Services

Sales & Use Tax

Nearly every transaction of goods and many service transactions come with an added charge for sales or uses taxes. The tax rates can be as high as 10%. Each individual and every business—large or small—must consider the taxability of everything that is sold, bought and consumed.

For businesses, overpayments of sales and use taxes are above-the-line costs, unduly burdening EBITDA and potentially impacting earnings per share. Managing these costs aligns with effective financial management of the business, and can save significant time and money. Our experienced state and local tax (SALT) professionals work with every aspect of sales and use tax and can help you make sense of the obligations and opportunities. Our services include the following:

Sales and Use Tax Process Review/Automation

WTAS can assist clients with reviewing their tax compliance processes to identify opportunities to enhance, streamline and automate the sales and use tax function. Our experience in process re-engineering and tax technology can improve processes, strengthen internal controls and reduce the cost of compliance.

Sales and Use Tax Compliance Outsourcing

WTAS provides full service, outsourced sales and use tax compliance services. We focus on identifying and adopting best practices methodologies specifically suited to our clients’ business activities. Outsourcing sales and use compliance relieves clients of the burden of deadlines, and lowers the costs in terms of compensation, benefits, training, administration and license/maintenance of tax preparation software.

Audit Defense Services

SALT authorities are becoming very creative and aggressive in their audits of business taxpayers. Auditors often overlook credit items and assess tax on transactions that may not be taxable based on use or interpretation. We can assist clients in managing an audit from start to finish and reduce the likelihood of the hearings and appeals process. We have extensive experience representing clients and our credibility and tax knowledge allow us to obtain the best possible results.

Refund Analysis

Sales tax is frequently paid on exempt items, either to their supplier or to the state, where a legal exemption is provided. We can assist clients by performing a review of their purchases to identify potential refunds of sales and use taxes. During a review of the capital assets and supply purchases, we typically identify overpayments in a variety of areas.

Airplanes, Artwork, Antiques and Automobiles

Certain types of property are usual suspects for state use tax collectors. Large dollar items bought at auctions, brought through customs, or having mobility are targets for audits. WTAS works with consumers of such items, both businesses and individuals, navigating the rules to comply with and minimize state use tax obligations related to these items.

Nexus Study/Voluntary Disclosure/Amnesty

As companies expand operations across state lines, or engage in acquisitions of existing companies and business operations, they face questions about physical presence and resulting nexus issues. WTAS can assist clients in determining past SALT exposure where they may have nexus, and negotiate on an anonymous basis to minimize interest, penalties and deficiency look-back period through voluntary disclosure and amnesty agreements.

Sarbanes Oxley 

  • Due diligence
  • Managed audits
  • Tax variance analysis
  • Formula use tax reporting
  • Transactional analysis
  • Exemption certificate management/automation