Kim Krukowski

Often you are exempt from having to charge state sales tax, but you may need to charge local sales tax. It also depends on where you are selling (may have to charge it at a fair, for instance). http://forrager.com/faq/#sales-tax

Maple syrup isn’t specifically mentioned in VA’s cottage food law, so I’m not sure if you’re exempt from inspection, though you may be. You can sell your maple syrup as a home food processing operation, but that requires an inspection. You should contact the ag dept about this.

Although you don’t need anything from the health dept, you might need to adhere to licenses or requirements for starting a home business. Also, you will need whatever the farmers market or event requires. Here’s some more info: http://forrager.com/faq/#starting

Yes, if you’re using a licensed commercial kitchen and have the proper license from the ag dept, you can sell online. http://forrager.com/faq/#commercial

It is true that some states allow you to withhold an address on a label if you are listed in a phone book. While I understand that it may be annoying for customers to show up uninvited, it’s worth noting that I haven’t heard of this becoming an safety issue for anyone. The “by appt only” sign is a good idea.