Sales Tax 101 for the Internet Merchant - Amazon Web...
Transcript of Sales Tax 101 for the Internet Merchant - Amazon Web...
© Avalara
Sales Tax 101 for the Internet Merchant
Presented by Scott Newell, MBA
October 9, 2014
Making sales tax less taxing
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this webinar, you will be able to: • Determine appropriate Nexus – and Nexus triggering events
• Understand the current tax landscape and how special taxing
jurisdictions, including state tax holidays affect tax compliance
• Explain the steps your business needs to have in place to properly
collect and remit sales tax
• Identify whether or not your state is an SST State and how it affects
sales tax compliance
• Compare the different automation solutions available and how they
help with sales tax compliance
Making sales tax less taxing
Agenda
1. The new state of commerce
2. Sales tax compliance landscape
3. Redefining nexus
4. Audit protection
5. Automation or not?
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The New State of Commerce
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Polling Question 1
Making sales tax less taxing
The New State of Commerce
• According to a report by Forrester, more than 60% of
retail sales will involve the Internet by 2017.
• In 2013, 31 states projected budget deficits totaling $55
billion.
• NRF estimates $24 billion in sales taxes goes
uncollected on the Internet.
Therefore:
• As tax-collecting agents of the state(s), they are looking
to your business to find more money.
• This increased focus creates compliance risk for you.
Making sales tax less taxing
The New State of Commerce
When general
sales tax and
selective sales tax
are combined,
sales tax makes
up 47% of total
state revenue.
Other taxes 4%
Corporation net income
taxes 5% Total license
taxes 7%
Total selective sales taxes
17%
General sales and gross
receipts taxes 30%
Property taxes 2%
Individual income taxes
35%
Total State Government Tax Collection by Category
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The New State of Commerce
• States are finding more sales tax revenue by hiring
more auditors:
– California announces hiring 100 auditors over the next three
years
– Idaho hires 48 auditors that stay on as full-time staff
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Sales Tax Compliance Landscape
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Understanding the Basics: Sales Tax vs. Use Tax • Sales tax: imposed on the gross receipts from retail sale of tangible
property in state
• Use tax: imposed on the consumption or use of tangible property in
state
– Purchases of equipment and supplies from out-of-state for use in
business
– Withdrawals of inventory for taxable use such as R&D, promotional
materials, warranty repairs, etc.
• The difference:
– Sales tax: imposed on activities of a seller within or on transactions
originating and ending in a state
– Use tax: imposed on transactions or on purchases originating outside a
state
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Sales Tax Compliance Considerations
• 11,000+ taxing jurisdictions
• Thousands of changes to tax laws, including:
– Jurisdictional rate changes
– Tax holidays
– Jurisdictions that levy new taxes or eliminate taxes
– Jurisdictions that expand geographic boundaries
• Accuracy is everything
– For customers, auditors, and for your business
Making sales tax less taxing
E-tailers Struggle with:
• Do I have to collect (and, if so, from whom)?
• For what do I have to collect?
• How do I know what to charge (and is that rate current)?
• How do I register, report, and remit?
Making sales tax less taxing
E-tailers Tell Us:
• Accurate sales tax calculations are critical
• Sub-second performance is vital for good customer
experience
• Managing sales tax rates and rules is a painful process
• Embedded reporting capability and real-time data access
is necessary to streamline the compliance process
• Reduction of risk associated with audits is vital
• Outsourcing sales tax compliance is strategic
Making sales tax less taxing
Polling Question 2
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Redefining Nexus and Jurisdictions
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• 150+ million mailing addresses
• 11,000+ jurisdictional rules
• 35,000+ sales / use / rental tax rates
• ~ 30 M product / service exemptions
• 750,000+ buyer / seller exemptions
Making sales tax less taxing
Redefining Nexus and Jurisdictions
Knowing where you are required to collect is becoming
more difficult.
• Nexus means a “connection.”
• Every state has the right to define who has to collect
sales tax, what those taxes are, and any exemptions that
may be allowed.
• Ecommerce merchants must have a connection to a
state in which a customer resides for the merchant to be
liable for sales tax.
• States define nexus in different ways, and this makes it
confusing.
Making sales tax less taxing
How Do You Know if You Have Nexus?
• Do you have traveling salespeople in the state?
• Do you utilize contract labor in the state?
• Do you have company representatives in the state?
• Do you own or lease any real or personal property in the
state?
• Do you promote your products or services in the state?
• Do you participate in trade shows or exhibits in the state?
• And every year this list continues to grow.
