7 Benefits of Sales Tax Compliance Outsourcing

There are a variety of reasons it makes sense for companies to look for assistance with sales tax compliance outsourcing. Fast growth which makes keeping up with ongoing compliance requirements a challenge, turnover in key positions or an unfavorable audit experience resulting in significant liabilities are a few of the possible reasons we have heard from our clients. Regardless of the reason, many companies are making the decision to look for outside assistance with their sales tax compliance. We explore the key benefits of opting for sales tax compliance outsourcing services.

Sales tax compliance is the monthly treadmill that continues on in perpetuity. It can consume up to two weeks of an in-house staff’s time each month. Without the ongoing burden of sales tax compliance in-house staff and management can instead spend their time and resources working on more complex issues, revenue generating projects or proactive tax planning – activities which directly contribute to improved bottom line results.

Cost reduction is an issue at the forefront of all well-run companies’ collective minds. Savings can come in a number of forms such as reduction in staffing and overhead, elimination of sales tax compliance training after turnover, and elimination of payment errors and late filing penalties to name a few.

Companies who have made the transition to outsourced sales tax compliance have been shocked at the ease and simplicity of the new process in comparison to performing this function in-house. Companies can merely provide the data and allow your sales tax consulting firm’s experts to take it from there.

A number of our clients have even taken the additional step to set us up with remote access enabling us to pull the necessary data ourselves. By selecting the right sales tax consulting firm as your partner your company’s sales tax compliance function can transition from a burden to a breeze.

Returns will be filed with accuracy with all the right figures getting into all the right fields on each return. Has the tax rate for a jurisdiction you report to changed? That’s a worry you’ll no longer have.

Your sales tax compliance outsourcing partner should provide you with a clear audit trail including quick and easy access to all sales tax returns, payment vouchers, backup work papers and other important documents related to your sales tax compliance.

Returns will be filed on time. Some states such as Florida require tax returns to be filed prior the 20th of each month, which means when that date falls over a weekend or a national banking holiday that taxpayers must file early. The state of Washington requires monthly filers to submit their sales and use tax returns by the 25th day of each month while quarterly filers are required to submit their returns by the 30th day. These are all headaches which are eliminated with outsourced sales tax compliance.

Returns filed correctly and on time will result in fewer state sales tax audits because incorrectly or late filed returns are red flags to state and local taxing authorities. In the unfortunate event you are audited, have confidence that you have built-in complementary audit support as part of the sales tax compliance outsourcing agreement you have in place with your partner sales tax consulting firm.

Sales tax compliance is often merely the “tip of the iceberg” of the services provided by sales tax consulting firms. Nexus determinations, sales tax research, audit defense and representation, sales tax reverse audits and recovery reviews, and registering in new states or local home rule jurisdictions are just some other sales tax services that robust sales tax consulting firms offer. Working with an experienced, tax professional means that they will know the answers to your sales tax compliance questions.

Only looking for help with preparing and filing your returns? Agile Consulting Group can do that for you. Looking for a more comprehensive sales tax compliance solution that will also evaluate your monthly accounts payable invoices to determine which transactions should be subject to use tax? We help a number of our clients in this way as well. If you’re considering outsourcing your company’s sales tax compliance function, make a call to us to see if we are the right solution for you.

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