Payroll & Sales Tax

Payroll and sales tax — never late, never wrong.

Full-service payroll processing plus multi-state sales tax compliance for businesses that sell across state lines. Every filing deadline, every jurisdiction, handled.

Overview

The two compliance burdens most likely to bite you.

Payroll and sales tax share a uniquely punishing characteristic: miss a deadline by a single day and the penalties stack up fast. Payroll taxes have "trust fund" liability attached — the IRS can personally assess owners for unpaid withholding, even if the business is a corporation. Sales tax compliance has gotten dramatically worse since the 2018 Wayfair decision, which created economic nexus thresholds in nearly every state, meaning you might owe sales tax in 10 states without ever having a physical location in any of them.

Our payroll practice handles everything: W-2 employees, contractors, bonuses, equity comp, benefits accruals, garnishments, and multi-state withholding. We run payroll through Gusto or Rippling, file federal (Forms 941, 940, W-2, W-3) and state withholding returns, handle all deposits, and issue year-end 1099s to contractors. You approve timesheets; we handle everything else.

Sales tax is harder than payroll because the rules change by state, by city, and by product type. We register you in every state where you have economic nexus, file monthly or quarterly returns per jurisdiction, and remit tax collected. We integrate with Shopify, Amazon, Stripe, and QuickBooks Online to pull sales data automatically. You don't manually do anything after setup.

Zero missed deadlines
Every payroll deposit and sales tax filing happens on or before the deadline. Guaranteed — if we cause a late penalty, we pay it.
Multi-state ready
Employees in 5 states? Sales tax nexus in 15 states? We handle all 50 — registration, filing, and remittance included.
Integrated tools
We use Gusto or Rippling for payroll, Avalara or TaxJar for sales tax automation. Your data flows directly from source systems.
What's Included

Full-scope payroll & sales tax compliance.

Two distinct services that can be engaged separately or together. Most clients bundle them because the data flow is tightly linked.

Payroll processing

Weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly pay cycles. Direct deposit, paycheck printing, pay stub access, and employee self-service.

Federal payroll tax filings

Forms 941 (quarterly), 940 (annual FUTA), W-2s, W-3, and 1099-NEC/1099-MISC for contractors. Filed on time, every time.

State withholding & SUTA

State income tax withholding and unemployment insurance filings in all 50 states. Registration included for new states.

Tax deposits

Federal, state, and local payroll tax deposits made on schedule via EFTPS and state portals. We handle the entire deposit workflow.

Sales tax nexus study

Annual review of where you have economic nexus based on revenue and transaction volume. Register in new states before penalties accrue.

Monthly sales tax filings

Sales tax returns filed in every state where you have nexus — monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on state rules.

Tax remittance

Collected sales tax remitted to each state on or before the filing deadline. Reconciled against your POS and accounting systems.

Audit defense

If a state auditor shows up asking about sales tax, we handle the entire exam. Document prep, auditor interface, and settlement negotiation included.

Who It's For

Who needs this service.

Growing startups

First few W-2 hires, multi-state remote team, or equity-heavy compensation. Payroll complexity increases fast.

E-commerce sellers

Shopify, Amazon, or DTC sellers with revenue in multiple states. Sales tax post-Wayfair requires professional management.

Service businesses

Agencies, professional services, and consulting firms with employees. Monthly payroll with benefits and bonuses.

Brick & mortar

Restaurants, retail, and service businesses with tipped employees, shift differentials, and state-specific wage laws.

Our Approach

Set it up once, forget about it forever.

01

Onboarding audit

Review current payroll setup and sales tax registrations. Identify gaps and bring everything current.

02

Platform setup

Configure Gusto/Rippling for payroll and Avalara/TaxJar for sales tax. Integrate with your accounting and POS systems.

03

Go live

First payroll runs under our management. First sales tax filings happen automatically. You verify everything looks right.

04

Ongoing compliance

Every pay period, every filing deadline, every tax deposit — handled. You see monthly reports; nothing else is required of you.

Starting At
$295/ month

Payroll starts at $295/mo for up to 10 employees. Sales tax compliance starts at $195/mo for up to 3 states. Bundled discount when engaged together.

FAQ

Common questions about payroll and sales tax.

Why not just use Gusto directly and skip the CPA?
You can — and for simple situations (one state, W-2 only, no benefits), that's often fine. Where a CPA adds value: multi-state situations, contractor vs employee classification decisions, equity comp (ISO/RSU/NSO withholding), year-end reconciliation, notices from state agencies, and integration with overall tax planning. Gusto is a great tool; we wield it on your behalf.
What is "economic nexus" for sales tax?
After the 2018 Supreme Court ruling in South Dakota v. Wayfair, states can require out-of-state sellers to collect sales tax once revenue or transaction thresholds are crossed. Most states set thresholds around $100K in revenue OR 200 transactions per year. If your total U.S. sales exceed $500K/year, you likely owe sales tax in 8–15 states — whether or not you've registered there.
What happens if I've been ignoring sales tax?
You have exposure, but most states offer Voluntary Disclosure Agreements (VDAs) that limit back-liability to 3–4 years and often waive penalties. We conduct a nexus study first, then negotiate VDAs before registering. This path is dramatically cheaper than waiting for the state to find you — at which point penalties and interest can equal the underlying tax owed.
Do you handle tipped employees, commissions, and complex payroll?
Yes. Tipped wages with minimum-wage tip-credit calculations, commission-based pay, shift differentials, overtime on multiple rates, equity comp withholding, garnishments, and third-party sick pay — all handled. Restaurants, sales-commission businesses, and tech startups with equity are common clients.
What about benefits — can you handle those too?
We coordinate with your benefits broker but don't sell benefits ourselves (that requires a separate license). We handle the payroll side: health insurance premium deductions, 401(k) contributions and matches, FSA/HSA deductions, and compliance filings (Form 5500 for retirement plans, ACA reporting if applicable).

Two compliance headaches. Zero of your attention.

Book a consultation. Tell us about your team and sales channels — we'll tell you what compliance looks like and what we'd charge to handle it.

Book your consultation →