Making sales tax less taxing
ZIP Codes: the Wrong Tool for the Job
• Taxing jurisdictions don’t always follow ZIP codes.
• Individual counties and municipalities levy sales taxes in
addition to state rates.
• Tax rates can vary significantly within a ZIP code.
• ZIP codes:
– Are a blunt instrument for determining sales tax rates and
boundaries.
– Will almost certainly lead to calculation mistakes.
– Can lull you into a false sense of security.
Making sales tax less taxing
Taking Care of Business
Crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s:
Once you’ve figured out where your business has nexus,
you need to ensure that you are properly set up to collect
and remit sales tax within applicable states.
Making sales tax less taxing
Accuracy is Everything
• Sales tax is calculated based on specific laws, regulations and rates defined for state, city, county – and in some cases special taxing jurisdictions and Regional Transit Districts.
• These jurisdictions DO NOT line up with ZIP codes.
• In 2012, the number of changes in these rates, rules and boundaries equaled or topped seven thousand across 46 states.
• It is extremely important for ecommerce businesses to ensure accuracy in rates and taxability.
Making sales tax less taxing
Polling Question 3
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7.85%
4.35%
4.35%
6.85%
7.72%
7.35%
5.10%
80111 Taxes Represented:
2.9% Colorado State
.25% Arapahoe County
1.0% Douglas County
3.5% Englewood City
3.0% Greenwood Village City
2.5% Centennial City
1.0% Regional Transport District
.10% Football District
.10% Science and Cultural
District
Determining sales tax
rates by
ZIP codes is
inaccurate and risky.
Making sales tax less taxing
7450 Leyden Street
Total Sales Tax: 0.0925
COLORADO: 0.0290
ADAMS: 0.0075
COMMERCE CITY: 0.0450
SCIENTIFIC & CULTURAL: 0.0010
DENVER AREA TR: 0.0100
7495 Locust Street
Total Sales Tax: 0.0475
COLORADO: 0.0290
ADAMS: 0.0075
SCIENTIFIC & CULTURAL: 0.0010
DENVER AREA TR: 0.0100
Making sales tax less taxing
Streamlined Sales Tax States
24 and Growing:
Making sales tax less taxing
Polling Question 4
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Audit Protection
Making sales tax less taxing
Audits Happen. Protect Yourself.
• Keep your sales tax collection records in perfect order.
• Know where you owe.
• Ensure you have accurate rates & taxability.
• Properly manage exemption certificates.
Making sales tax less taxing
Key Areas of Risk for E-tailers
• Incorrect tax rates due (often based on ZIP codes).
• Proper documentation for sales tax exemption.
Making sales tax less taxing
Tips to Reduce Audit Risk
You should:
• Do a nexus study
• Stay up-to-date with rate,
rule, and boundary
changes
• Report consumers’ use tax
• Be compliant from day
one, especially new
businesses
• Automate with technology
Make sure you have:
• An understanding of your
filing requirements
• Calculations that are
rooftop accurate
• Product taxability coverage
• Detailed sales records
• A process for managing
exemption certificates
Making sales tax less taxing
Avoid These Common Mistakes
• Failing to file a return
• Failing to report sales
• Taking excessive credits or exclusions on a return
• Filing returns with errors
• Return information that doesn’t match other records
• Mistakes found in previous audit
• Previous finding of exemption certificate misuse
• Not reporting use tax
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Automation or Not?
Making sales tax less taxing
Automation or Not?
• Periods of high growth, or upgrades or changes to your ecommerce site, provide good opportunities to explore how automating sales tax can help your business.
• Many ecommerce businesses find that automation:
– Saves time
– Increases accuracy
– Mitigates risk
– Improves efficiency
– Increases profitability
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How Does it Work?
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Tax Rates
Tax Boundaries
Taxability Rules
Making sales tax less taxing
Benefits of Automation
Just like outsourcing payroll, companies that outsource
sales tax benefit by:
• Achieving compliance
• Cutting costs
• Increasing efficiencies
• Focusing on growth
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Polling Question 5
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Making sales tax less taxing
About Avalara
We’re a team of developers, accountants,
support specialists, marketers, salespeople,
researchers, and technologists who know
we’re on to something big.
We know we are part of a team that is
revolutionizing what is a huge drain for
businesses of all sizes: managing the
compliance of transactional taxes, from
sales and use tax to 1099s and more.
Making sales tax less taxing
Questions?
Contact:
Scott Newell, MBA
National Sales Manager
Avalara
(206) 826-4900 x1355
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