Friday, July 23, 2010

Can You Catch Nexus From Someone Else?

Is Nexus Contagious?
Are Third Parties Carriers of the Nexus Bug?

We subscribe to some of the best resources available today when it comes to state and local tax research. Chances are, whatever question you could possibly have, we can find the answer. Today, we thought it would be interesting to look at the actions of third parties and whether specific actions might cause you to have nexus in a given state. We say "might" because this article will be based on surveys conducted of state government officials and these answers come from them. You can expect them to be as aggressive as possible in asserting nexus, so take this with a grain of salt. But take it with a small grain of salt as the states seem to be successfully pushing the envelope on what's possible.
Read more »

Friday, May 21, 2010

How Far Back Can a State Go On Audit and How Long Should You Retain Your Records?

We subscribe to some of the best resources available today when it comes to state and local tax research. Chances are, whatever question you could possibly have, we can find the answer. Today, we thought it would be interesting to highlight the statute of limitations for various states and a corrollary issue of just how long you should retain your sales tax records.
Read more »

Friday, April 23, 2010

You Can Check In Any Time You Like, But Can You Ever Leave?

We subscribe to some of the best resources available today when it comes to state and local tax research. Chances are, whatever question you could possibly have, we can find the answer. Today, we want to address the issue of getting out of a state where you are currently registered but no longer have nexus. Let's talk about basic Nexus concepts first.
Read more »

Friday, March 26, 2010

Sampling in Sales Tax Audits

Top Questions on
Sales Tax Audits and Sampling



We subscribe to some of the best resources available today when it comes to state and local tax research. Chances are, whatever question you could possibly have, we can find the answer. Today, we want to address some basic questions surrounding sales tax sample audits.

Sampling Questions

Questions arise frequently around what is allowed (or mandated) when it comes to sampling. Just about every state uses sampling in conducting audits. The question is, do the states use "statistical" or "non-statistical" (or both) audit methods. Some of the non-statistical methods that states use are actually different types of block sampling methods. Some states use a time period such as a month or several months or year(s) and then project what they find in the sampled time period to the whole population of transactions in the entire audit period. Other non-statistical block methods that some states use are the voucher, invoice or check sequence methods where they choose every nth voucher, invoice or check number for the sample. The least frequently used method is the alphabetical method.
Read more »