Liability found early
Unregistered nexus discovered by us is a voluntary disclosure. Discovered by the state, it is an assessment with penalties.
Sales Tax
District rates, marketplace rules, and the audit that finds all of it
California layers district taxes on top of the state rate, treats marketplace sales differently, and audits sellers more actively than most states. We keep the filings clean.
The rate is not one rate
California's statewide rate is only the floor. Districts add their own increments, and the applicable combination depends on where the sale is sourced — which is not always where your business sits.
Add marketplace facilitator rules, out-of-state economic nexus thresholds, resale certificate documentation and exemption categories, and sales tax becomes the compliance area where otherwise well-run businesses quietly accumulate liability.
What we do
Register you with the CDTFA where required, determine where you have nexus, configure your point-of-sale or e-commerce platform to charge the right rates, file returns and prepayments on schedule, and keep the exemption documentation that survives an audit.
If an audit is already underway, we represent you through it.
Included
What you get
Nexus review
Where you are actually required to register — in California and in other states if you ship or sell online.
CDTFA registration
Seller's permit applications and district registrations handled for you.
Return preparation & filing
Monthly, quarterly or annual returns plus prepayments, filed on time, reconciled to the books.
Rate configuration
Your POS or e-commerce platform set up to charge correct district rates at the correct sourcing.
Exemption documentation
Resale and exemption certificates collected, validated and filed where an auditor can find them.
Audit representation
Full representation before the CDTFA, including managing the sample methodology — which is where most assessments are won or lost.
Why it matters
What changes for you
Marketplace sales handled correctly
Facilitator-collected sales still belong on your return, reported the right way. Getting this wrong is extremely common.
Tied to the general ledger
Returns reconcile to your books, so the two never tell different stories to two different agencies.
The certificates actually exist
Exempt sales without valid documentation become taxable in an audit. We keep the file complete.
The process
How the engagement runs
01
Nexus & exposure review
Where you must register, and whether any historical exposure needs a voluntary disclosure.
02
Register & configure
Permits obtained and your selling systems set to charge correctly.
03
File on schedule
Returns and prepayments prepared, reconciled and filed. Never late.
04
Maintain the file
Certificates collected and reviewed annually, so an audit finds a complete record.
Questions
Sales Tax & CDTFA, answered
Still not sure? Ask us directly — the first conversation costs nothing and we will tell you honestly whether this is what you need.
In most cases yes. Marketplace facilitator rules shift collection to the platform, but you generally still hold a permit and still report those sales — claiming them correctly as a deduction. Not filing because "Amazon handles it" is one of the most common notices we see.
Possibly. Most states now have economic nexus thresholds based on sales volume or transaction count. We review your sales by state and tell you where registration is actually required, rather than registering you everywhere by default.
The auditor typically selects a sample period and extrapolates the findings across the whole audit period, which means small sample errors become large assessments. Managing the sample methodology is the highest-value part of the defence, and it is where we focus.
Related
Often needed alongside this
Bookkeeping & Monthly Close
Reconciled every month, closed on a schedule, and delivered with a short note explaining what changed. Not a shoebox reconstructed in March.
Learn more
IRS & California FTB Representation
An Enrolled Agent holds unlimited rights of practice before the Internal Revenue Service. Sign a Form 2848 and every letter, every call and every deadline becomes ours to manage.
Learn more
QuickBooks Setup, Clean-up & Training
A chart of accounts built around your business — not the default template — so the reports answer the questions you actually ask.
Learn more
Let’s talk about your sales tax & cdtfa.
A thirty-minute call, no charge, and a fixed quote before anything begins. If we are not the right firm for this, we will tell you that too.