As a result of a change in Wisconsin Law (2021 Wis. Act 1), the Wisconsin Department of Revenue has issued a new 15-digit Certificate of Exempt Status (CES) number to UW–Madison, effective on July 1, 2022. UW is a Wisconsin governmental unit, which means that purchases made are exempt from Wisconsin sales and use tax. To avoid payment of sales and use tax on purchases, UW units and departments, including those in CALS, should provide vendors with this CES number.

Purchasing goods or services: CALS Business Services now has laminated, wallet-sized cards with the new UW CES information available. These can be presented to vendors when making a purchase. To receive a card, contact your department financial specialist or Pam Thompson in CALS Business Services. Additionally, all UW tax documents have been updated with the new CES and are posted at Tax Compliance and Reporting under “Forms”, then “W-9 and Tax Exempt Documents for UW”.

For more information, visit UW’s tax compliance and reporting webpage.