For as tricky as all of the income tax laws can be both federally and state-to-state, sales taxes are certainly a conundrum unto themselves. Every state – and in some cases, different municipalities – has its own laws for sales taxes that can be tricky to sort through. At Howard L Markowitz PA Certified Public Accountant, we specialize in sales taxes in our home state of Florida, but we can help you with your sales tax questions and concerns no matter where you're located.
Sales Tax Registration
Each state has different rules for registering for sales taxes. Some states require that you have a permit before you can even legally collect sales taxes while others only require that you register to remit sales tax payments. We can walk you through the process of what you need to do to prepare to collect and pay for sales taxes. The best part? We'll never charge a client for a simple registration for sales taxes!
Excise Taxes
Excise taxes are taxes on specific items or services and vary widely by state and municipality. To find out if you have to deal with excise taxes where you're running your business, please contact us, and we'll be happy to inform you of your obligations.
Nexus
If you haven't heard the term "nexus" used before, get used to it. States and local taxing authorities are becoming more and more aware of the business that is going on in their area by businesses who aren't physically there. The 2018 Wayfair Decision fundamentally changed the way sales taxes are collected and gave the states and local municipalities more ability to collect sales taxes on products that are shipped into their locations.
Nexus can be tricky and varies from state to state. Particularly if you are going to be an online seller of goods, be sure to contact us to keep yourself compliant with all of the locations which you'll be shipping.
Commercial Rent Tax and Tourist Tax
The State of Florida is an oddball in that, it's the only state in the country that requires all landlords of commercial buildings to charge sales taxes. The Sunshine State also has tourist taxes that have to be paid on short-term rentals (short-term being defined as any lease that is less than six months and one day).
Compliance with commercial rent taxes and tourist taxes is crucial, as the state and municipalities are generally particularly hard on landlords who don't collect and remit taxes properly.
If you have a commercial property that you plan on renting or have a residential property that is going to be used for short-term rental, contact us before you ever get started to help you avoid these pitfalls.
Sales Tax Audits
Particularly in the State of Florida, sales tax audits are among the most common audits that business owners face. Even if you aren't responsible for collecting sales taxes, the state still comes in from time to time to make sure that you have paid all of your sales taxes or your applicable use taxes. These audits are generally fairly easy at face value, but the penalties for not keeping proper records can be hefty.
Regardless, we're here to walk you through the whole process of your sales tax audit should you find yourself face-to-face with any state or local taxing authority.
Pricing
Though every sales tax form is a little different, the majority of sales tax returns that we file in our office cost our minimum fee of $100 per form. For Florida residents, commercial rent tax and sales on goods or services are submitted on the same form. Excise tax returns, tourist tax returns or other local tax returns may require an additional charge. Please contact us for a quote for your business.