Sales Tax Jumpstart: Compliance, Administration, and Automation Post-Wayfair

Diane Yetter | Sales Tax Institute President & Your Course Instructor

On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued its highly anticipated decision in the South Dakota v. Wayfair case changing sales tax for companies everywhere.

You can read a detailed, technical analysis of the case, but the long and short of it is, a business can be on the hook to pay sales tax in a state, even if they do not have a physical presence. This is completely different than how things have ever operated, especially for online retailers.

There are some provisions, but most companies will need to collect and remit sales tax in many more states than they ever did before…

Small and Mid-Sized Businesses Must Adjust

Large companies that have been handing sales tax in all states already won’t feel much from this change. But it is mid-sized and small businesses that will be impacted the most.

They will need to quickly obtain the skills, knowledge, and processes required to properly handle these new requirements or risk falling out of compliance towards assessing huge fines and fees down the line in a surprise audit. Sometimes these fines are so significant they can can major financial damage to the stability of a company, so you must pay attention.

Implementing what is needed for proper sales tax compliance will be significant for most companies and wading out into multi-state sales tax compliance waters is murky at best.

For example, take the case of an mid-sized online fashion brand located in California that has customers in all 50 states. They did not have physical presence, or nexus, in any other state except California so they only ever charged sales tax in California before.

Now, they suddenly have to pay sales taxes in at least 20 new states because they fall under the provisions of each state’s law. Their small finance and accounting team is just trying to grapple with understanding what has changed, what rate to charge, how to remit and file taxes in each state, not to mention looking for solutions to help them automate some of this work.

As a person responsible for making sure your company is compliant on these matters, you now have a lot more to manage for a lot more states.

Unfortunately, the states don’t make it easy. Each one has its own unique challenges and make it your responsibility to figure out. If you don’t, you could be facing an audit and get assessed huge fines.

But just paying taxes isn’t all there is. You also have to:

• Know when and how to register as a seller in each state.
• Determine the taxability of your goods and services in every state that applies.
• Understand exemptions that may apply to you so that you can take advantage of cost savings for your company and customers.
• Maintain accurate records for the states so if and when an audit notice arises, you are ready.
• Juggle drop shipments and understand their impact on sales tax.
• Research issues and questions that inevitably come up in sales tax.
• Implement or maintain an automation system (and make sure it is set up correctly!)

That’s a lot of ground to cover, but you don’t have to do it alone.

Course Details:

Sales Tax Jumpstart is a 9-week online coaching course that meets once a week for interactive, live classes with Diane Yetter, Founder of Sales Tax Institute.

Students will learn about foundational sales and use tax issues needed to comply with Wayfair. Participants will have self-study between the streamed classes to apply what they learned to their business.

The Course Is:

	INTERACTIVE: We won’t just talk at you. You will meet once a week for 9 weeks in classes that are interactive with discussion based around the critical things you have to know about sales tax.
	CONVENIENT: All of the sessions will meet online so you can attend easily and conveniently from the office or home.
	PRACTICAL: Non-class practical application assignments are built into the program so that you can actually put what you’re learning into practice during the course.
	FLEXIBLE: If you have to miss a session you can easily catch-up on the recording before the next class (just without the ability to participate and earn CPE for the session).
	COMMUNITY-BASED: You’ll get to know your course mates and develop a network of sales tax people to turn to long after the course is over for inevitable questions that come up.
	ACCOUNTABILITY: Diane Yetter, the industry’s leading sales tax consultant, will personally help you every step of the way. You aren’t reading and watching a bunch of stuff on your own wondering what it means and what to do next. We help you develop ways to actually implement what you learn so that your sales tax work is completely transformed.
	CPE-BEARING: You’ll be able to earn up to 21 CPE credits for attending the entire course as prescribed.

PLUS participants will receive extra bonuses during the course of 9 weeks.

