Walmart seller compliance support

Summary of research steps and synthesized guidance for "Walmart seller compliance support" (for US business owners / LLC founders)Research steps taken:- Performed broad searches of Walmart Seller resources (Marketplace Learn / Seller Help) to capture Walmart Marketplace policies, prohibited products guidance, tax collection policy and seller performance standards.- Collected state-sales-tax and marketplace-facilitator summaries (industry tax publishers) and Walmart’s own sales-tax collection list.- Retrieved federal regulatory guidance from CPSC (children’s product testing, CPC/GCC, importer responsibilities), FDA labeling guidance (OTC, dietary supplements, cosmetics), and FTC advertising/endorsement guidance.- Extracted and compressed key authoritative excerpts from each source to support compliance recommendations.High-level findings (what US sellers must know):

Summary of research steps and synthesized guidance for "Walmart seller compliance support" (for US business owners / LLC founders)Research steps taken:- Performed broad searches of Walmart Seller resources (Marketplace Learn / Seller Help) to capture Walmart Marketplace policies, prohibited products guidance, tax collection policy and seller performance standards.- Collected state-sales-tax and marketplace-facilitator summaries (industry tax publishers) and Walmart’s own sales-tax collection list.- Retrieved federal regulatory guidance from CPSC (children’s product testing, CPC/GCC, importer responsibilities), FDA labeling guidance (OTC, dietary supplements, cosmetics), and FTC advertising/endorsement guidance.- Extracted and compressed key authoritative excerpts from each source to support compliance recommendations.High-level findings (what US sellers must know):

Platform rules (Walmart Marketplace)

- Sellers must follow the Retailer Agreement and all Walmart Marketplace policies, and are responsible for keeping business information accurate and complying with the Seller Code of Conduct and Seller Performance Standards. Noncompliance can lead to listing removal, account suspension or termination.- Certain categories require pre-approval (e.g., ingestible products, topical products, OTC drugs, medical devices, fragrances, luxury brands, jewelry, etc.). Some product categories (e.g., children’s products) require documentation and may require third-party testing and certificates before listing.

Prohibited products and safety documentation

- All products must comply with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Listings (labels, images, content) must be in English and accurate; regulated product categories often require submission of safety documentation (e.g., children’s product certificates). Retailer-specific requirements can be stricter than federal rules.

Marketplace facilitator / sales tax

- Walmart acts as a marketplace facilitator in many US states and certifies it will calculate, collect, remit and refund sales tax for orders shipped to the states it lists. Walmart publishes a state list for which it collects/remits; sellers still retain obligations for sales outside those states or for direct (non-marketplace) sales and may need to register and file returns (often including zero returns) depending on state rules and nexus thresholds.

Federal regulatory obligations that commonly affect marketplace sellers

- CPSC: Children’s products subject to CPSIA must be tested by a CPSC-accepted third-party lab and accompanied by a Children’s Product Certificate (CPC); many product tests require annual retesting. Sellers (and importers) are responsible for certifications. CPSC provides an Online Sellers’ Safety Guide and the Regulatory Robot to help identify applicable requirements.- FDA: Labeling rules cover dietary supplements, cosmetics, food and OTC drugs; e.g., Drug Facts and standardized content/format are required for OTC drug products and dietary supplement labeling has specific requirements. Sellers must ensure labeling and claims meet FDA rules for the product class.- FTC: Advertising and marketing claims (including online product descriptions, endorsements and reviews) must be truthful and substantiated; endorsements/influencer guidance and environmental/health claim rules apply.

Practical seller compliance checklist (recommended actions)

