Free assessment · Sales Tax
Sales Tax Risk Assessment
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See how exposed your business is to back sales tax, penalties and state audits, and what to do before a state finds you.
- About 5 mins
- 20 questions · 4 sections
- Results right away, no email needed
- Your result, and what it means for your business
- A breakdown by area, so you know where to focus first
- A free action plan you can download, if you want it
Your answers are saved on this device as you go, so you can pick up where you left off.
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Section 1 of 4
Awareness & understanding
These questions check how well you know where you owe sales tax and what triggers it. Most exposure starts with a rule nobody knew about.
Question 1 of 20, Awareness & understanding.
How confident are you about where your business has sales tax obligations (nexus)?
Question 2 of 20, Awareness & understanding.
When did you start selling in multiple states
Question 3 of 20, Awareness & understanding.
Do you have physical operations that could create nexus? (Warehouses, offices, inventory storage, FBA, 3PL facilities)
Question 4 of 20, Awareness & understanding.
Are you aware that economic nexus thresholds can trigger sales tax obligations, even without a physical presence?
Question 5 of 20, Awareness & understanding.
Are you aware that sales through marketplace facilitators (Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart) count toward nexus thresholds in many states?
Question 6 of 20, Awareness & understanding.
Are you aware that wholesale transactions count toward nexus in many states?
Question 7 of 20, Awareness & understanding.
Are you aware you need to combine sales from all channels, sources, and storefronts to truly understand your economic nexus footprint?
Section 2 of 4
Registration & compliance status
This section looks at what you're doing today: registering, collecting and filing. It shows where your paperwork matches reality and where it doesn't.
Question 8 of 20, Registration & compliance status.
Are you registered to collect sales tax in every state where you have nexus?
Question 9 of 20, Registration & compliance status.
Did you ever start collecting sales tax in a state BEFORE you registered for a permit there?
Question 10 of 20, Registration & compliance status.
Are you collecting sales tax properly in the states where you're registered?
Question 11 of 20, Registration & compliance status.
If you make wholesale or tax-exempt sales, do you have valid exemption certificates on file?
Question 12 of 20, Registration & compliance status.
Are you filing your sales tax returns on time?
Question 13 of 20, Registration & compliance status.
When you registered for sales tax, did you use an effective date that matched when you actually crossed nexus?
Section 3 of 4
Historical exposure
These questions estimate how much back sales tax might be building up, and whether states have already noticed.
Question 14 of 20, Historical exposure.
If you're not fully compliant, how long do you estimate you've had sales tax obligations?
Question 15 of 20, Historical exposure.
Roughly, how much do you think you might owe in back sales taxes (if applicable)?
Question 16 of 20, Historical exposure.
Have you received any communications from states about sales tax (registration reminders, questionnaires, audit notices)?
Section 4 of 4
Risk factors
These final questions look at how your footprint shapes your risk: where you sell, how many channels you use and how fast you've grown.
Question 17 of 20, Risk factors.
Are you selling in any of these 'aggressive' states? (California, Texas, Washington, Illinois, New York, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Florida)
Question 18 of 20, Risk factors.
How many states are you currently selling into?
Question 19 of 20, Risk factors.
How many sales channels do you use? (Amazon, Shopify, eBay, wholesale, etc.)
Question 20 of 20, Risk factors.
Has your business experienced significant growth or changes in the past 2 years? (New warehouses, FBA expansion, new sales channels, major revenue growth)
- No email needed to see your results
- About 5 mins
Your Sales Tax Risk Assessment results
Low Risk
Moderate Risk
High Risk
Based on your answers, you’re doing better than most ecommerce sellers when it comes to sales tax compliance.Based on your answers, you have some sales tax exposure, but you’re not in crisis mode yet. That’s the good news.Based on your answers, you likely have significant unpaid sales tax liability across multiple states.
Your full action plan is free. See your options and exactly what to do next.
Get my free reportHow you scored by area
Here's where your risk is concentrated, so you know where to start.
Awareness & understanding
On trackWatchAt riskYou understand nexus and what counts toward it, including marketplace and wholesale sales. That's the foundation most sellers are missing.
You know the basics, but some rules (marketplace sales, wholesale, combining channels) aren't part of how you track nexus yet. That's where unknown obligations hide.
There are gaps in how you understand nexus, so you likely have obligations in states you're not tracking. This is where most sales tax exposure starts.
Registration & compliance status
On trackWatchAt riskYou're registered, collecting and filing where you should be. Keep registration dates and exemption certificates clean as you grow.
Most of your compliance is in place, but there are gaps in registrations, collection, filings or certificates. Each gap is a state that could come back to you.
You're likely missing registrations or filings, or collecting tax without a permit. These are the issues states penalize most, and they're fixable if you act first.
Historical exposure
On trackWatchAt riskLittle or no back tax is building up, and states haven't come asking. You're in a strong position.
Some back tax has probably built up. It's still manageable, and the sooner you deal with it, the more options you have.
You may have years of unpaid sales tax, and states may already be in touch. Acting before a state does, often through a Voluntary Disclosure Agreement, can cut penalties and shorten the look-back.
Risk factors
On trackWatchAt riskYour footprint is fairly contained, so your risk stays manageable as long as you keep monitoring thresholds.
Your channels, states or growth are adding risk. More places to sell means more thresholds to watch.
You sell into many states, including aggressive ones, across several channels, and you've grown fast. That's exactly the profile state audit teams look for.
