Sales tax consulting
Sales Tax Consulting & Expert Advisory
Managing sales and use tax across multiple states is a demanding, high-stakes task. Our team has deep, hands-on experience with transaction-based taxes across regions, and we use it to advise you through any sales or use tax question, from your first nexus question to defending an audit.
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What our sales tax experts advise on
We’re an advisory partner, not just a filing service. When you need answers rather than paperwork, our consultants help you with:
Nexus studies
Determining exactly where your sales, physical presence, or affiliates create an obligation to register, state by state.
Taxability determinations
Ruling on whether your specific products, digital services, shipping, or bundles are taxable in each state.
Audit defense
Representing and guiding your business through state sales tax audits and inquiries.
Voluntary disclosure agreements (VDA)
Assessing backdated exposure and negotiating the most cost-effective path to become compliant.
Software and process selection
Advising whether to build in-house, adopt tax software, or outsource, based on your revenue, exposure and growth.
Ongoing advisory
A sounding board for new markets, new products, and changing state rules as you scale.
Advisory, not paperwork
When you need a sales tax expert
Consulting is the right call, distinct from done-for-you filing, when you have a question or a risk to resolve rather than a routine to run. Talk to an expert if:
- You’re unsure where you have nexus and don’t want to over- or under-register.
- You’ve discovered past sales tax exposure and need to weigh a voluntary disclosure agreement against the risk of penalties.
- You’re facing a state audit and need someone who knows the framework in your corner.
- You’re launching a new product, service, or market and need a taxability ruling before you sell.
- Your own tax team lacks US sales and use tax expertise and needs a specialist partner for specific nexus or taxability questions.
If you already know what you owe and simply want it handled end to end, our done-for-you sales tax compliance and filing service is the better fit. Not sure which you need? Start with a free consultation and we’ll tell you.
Sales tax consulting
How our advisory works
Free consultation and sales tax status review
Share your business details and situation. We assess where you stand and what needs answering.
Nexus and taxability study
We analyze your presence, sales, and products across the states that matter to determine your true obligations and exposure.
Recommendations and ongoing advisory
You get clear, actionable recommendations, and we stay available as your advisor as rules and your business change.
Context for out-of-state vendors: US sales tax applies in 45 states and the District of Columbia, and local sales tax is part of the regime in 38 states, where local rates sometimes exceed the statewide rate. Knowing the correct combined rate for each jurisdiction is critical, and it’s exactly what our advisory resolves.
Why 1stopVAT
US sales tax expertise
Advisory across the 45 states (plus DC) that levy sales tax and the 11,000+ local jurisdictions within them, covering nexus, taxability and audit exposure.
Compliance partners
A strong network of tax consultants and local agents, so we can advise on and coordinate local requirements across regions.
Reliable monitoring
We track rule changes and deadlines and flag what affects you, so advice stays current, not one-off.
Certified experts
A team of 40+ specialists, certified members of IVA, AITC and the VAT Forum, serving 800+ clients, with deep experience in e-commerce and digital services.
FAQ: practical sales tax questions
It depends on the state. With no federal sales tax regime, there’s no uniform rule: some states tax a base that includes shipping and delivery fees, while others exclude those costs. Determining this per state is exactly the kind of taxability question our advisory resolves for you.
We do. We currently advise several clients operating as marketplace facilitators across US states. In some states we handle the full compliance process; in others we coordinate with partners to cover the entire framework.
Sales tax holidays are state-level periods where certain items can be sold without levying sales tax. Different supply types are covered in different periods of the year, with statewide thresholds (for example, clothing or footwear up to a set value per item or receipt). The specifics depend on each state’s requirements, and we’ll advise on which apply to you.
There’s no single right answer; it depends on your business model, revenue, multi-state exposure and customer count. If you have significant revenue and are expanding fast, we generally recommend a credible third-party provider that can keep pace with your growth and deploy quickly. We’ll give you a specific recommendation after reviewing your situation.
Yes, we regularly partner with tax teams that need US sales and use tax specialists. As an internationally driven firm with partners across regions, we’d gladly discuss collaborating on your nexus questions and related concerns.
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We offer a free consultation to better understand your needs. It could lead to a simple fix, or a longer advisory relationship. Let’s find the best solution for you.
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