Getting sales tax compliant is a daunting task for most businesses. The best place to start is a free sales tax consultation.
A sales tax consultation is a phone call with a sales tax expert in order to address any questions you may have regarding sales tax. The goal is to discover the details of your company, answer any questions you have and address specific issues you’re dealing with. Then your expert will provide recommendations and next steps on getting compliant.
Sales tax consultations can go in a number of different directions, but there are a few common things to expect – and knowing them will help prepare you ahead of time.
When you have a sales tax question or issue, you want to talk to a sales tax expert, not a sales rep. That’s why a sales tax consultation is a free call with an expert whose goal is to provide guidance, whether or not they have a service to offer you.
At the end of the consultation, you’ll receive a recommendation for next steps to get compliant. And you might find out your situation is okay, and you don’t need sales tax services. Since there’s no obligation, there’s no reason not to get on the phone.
The only way to address your liability is to know precisely what your total exposure is. And to know that, you have to identify where you have sales tax nexus. Nexus is a link or connection to a state that allows that state to impose a sales tax responsibility upon you1. During the consultation, you’ll work with the expert to understand what your nexus footprint could potentially be.
After reviewing your potential nexus, we will then look at the products your business sells and evaluate if any of the items are taxable.
There’s a good chance you’ll find exemptions and non-taxable sales that will reduce your liability. You can also look for sales that are wholesale, making a lot of transactions tax-free with the right certificates in place.
After a taxability review, you’ll identify sales channels where your business wasn’t actually responsible for collecting the tax.
On every taxable transaction, someone is liable for collecting and remitting sales tax. In states with marketplace facilitator laws, facilitators like Amazon and Walmart are responsible for collecting sales tax on every transaction. During the call, the consultant will work with you to identify marketplace transactions where you can shift tax liability to marketplace facilitators. This process can greatly reduce your total exposure.
The landscape of sales tax compliance changes fast. Tax laws are notoriously cryptic and niche. And unless it’s your full-time job, it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the new regulations and policies and how they affect your business. Because of this, it’s often worthwhile to talk with an expert who can get you up to date on the issues. So, if you have a sales tax question, the fastest way to get an answer is to get on the phone with an expert.
Sales tax compliance is not a minor issue. It’s an existential challenge that faces thousands of businesses. Anxiety, fear and insomnia are all common symptoms of businesses owners facing significant sales tax exposure. And the costliest mistake you can make is to ignore the situation.
A consultation with a specialist is the first step towards attacking the problem before it’s too late. This will give you peace of mind knowing you’re on the path to compliance.
Sales tax compliance is extremely complex, making it difficult for most CPAs to offer the service in their own practice. They simply don’t have the time or resources to get started and keep up with fast-changing regulations.
But despite these challenges, it is very much possible for CPAs to provide sales tax compliance services. Indeed, CPAs can use sales tax specialists to answer their clients’ questions and protect them from sales tax exposure. So, if you’re a CPA with sales tax questions, a free consultation is a great place to start.
For any business looking to get compliant, the best path forward is to confront your potential tax exposure as soon as possible. While this may appear daunting, it’s as simple as setting up one phone call.
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