What this means for you
The good news: You’re catching potential issues early. Small gaps now can become big problems later, but you’re positioned to fix them before they do.
You understand nexus. You’re registered in the right places (or close to it). You’re collecting and filing. That puts you in a strong position.
Most sellers at your stage have one of two priorities: tightening up small gaps to make sure nothing slips through the cracks, and preparing for growth to ensure compliance can scale as you do.
Most sellers at this stage can stay compliant with quarterly preventative maintenance and a few strategic reviews.
Proactive monitoringClean complianceConfident growth
What you’re likely experiencing
Businesses at this stage typically face:
Occasional threshold questions
You’re tracking sales, but occasionally wonder: “Did I cross the threshold in that state?” or “Should I have registered sooner?” Especially after Black Friday spikes or viral products.
Uncertainty about edge cases
Your core compliance is solid, but you have questions about specific situations: Do giveaways require use tax? Are my exemption certificates valid? Did product taxability change?
Questions about marketplace facilitator sales
You know Amazon collects tax on your behalf, but you’re not sure if those sales count toward nexus thresholds or whether you need to register based on total sales.
These aren’t red flags. They’re yellow flags. Your detailed report shows you how to address each with preventative measures that keep small gaps from becoming big ones.
What this means for you
You’re not broken, but the gap between where you are and where you need to be is growing.
States are getting smarter about finding sellers in your position. You’re currently managing compliance reactively rather than systematically, addressing issues as they surface instead of from a comprehensive view of your entire nexus footprint.
The good news: You still have time to act proactively. You’re at an inflection point where getting ahead of this now prevents exposure from becoming expensive later. Most businesses at your stage can achieve full compliance within 90-120 days with a strategic approach.
Gaps in complianceGrowing exposureLimited options
What you’re likely experiencing
Businesses at this stage typically face:
Multi-state compliance uncertainty
You’re registered in some states, but managing sales tax across multiple channels and platforms makes it difficult to answer: “Are we fully compliant, or are there gaps we haven’t identified?”
Threshold tracking across channels
Sales data lives in multiple systems (Amazon, Shopify, wholesale). Without real-time monitoring, there’s a lag between crossing thresholds and identifying obligations, and that lag creates exposure.
Questions about VDA timing
You’ve heard about Voluntary Disclosure Agreements but aren’t sure which states need them, which states warrant direct registration, or if your window is still open. (Spoiler: It probably is.)
Hesitation about growth
You’re considering new channels or FBA locations, but sales tax compliance uncertainty creates hesitation. Growth feels risky when the compliance foundation has gaps.
Sound familiar? Your detailed report breaks down your strategic options and shows you exactly how to assess your exposure state-by-state.
What this means for you
This isn’t about being careless. This is what happens when your business crosses economic nexus thresholds without realizing it, or when you knew but didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with it.
The challenge is that the longer you wait, the more expensive it gets. States are actively sharing data, forming audit task forces, and sending pre-audit questionnaires to sellers like you.
The good news: You still have options. And understanding them now, before a state contacts you, gives you the most leverage.
States are lookingYou act firstYou keep negotiating power
What you’re likely experiencing
Businesses at this stage typically face:
Anxiety about state enforcement
You hear about states cracking down on ecommerce sellers and wonder if you’re on their radar. Every news article about audits makes your stomach drop.
Uncertainty about your exposure
You’re not sure exactly how much you owe, to which states, or for how long. The unknown is worse than knowing.
Fear of penalties
You know penalties can reach 25-39% in some states, and that number keeps you up at night. The cost to fix this feels overwhelming.
The VDA window closing
You’ve heard about Voluntary Disclosure Agreements but aren’t sure if you qualify or if it’s already too late. (Spoiler: It’s probably not.)
Growth on hold
You’re hesitating to expand into new channels or fulfillment centers because you’re not sure your sales tax situation can handle it.
Sound familiar? Your detailed report breaks down your options and shows you exactly what to do next.
Free action plan
Get your full results + action plan
A PDF built around your answers, with your biggest gaps and where to start. It's 100% free. Just tell us where to send it.
- Key areas to watch as you growThe specific compliance patterns worth monitoring as your business scales.
- Preventative maintenance checklistQuarterly threshold monitoring, annual certificate audits, product taxability reviews, and use tax tracking with implementation schedules.
- Growth readiness assessmentWhat to validate now so your compliance foundation can handle 2-3x growth without breaking.
- How to decide when to get expert helpClear indicators for managing this yourself vs. bringing in specialized support as you scale.
- What you’re likely experiencingThe specific operational challenges creating compliance gaps and exposure across your nexus footprint.
- The 3 diagnostic checks to runState-by-state exposure analysis, registration date audit, and exemption certificate validation, with step-by-step instructions.
- Understanding your three optionsDo nothing (not recommended), register directly, or file Voluntary Disclosure Agreements, with clear criteria for which states need which approach.
- The VDA advantage + processWhat VDAs are, how they work, real savings examples, and the complete 5-phase process we handle for you.
- What this means for your businessDetailed breakdown of why state enforcement is accelerating and what you’re actually facing.
- What happens if a state audits youThe real numbers: look-back periods, penalties, interest, and audit timelines.
- Understanding your three optionsDo nothing (not recommended), register directly, or file a Voluntary Disclosure Agreement (VDA).
- Recommendations for your next stepsClear criteria for which states need VDAs, which need immediate registration, and how to move forward strategically.
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