Say you want to start your very own online business. Aside from having unlimited access to the Internet, you also need to be armed with adequate knowledge about taxes and your online business because without it, you will surely be at loss.
Online retailers, or more commonly known as etailers are not exempt from paying taxes, contrary to the
common misconception of most people. Etailers are still included in the rush for meeting the April 15
deadline for tax filings.
However, veteran etailers would say that the most difficult part for online business owners is navigating and complying with the confusing and complicated laws and conditions governing day-to-day sales taxes.
If you are one etailer who would like to take your online business seriously, you should be prepared to deal with the fact that handling and managing sales taxes is actually an everyday challenge.
The truth is, a lot of etailers are required by the government to file and remit sales tax to states on either a monthly or regular interval. The basis for the filing of sales taxes would more or less
depending on how much revenue your online business generates.
A Few Tips For Etailers
It is vital that you understand your responsibility for sales tax. You must also know that the idea that e-commerce companies are required to collect and remit sales tax in every state is one big myth.
You only have to pay sales tax if you have nexus in that certain state. So what’s a “nexus?”
Well, in online business jargon, nexus means a “connection.” Put in application, making a sale in
another state does not mean that you automatically have a sales tax obligation.
You have to put in mind that there are many rules and laws that you need to consider before you can
determine whether or not you will need to pay for sales tax in a certain state.
When you create your very own nexus in a certain state, you are then required to calculate, collect,
report and remit the sales that you make in that certain state every time you have a transaction there.
This is the reason why you are obliged to pay tax sales based on the location of your business.
However, you must also keep in mind that there are also other ways to create your very own nexus in a state. Aside from physical presence or structure of your business establishment in a certain state, you can also establish a nexus by having sales representatives present in that state, tradeshows,
mobile stores, etc.
Trying to make an online business work amidst the seemingly confusing and complicated rules that apply to different states can be quite challenging.
However, one must not lose hope; with the help of professionals in the legal field and certified public
accountants (CPA), you will surely be enlightened as to what steps you should take for your online business to stabilize and prosper.
By being armed with the right knowledge about taxes and your online business will surely prosper.










[...] for example, you don’t have a nexus in another state, you can still sell and ship your merchandise to costumers residing in another [...]