As a multistate tax consulting firm, we often partner with CPA firms, other service providers and technical content providers to provide the best service to our clients and to share information.  For several years, we have been affiliated with Sales Tax Support. Sales Tax Support provides information and blogs concerning sales and use tax. The website offers free information to help businesses trying to answer their own unique questions regarding sales tax. There are a number of featured contributors from a variety of backgrounds all committed to answering questions about sales tax. The issues may pertain to a specific state, issue, or industry. Sales Tax Support sorts the information in a fashion that is very easy to navigate, so finding the first steps or solution to your sales tax questions can be made possible here.

We have been a contributor to Sales Tax Support for several years under the topic of “Sales Tax 101”, which covers the basics of sales tax. Our section of the website covers cover all things sales tax related, including tax nexus, taxability of items, exemptions, audits, etc., which give a reader a good basis in understanding the topic. As an individual you may be curious why sales tax is charged on certain transactions, but not on others, and for businesses you may be wondering how to be compliant with the many sales tax regulations, especially when it comes to e-commerce and multi-state transactions. If you are curious to learn more about sales tax or need a refresher then please read our entry here: Sales Tax 101 (Sales Tax Basics)

Recently, we have increased our contributions to the Sales Tax Support website by contributing a monthly blog  specifically on sales tax issues in California. In December we wrote about the new California Manufacturer’s Exemption, a partial sales tax exemption for qualified equipment purchases. The partial sales tax exemption (approximately 4%) is available to companies engaged in manufacturing and/or research and development and placing in service qualified equipment after 7/1/14.  In our blog  Partial Exemptions for Manufacturers in CA (Do you Qualify?), we discuss the importance of properly documenting all aspects of the exemption so that it can sustain audit scrutiny – both from the state AND in a company’s financial statements. A disallowance of the exemption, if material, may cause financial statement misstatements as well.

Our most recent blog focuses on the proper use of resale certificates in California. The resale exemption is very beneficial to companies, but again, documentation is key! We provide various scenarios as to when a resale certificate is necessary, and how to properly document the exemption: Resale Certificates in California: Proper Documentation is the Key

So, follow us here, and follow us there!  State Taxes are everywhere!

Photo Credit: Jisc