- Business setup: legal business entity (LLC), EIN, bank account, up-to-date W-9/W-8s, accurate business address and contact details in Seller Center.- Documentation & onboarding: collect/importor/supplier test reports, COAs, CPCs/GCCs, MSDS/SDS (if applicable), certificates (e.g., organic claims, UL/ETL if required), licensing/permits for regulated goods.- Product data: GTIN/UPC from GS1, accurate titles/descriptions, images, ingredient lists, proper warnings, appropriate age-grade and safety labels where required, and compliance with NIST HB130 e-commerce guidance where applicable.- Tax & registration: review Walmart’s marketplace facilitator state list; register for sales tax permits in states where you have nexus or where you sell outside the marketplace collection; maintain filings (including zero returns if required). Use automated tax tools or a tax advisor to track nexus thresholds and multi-state obligations.- Safety & testing: for children’s products and other regulated categories, arrange third-party testing at CPSC-accepted labs, keep test reports and issue periodic CPC/GCC; re-test as required (commonly every 12 months for many children’s product rules).- Advertising & claims: maintain substantiation for marketing claims, follow FTC Endorsements and Advertising rules and FDA labeling claims limits for health or safety statements.- Insurance & IP: maintain product liability insurance as required by Walmart (review Liability Insurance Policy), and protect trademarks/brands (Walmart brand registry options). Keep records of invoices and supply chain documentation (due diligence for forced labor or country-of-origin issues).- Recalls & incidents: have a plan to escalate safety reports, preserve records, cooperate with Walmart and regulators, and follow federal recall guidance (CPSC/FDA recall process). Remove affected SKUs immediately and communicate proactively.6) Responding to Walmart account actions (suspensions, listing removals, Trust & Safety issues):- Typical reinstatement approach: (1) identify the specific policy or regulation cited, (2) collect root-cause evidence (orders, shipping & supplier invoices, batch/lab reports, copies of labels/listings), (3) create a clear Root Cause Analysis (what failed), (4) list Corrective Actions Taken and Preventive Actions (concrete steps and timelines), and (5) attach supporting documentation (photos, lab reports, CPCs/GCCs, supplier attestations, affidavits, training records). Submit via Seller Support/appeals with a concise, evidence-backed remediation plan.- Pre-approval and documentation requests: for categories that require Walmart pre-approval, submit the required safety and quality documentation before relisting.7) State-specific compliance guidance (how to approach state variation):- Marketplace facilitator rules vary by state; Walmart publishes a list of states where it collects/remits sales tax. Sellers should: (a) check Walmart’s published state list; (b) consult state Department of Revenue websites to confirm registration and filing obligations; (c) consider whether marketplace sales count toward a state’s economic nexus threshold (and register if met); (d) file returns (even zero returns) where required. Use an automated sales tax provider or CPA for multi-state compliance.Recommended authoritative resources (key URLs used):- Walmart Marketplace Seller Retailer Policies (Seller Center / Marketplace Learn)- https://marketplacelearn.walmart.com/guides/Policies%20&%20standards/Account/Walmart-Marketplace-seller-retailer-policies- Walmart Prohibited Products Policy (including pre-approval categories, documentation requirements)- https://marketplacelearn.walmart.com/guides/Policies%20&%20standards/Prohibited%20products%20&%20brands/Prohibited-products-policy:-overview- Walmart Sales Tax Collection (states where Walmart collects & remits as marketplace facilitator)- https://marketplacelearn.walmart.com/guides/Taxes%20&%20payments/Tax%20information/Sales-tax-collection- CPSC Online Sellers’ Safety Guide, Testing & Certification (CPC/GCC), lab search and Regulatory Robot- https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Online-Sellers-Safety-Guide- https://www.cpsc.gov/Business--Manufacturing/Testing-Certification- FDA labeling guidance (OTC Drug Facts, Dietary Supplements labeling)- https://www.fda.gov/media/76481/download (OTC labeling guidance)- https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents (dietary supplement labeling guidance)- FTC advertising & endorsement guidance- https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/ftc-policy-statement-regarding-advertising-substantiation- https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/topics/truth-advertising/advertisement-endorsements- Marketplace facilitator state-by-state summaries (examples: Avalara, TaxJar) for practical state lists- https://www.avalara.com/us/en/learn/guides/state-by-state-guide-to-marketplace-facilitator-laws.html- https://www.taxjar.com/sales-tax/marketplace-facilitator-lawsSuggested next steps I can help with (pick one):- Draft a Walmart reinstatement appeal template and remediation plan you can submit with your evidence; or- Produce a state-by-state sales tax registration checklist for the states where your business has nexus; or- Build a printable seller compliance checklist (testing, labeling, tax, insurance, documentation) tailored to your product types.If you want a concrete deliverable next, tell me which of the suggested items above (reinstatement appeal template, state-by-state registration checklist, or tailored compliance checklist) you want first. I will prepare it with copies of the specific documents and sample wording.