Consultations
Speak with a Team Member - No Fee
If you want to discuss fees, services, or would like to know more about us, we suggest a call with a sales team member rather than a consultation with Mike. Team members do not discuss taxes or provide advice. There are no fees to speak with team members.
Consultations vs. Research Projects
Please read before signing up for a consultation below.
Each state has its own ideas and rules as to what, when, where, how, why, and on who state taxes should be imposed. Not only do the answers to these questions vary widely amongst the states, but they can evolve rapidly. They can also vary widely amongst the different taxes within a state. For example, the question of whether a certain activity creates enough of a link with a state, which is called nexus, to require registration will vary between sales/use tax, state income tax, payroll tax, Secretary of State registrations, and other business taxes or licensing requirements at the state, county, and even municipal level.
Most of the time the answers to these questions are very fact-dependent, with even small changes in the facts having major impacts on the answers. As state tax consultants, one of our core services is providing answers to these questions. Many times the answers to your questions can be provided in a consultation. There are many questions our consultants can provide answers to off the top of their heads. However, not all questions or scenarios can be answered quickly without doing research. In addition, many clients want more than a verbal response. Many clients require a formal memo with the results of our research laid out with the appropriate citations on our letterhead.
If you are unsure of whether you need a consultation or research project, we suggest you start with a consultation. The consultant will answer as many of your questions as possible and provide guidance on how to move forward or what the next steps should be. Please see a selection of our consultations below. Our founder, Mike Fleming, CMI currently does most of our consultations. If you know you need a research project, you may skip the consultation and speak to a team member.
Consultations
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ: All consultations are held on a Zoom conference line and you can invite as many as you want to the call. CPAs and other accounting professionals often invite their clients and vice versa. The conference line can be accessed through the internet and is available worldwide. There are also phone numbers available. Consultations can last up to 60 minutes and the fee is $495. A consultation can be rescheduled, but not refunded, up to 24 hours in advance of the scheduled time. Missed calls will not be refunded or credited to another call.
General Consultation
This consultation is our standard consultation. Many clients with multiple questions about multiple topics choose this consultation. Almost any topic relating to state and local taxes in the U.S. or Canada, except property tax, can be addressed. We can not guarantee that the consultant will be able to answer all questions on this call. However, they will be able to answer many, and those they can not, they will provide guidance on how best to move forward. The consultation can also be used to review a document received from a state or local jurisdiction and then provide guidance. Exemption and resale certificate questions are a frequent topic.
Any topic relating to state and local taxes can be addressed. We can not guarantee that Mike will be able to answer all questions on this call, but he will be able to answer many. Those he can not, he will provide guidance on how best to move forward. The fee for this consultation is $495.
Nexus Consultation
Nexus is a fancy word that means link or connection. It is the link or connection that must be present before a state or other jurisdiction can require you to collect or pay its taxes. Each state or local jurisdiction has its own rules that govern nexus. Nexus can be different for each tax type. In this consultation, clients generally discuss their activities, both physical and economic, to see whether or not they create nexus. Topics can cover any type of nexus or tax. Topics are not limited to nexus, however, most clients use this consultation as a nexus overview as nexus is a vast topic. The fee for this consultation is $495.
For information on a more detailed nexus consultations like economic nexus, physical presence nexus, sales tax nexus, or income tax nexus click here.
Economic Nexus Determination Consultation
On June 21, 2018, the sales tax world became a lot more complex and perilous for companies and their advisors to navigate. A physical presence is no longer required to create an obligation to collect sales tax. Simply crossing a sales or transaction threshold can now create an obligation to collect tax. All states have updated their thresholds as of last year.
Companies that may not have had a requirement to collect and remit tax anywhere but their home state are now finding they have a requirement to file in 10, 20, 30, or all states. It is important to note that this is not an internet tax. This is a tax that impacts all companies who sell into more than one state no matter how the sales are made.
While the effective dates of this new nexus are relatively new, some have exceeded or are approaching the one-year mark. The states are gearing up to start aggressively enforcing compliance. Don’t let the states find you before you determine where your new responsibilities are.
In an economic nexus review, you will need to have your sales for the previous year and the current year summarized by state. You will start the consultation by sharing a brief overview of your business. Then, sales tax expert Mike Fleming will review your data state-by-state with you and share recommendations on what actions, if any, you should pursue. The fee for this consultation is $495.