• Complete set of Sales Tax Institute tools and worksheets that easily save you hours of sales and use tax work, including some exclusive checklists, resources, and tools that only Jumpstart participants receive.
• TWO Bonus “Office Hours” calls with Diane Yetter where you can ask her anything related to what you’re learning, break through barriers, or get specific help to a sticky sales tax situation you’re facing.
• Private Online Community where you can post questions to Diane and the other sales tax professionals.
• Digital Goodie Bag containing special offers from us and our sponsors.
• Enhance your training with extra one-on-one help from Diane at HALF-OFF the regular consultation rate.
• Sales Tax Jumpstart Certificate of Completion that will show your unique expertise in the field.

Who is the course best for?

This course is designed for those working in finance and accounting for small and mid-sized businesses with limited or no sales tax experience.

It is especially designed for those who may have new sales tax obligations due to the Wayfair ruling and are looking for ways to manage all of the new requirements. Online retailers will especially benefit.

Those who advise small and mid-sized clients on sales tax obligations would also benefit.

It is not recommended for those with extensive sales and use tax experience. If you aren’t sure, please ask!

What is the format of the course?

This is an online course that is 9 weeks long that meets once-a-week on Tuesdays. You’ll meet online with Diane Yetter and your fellow classmates for the week’s new material. In between sessions you’ll have an assignment that will help you implement what you learned.

You also get two bonus office hour calls with Diane during the course of 9 weeks. These calls are open-ended and a good chance for you to ask specific questions you might have.

There is an industry week in the middle of the class that breaks from the usual streaming format to evaluate differences of sales tax across industries. This week you’ll have access to short videos on each major industry that you can watch as your interests determine.

Are the classes pre-recorded?

No, this is not a self-guided pre-recorded course where you’re left wondering what is next. Though there may be some recorded elements at different times throughout for self-study, 95% of the material is taught with live streaming where you can ask questions and take part in discussions. Think about it like taking an interactive online course at a university.

What if I have to miss a class?

This is not a problem at all, though we do suggest that you keep absences to a minimum. We will record every class session and have it available only to participants in the program for the duration of the 9 week class. We recommend you watch the class before the next session as each class will build upon the lessons from the week prior. You will not be able to get CPE credit for recorded sessions.

Will I get any proof that I completed this program?

Yes! You will receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course that you can include on your resume, LinkedIn profile, and display at work to communicate your sales and use tax skills. We have seen so many of our students leverage great career opportunities from their sales and use tax expertise and want you to be one of them!

I read or was told that I didn’t have to worry about Wayfair. They said the ruling was for big businesses and I should just wait for the states to tell me what to do.

Unfortunately, some ill-informed advisors, coaches, and “online experts” tell businesses that they don’t have to worry about sales tax unless they are a big fish. They give this incorrect advice because they don’t fully understand taxability and what is at stake.

To be blunt, no business or corporate financial advisor paying attention would say this. Here’s why:

Choosing to ignore the provisions, relying on the state to communicate what you need to do, or assuming you’re too small to matter is incredibly risky. Sales tax simply doesn’t work this way.

First, if you wait for the state to reach out to tell you what to do, you’ll be waiting a long time. States do not proactively make their requirements clear to a business. They just show up with an audit notice. States are under no obligation to send you information when you need to start remitting sales tax. That responsibility is on you as the business.

Second, this law is designed for small and mid-sized businesses. Large companies that have had nexus across the country for years are already paying taxes and are wise to what is needed. States will certainly be actively targeting small and mid-sized companies that fit the provisions. They can find you pretty easily, so don’t assume you’re flying under-the-radar.

Third, not knowing you needed to pay sales tax or misunderstanding a law is no excuse when the audit happens! We’ve seen too many businesses assume they were fine and are suddenly on-the-hook for tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands in sales tax. Can your business afford this surprise expense? Where do you think your “don’t worry about sales tax” advisor will be then?

We don’t say this to scare you, we say it because it is true. We’ve seen businesses have to close because the costs of not paying sales tax were so high. They contact us far too late in the process when their options were few. We don’t want it this to happen to anyone!!!

Compliance at the get-go is really the safest and most cost-effective answer.

What about CPE?

Those who successfully complete the course as intended can be eligible to earn up to 21 CPE credits. Please read more for additional Information about CPE.  You will receive your total CPE credit at the end of the course.

Do you have a cancellation policy?

Please read our cancellation and complaint policy here.