yes

Alcoholic Beverages Tax: $0.2634–$0.2934/L

Consumer Limit: Two cases per person per month

Per State Aggregate: Unlimited

Sales and Use Tax: Quarterly by the 20th

Excise Tax: Annually by January 15

Direct Shipment: Quarterly by the 15th

Record Retention: At least 3 years

Product Restrictions: None

Product Registration: Complete and submit Wine Shipper Brand Listing Form with permit application.

Letter of approval not required for products only sold directly to consumers.

Direct shippers must notify their North Carolina wholesaler of intent to direct ship any brand labels already in distribution.

Registration Fees: No fee

Product Requirements: All wine shipper and wine shipper packager permittees shipping wines shall affix a notice in 26-point type or larger to the outside of each package of wine shipped within or to the state in a conspicuous location stating: “Contains alcohol: Signature of person 21 years of age or older required for delivery.”

*Nearly all states have some kind of rule regarding how wine must be labeled when being shipped direct to consumer. Please check for the unique rule for your state.

Tax can get complicated when it comes to direct-to-consumer (DTC) shipments. The beverage alcohol industry is different from other industries in that licensed alcohol shippers are required to register for sales tax in most states, independent of economic or physical nexus.

Depending on the state, sales and use tax can be applied at the state, county, city, or special district levels. Address accuracy is important to determine if a location falls into an incorporated or unincorporated section of a county or a special district.

On top of the sales tax requirements, alcohol taxes also apply to DTC shipments. Several states have “markup” taxes, where the retail value of the alcohol is multiplied by a percentage rate. Most of these markup taxes are either required or can be passed through to the consumer. 

Traditional “gallonage”-based excise taxes are also usually due on DTC shipments. Most of the time these are factored into the price of the item and not passed through to the consumer. In a few cases, these excise taxes are required to be passed on to the consumer. 

Rules and regulations for your winery, brewery, or other beverage alcohol business change frequently. Avalara for Beverage Alcohol helps distill the beverage alcohol compliance process so you can focus on your business.

North Carolina DOR site

Please note: Tax rates, rules, and regulations change frequently. Although we hope you'll find this information helpful, this page is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal or tax advice.