January 26, 2015
While the average U.S. sales tax rate remained unchanged in the fourth quarter, the number of indirect tax changes increased from the previous quarter, according to the latest ONESOURCE Indirect Tax report from Thomson Reuters.
November 7, 2014
Once the elections are over, we expect Congress will finally get busy focusing on sales tax legislation. But that's only part of the excitement here at the magazine. It's that time of year when accountants have a bit of time to spare before they ...
November 5, 2014
The Multistate Tax Foundation (MTF) recently issued its 2015 State Business Tax Climate Index report, a benchmarking report that enables state governments and others to compare their tax systems with other states. Ideally, those states that rank ...
October 14, 2014
[This is part of a special series of articles designed to maximize tax benefits and minimize tax pitfalls at the end of the year.] The alternative minimum tax (AMT) is often referred to as a “stealth tax” because it sneaks up on unsuspecting taxpayers. But you’re not doing your job well if your clients are caught...…
October 10, 2014
While almost everyone has heard of sales tax, many business owners are unaware that most states have a “use tax.” State laws treat sales and use tax as two separate taxes, but in reality they act in concert to complement each other.
October 10, 2014
You probably know the income, sales, and use tax rules in your own state and local jurisdictions without having to do much research. But what if a new client walks in the door and presents you with a tax situation in a state where you have not practiced b
September 23, 2014
A Northwest Arkansas software company earlier this month received one of only 15 sales tax-related patents ever issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
September 12, 2014
The sales and use tax audit could possibly be one of the biggest challenges that your business clients will face. If you are working with a client who has been selected for an audit, you are now tasked with proving that the client remitted the correct amount of sales tax to the state Department of…
September 12, 2014
Historically, a business' gross revenues follow seasonal patterns and even a small change in gross revenue should result in a small change in the associated accounts. In an attempt to discover why one established contractor was selected for audit, I reviewed their sales tax filings and created the below table.
August 29, 2014
State tax collections fell short of expectations by $281 million last year, providing potential difficulties in the future for the state budget and immediate fodder for this fall's tight governor's race.
August 26, 2014
An airline is looking into coming to Idaho to set up a maintenance facility in Boise that would create 100 new jobs with salaries of close to $50,000 a year, Idaho's state commerce chief says, in part because of a new tax incentive law.
August 25, 2014
Kansas Secretary of Revenue Nick Jordan told Wichita Republicans Friday that the state's system for giving sales tax exemptions to charities is too political -- and politics will probably keep it from getting changed.