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“Let me tell you how it will be”: What the taxman can teach you about getting paid on time

There were a couple of email reminders and also a couple of letters, but here’s the thing: I run a tech company, I have three kids under five years old, oh, and I really suck at admin.

When it comes to getting paid the taxman doesn’t muck around. He sends reminders. He jumps on the phone. He also says he’s from the debt recovery unit. So very quickly you get the message: he’s serious about getting paid.

So I’m paying my bill ASAP. Not that I ever intended not to pay it, sometimes I just get crazy-busy and important details get overlooked.

What I love about the taxman is that he’s firm but fair. Firm because he always follows his process — reminders, letters and phone calls — every time. And fair because he treats everyone the same. (Though if you’re really in a tight spot they often offer a payment plan to get you back to square one without breaking the bank — or your business).

So the taxman gets paid because he’s onto it. He cares about his cash and he’s got a plan for collecting it. After all, he’s got a country to run and I imagine the bills are quite large.

Compared to the taxman, how good are you at collecting cash from your customers? Are you too busy to follow up and therefore bleeding cash left right and centre? Our research shows that the average small business would gain an extra $18k in the bank for each day faster their customers paid them.

Bottom line, you’re leaving money on the table if you’re not regimented in your follow up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsO_slTTEr4

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March Sales Tax Due Dates 2017

As always, if you need help collecting, reporting and filing sales tax, sign up for a 30-day free trial of TaxJar.

March 2017 Sales Tax Due Dates, in Order of State

An (A) symbol means that state has an Amazon Fulfillment Center.

*indicates a due date pushed back due to a weekend or holiday

Alabama

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Arizona (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Arkansas

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

California (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 31, 2017

Colorado

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Connecticut (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 31, 2017

District of Columbia

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Florida (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 17, 2017

*(Florida considers sales tax returns due the 1st day of the month after the taxable period, and late on the 20th of the month. ACH payments must be initiated by 5pm on March 17, 2017.)

Georgia (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Hawaii

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Idaho

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Illinois (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Indiana (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017 for sales totals in excess of $1,000. For sales totals of less than $1,000, the monthly sales tax due date is March 31, 2017

Iowa

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Kansas (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 25, 2017

Kentucky (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Louisiana

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Maine

Monthly sales tax due on March 15, 2017

Maryland (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Massachusetts (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Michigan

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Minnesota (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Mississippi

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Missouri

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Nebraska

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Nevada (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 31, 2017

New Jersey (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

New Mexico

Monthly sales tax due on March 25, 2017

New York

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Quarterly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Annual sales tax due on March 20, 2017

North Carolina

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

North Dakota

Monthly sales tax due on March 31, 2017

Ohio (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 23, 2017

Oklahoma

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Pennsylvania (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Rhode Island

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

South Carolina (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

South Dakota

Monthly sales tax due on March 23, 2017 (if filing on paper) & March 28, 2017 if filing and paying online

Tennessee (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Texas (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Utah

Monthly sales tax due on March 31, 2017

Vermont

Monthly sales tax due on March 23, 2017

Virginia (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Washington (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 25, 2017

West Virginia

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Wisconsin (A)

Monthly sales tax due on March 20, 2017

Wyoming

Monthly sales tax due on March 31, 2017

Do you have any questions about sales tax filing? Check out Sales Tax 101 for Online Sellers, or start the conversation in the comments!

Please note: This blog is for informational purposes only. Be advised that sales tax rules and laws are subject to change at any time. For specific sales tax advice regarding your business, contact a sales tax expert.

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How to Use an Arizona Resale Certificate

Because Arizona has a “transaction privilege tax (TPT)” rather than a sales tax, it can be a bit more confusing to use a resale certificate in Arizona than it is in other states. This quick guide will give you the lowdown on how to buy products for resale in Arizona. It will also advise what to do you if you’re a retailer and presented with an Arizona Reseller Certificate.

If you Wish to Use an Arizona Resale Certificate

A lot of confusion comes from Arizona’s Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT)—which isn’t a sales tax even though it’s usually thought of as a sales tax. TPT is a tax on the vendor for the privilege of doing business in Arizona and is applied for specific business activities such as retail sales, commercial leasing, and many other business activities.

Here’s how it works:

  1. You the seller apply for an Arizona TPT license from the Arizona Department of Revenue (DoR) and/or the cities from which you operate, as detailed in the account setup instructions. (If you are already registered for an Arizona TPT license you can skip this step.)
  2. Complete AZ Form 5000A – Arizona Reseller Certificate including the TPT license number assigned by the Arizona Department of Revenue.
  3. Present vendors with a copy of this certificate when you wish to purchase items for resale. Note that you will need to complete Section D – Description of Property Being Purchased.

Arizona’s Department of Revenue requires businesses to renew their TPT license at the beginning of the year. If you plan to get a TPT license make sure you add a task to your calendar to renew your TPT after January 1st each year.

If You’re Presented with an Arizona Resale Certificate

If you are a retailer with nexus in Arizona and your buyer gives you an Arizona Reseller Certificate when buying items for resale, here are a few checks you need to make before completing the transaction:

  1. Verify that the certificate has been completed, including Section D – Description of Property Being Purchased.
  2. Verify the TPT license number from the Reseller Certificate using this AZ DoR site. (You can find out how to verify a resale certificate in every state here.)
  3. Keep each Arizona Reseller Certificate that you receive on file in case of an audit.

If you’re a buyer or seller who interacts with Arizona Reseller Certificates, the AZ DoR invites you to call them at (844)-698-9176 if you have questions. I called them while researching this guide and found them to be very helpful.

We always love to get the conversation going here at TaxJar, so if you’d like to share your experience or have related questions, please post below!

Please note: This blog is for informational purposes only. Be advised that sales tax rules and laws are subject to change at any time. For specific sales tax advice regarding your business, contact a sales tax expert.

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