When tax-exempt organizations like charitable foundations, community health clinics, and universities provide food at events and through programming, they’re not only satisfying hunger — they’re creating an environment where donors and volunteers feel valued, students feel appreciated, and events become truly impactful. Good food can be the secret ingredient that helps engage donors, draw in new volunteers, and turn events into memorable experiences. 

But while catering for tax-exempt organizations offers many benefits, efficiency simply isn’t one of them. Nine times out of 10, you’ll find yourself placing a food order, explaining your tax-exempt status to a restaurant, and waiting hours for a response. After countless phone calls, it’s still a gamble whether your exemption has been properly applied. And if it’s been forgotten, you’ll spend even more time correcting the payment. 

That’s why ezCater offers a convenient tax-exempt feature for catering orders. ezCater’s tax-exempt feature simplifies the previously time-consuming process for food-ordering professionals at nonprofit or tax-exempt organizations, automating (and accelerating) the process nationwide. With ezCater, you can focus on what truly matters — building stronger communities and advancing your mission — while we handle the details. 

What is ezCater’s tax-exempt feature?

Your organization’s tax-exempt status means you don’t pay sales or meal tax on catering orders. And though saving precious tax dollars is a coveted benefit for many food-ordering professionals, the process for claiming a tax exemption is far from straightforward — and it varies by state. Florida, for example, requires orderers to present a certificate, whereas Connecticut only requires a copy of orderers’ IRS determination letter. 

This is where the ease of ezCater’s tax-exempt feature comes in. When placing food orders, just file your state exemption certificate to your ezCater account once, and it will automatically apply to all future orders. 

So, rather than directly contacting caterers — who are already hard at work preparing your food — you can rest assured that your ezCater tax-exempt status has been relayed to restaurants each time you place an order. Plan to order catering from multiple locations around the country? No problem. ezCater’s tax-exempt feature can automatically apply a state tax certificate based on your noted delivery address.

Benefits of ezCater’s tax-exempt feature

Imagine not having to explain your organization’s unique tax-exempt status each time you place a food order. With ezCater’s tax-exempt feature, it’s possible. ezCater eliminates the tedious back and forth with restaurants. Plus, you can forget about the manual effort of correcting payments when tax-exempt forms are forgotten on orders because you know your ezCater tax form will already be applied.

The benefits of ordering food with ezCater don’t end there:

• No user management. Once a tax-exempt status is uploaded to your ezCater corporate account, it applies to all team members, eliminating the need for individual uploads. This way, anyone in your organization can confidently place an order. 
• Available everywhere. No matter if you’re fueling a collegiate sports team or feeding a nonprofit event, order from over 100,000 tax-exempt restaurants nationwide. The correct state tax certificate will automatically be applied based on order location.  
• Around-the-clock support. Streamline food ordering for tax-exempt organizations with ezCater’s 24/7 live customer support team. We’re standing by to help with any questions that may arise before, during, and after a food order is placed. 

Real-world impact of tax-exempt ordering 

Catering isn’t just about filling stomachs, it’s about fueling the mission of tax-exempt organizations. Just ask Sarah Woodruff, Director of Football Operations at Texas Christian University (TCU), who sources daily meals for 130 players on campus and 250 meals when the team is joined by support staff on the road. Before she adopted ezCater’s tax-exempt feature, Sarah spent half her working hours on the phone with restaurants and tracking down receipts..

“Any time I’m ordering in Texas, my tax-exempt form is automatically pulled. And then when we go to other states again, once I place that first order and tell them that we’re tax-exempt… [my form is] already there for me.”

Sarah Woodruff
Director of Football Operations at Texas Christian University (TCU)

The tax-exempt feature provided by ezCater saves Sarah the 20 hours she used to spend on food ordering each week. Instead, ezCater instantly grabs Sarah’s tax-exempt form and applies it anywhere in the country, so she no longer needs to email and call restaurants. Plus, all her expenses are centralized on her ezCater business account, accessible at any time with just a few clicks.

How to use ezCater’s tax-exempt feature

Here at ezCater, it’s our goal to make ordering food simple. That’s why using our tax-exempt feature on catering orders is as easy as 1, 2, 3: 

1. Enter your delivery address and event details, including the date, time, and headcount of the order.
2. Choose a restaurant and add the desired items to your cart. (Tip: This is where you should also add any special instructions, like “sauce on the side,” and specify any dietary needs.)
3. Click ‘Checkout’ and select ‘My order is tax-exempt’ after you enter your payment details. This will trigger a pop-up tax exemption form, where you’ll answer a few questions, like your organization’s name, phone number, and address, and directly upload your tax-exempt certificate. 

That’s it. 

Once you submit your tax-exempt certificate, our team verifies your status and instantly removes sales tax from your order. 

To get the most out of the tax-exempt feature, be sure to sign up for an ezCater corporate account, where you can easily order across several states, pay with a single invoice, and create custom reporting. 

Tax-exempt ordering made easy

Orderers at tax-exempt organizations already have a lot on their plate when sourcing delicious meals. So, verifying your tax-exempt status shouldn’t be on the menu every time you place an order. Fortunately, with ezCater, it doesn’t have to be — no matter where in the country you order. Learn more about ezCater’s tax-exempt feature or start an order today.