US sales tax · state by state
US sales tax registration and filingwherever your business is based
The US has no federal sales tax. Each state has its own, and you register in every state where you have nexus, whether you’re a US business or one based abroad. GoodVat’s accountants register you, the API charges the right state and local rate at checkout and we file your returns.
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- Economic nexus in most states
- $100,000
- Economic nexus in CA, NY and TX
- $500,000
- States with a sales tax
- 45 and DC
US sales tax · State registrations
- Registered
Texas sales tax permit
Filing monthly
- Approaching
Washington sales, last 12 months
$87,400 of $100,000
- Calculated
Running shoes, shipped to Houston, TX
8.25% (6.25% state + 2% local)
- Filed
Texas return, October 2026
Due 20 Nov 2026
Next return: November 2026, due 21 Dec 2026
The rules
What US sales tax asks of you
Every state sets its own rules, but the same few questions decide where you owe sales tax: where your customers are, where your stock and staff are, and which channel the sale goes through.
- 01
No federal tax: 45 states and DC each run their own
Each state has its own rates, product rules, permit and returns, and cities, counties and districts add local rates on top. Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no sales tax, and Alaska has only local ones.
- 02
Economic nexus starts at $100,000 in most states
Once your sales into a state pass its threshold, you register and collect there. Most states use $100,000 a year, California, New York and Texas use $500,000, and some states also count 200 separate orders. It makes no difference where your business is based.
- 03
Stock, staff or an office create nexus with no threshold
Inventory in a state, including stock in an Amazon fulfilment centre or a third-party warehouse, an employee or a contractor there makes you liable from the first sale. Texas is the exception for stock held only in a marketplace’s warehouse.
- 04
Marketplaces collect on their own orders only
In every state with a sales tax, Amazon, Etsy, eBay and Walmart collect and pay the tax on orders placed on them. Your own store is yours to handle, and in many states marketplace sales still count towards your threshold.
- 05
The rate depends on the delivery address
The tax is the state rate plus any city, county and district rates. Most states tax by where the buyer is, a few tax in-state sales by the seller’s location, and what counts as taxable varies by state and product.
- 06
A permit first, then returns on the state’s schedule
You can’t collect a state’s sales tax before you hold its permit. The state then sets how often you file, monthly, quarterly or yearly, depending on your volume, with its own due date. Many are due on the 20th of the following month.
Your situation
Which of these sounds like you?
| If you… | You need | What GoodVat does |
|---|---|---|
| You’re a US business selling from your home state | A sales tax permit in your home state | We register you at home, charge the combined state and local rate at checkout and file on the state’s schedule, then watch your sales in every other state. |
| You ship to customers in other states | A permit in each state where you pass the threshold | We count your sales in each state against its threshold, register you before you cross it and file a return for every state you’re registered in. |
| You sell on Amazon FBA or use a third-party warehouse | A permit in states that hold your stock, once you sell outside the marketplace | The marketplace collects on its own orders. For your own-store sales, we register you in the states where your stock sits, collect at checkout and file. |
| You’re based abroad and sell to US customers | An EIN, then a permit in each state past its threshold | The same thresholds apply as to a US business. We get your EIN, register you state by state, charge the right rate and file. Import duty is separate and doesn’t replace sales tax. |
| You sell software, apps or digital products | Taxability varies by state and product | Some states tax software and digital products and some don’t, and the rules change. We apply each state’s rule per product category at checkout and file the returns. |
How it works
How GoodVat handles US sales tax
One account covers every step, from the first registration check to the last return. Use the parts you need.
Monitoring
We count your sales and orders in every state, across every channel, against each state’s threshold, track where your stock sits, and tell you before you need a permit.
Registration
Our accountants register you for a sales tax permit in each state where you need one, answer the state’s questions, and deregister you when you stop selling there.
Tax calculation
The API returns the combined state, county, city and district rate for the delivery address. Taxability of software and digital products varies by state, so the engine applies it per product category.
Filing
We prepare each state’s return from your sales, and our accountants file it and tell you what to pay by the state’s due date, monthly, quarterly or yearly.
Pricing
US sales tax, free to start
The Free plan covers threshold monitoring, the right tax at checkout, invoicing and ready-to-file returns. Paid plans start at $20 a month as your transactions grow, never a percentage of your sales.
A real person replies within one business day · or email hello@goodvat.com
Rather not deal with it yourself? Our accountants can register you with each state where you need a permit, file every return and deregister you when you stop selling there, for $69 a month per state.Filing prices
Frequently asked questions
When do I need to register for sales tax?
In each state where you have nexus. Physical nexus, such as an office, an employee or stock, applies from your first sale there. Economic nexus applies once your sales into a state pass its threshold, usually $100,000 a year, or $500,000 in California, New York and Texas. Register before you start collecting, not after.
What is a sales tax permit?
It’s your registration with a state that lets you collect its sales tax. Depending on the state it’s called a sales tax permit, seller’s permit, certificate of authority or license. It’s different from a resale certificate, which lets you buy stock from a supplier without paying tax on it.
Does Amazon collect sales tax for me?
On orders placed on Amazon, yes: every state with a sales tax has a marketplace facilitator law. It doesn’t cover your own website. Amazon sales can still count towards a state’s threshold, and stock in Amazon’s warehouses can create nexus for your other sales.
Do I need to register in every state?
No, only where you have nexus. Most small sellers have it in a few states, and Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon have no sales tax. A nexus calculator or GoodVat’s monitoring shows where you stand against each state’s threshold.
Do businesses outside the US have to collect US sales tax?
Yes, once they have nexus. States apply the same thresholds to foreign and US sellers, and stock in a US warehouse or fulfilment centre is physical nexus. There is no federal sales tax to register for, and import duty paid at the border is a separate charge that doesn’t replace state sales tax.
What does US sales tax compliance cost with GoodVat?
GoodVat is free to start: the Free plan covers nexus monitoring, tax calculation, invoicing and ready-to-file returns, and paid plans start at $20 a month as your transactions grow. If you’d like our accountants to register you with each state where you need a permit and file for you, filing is $69 a month per state, covering every return due there.
Hand your sales tax and VAT to GoodVat
Tell us where you sell. We’ll map every registration you need, calculate tax at checkout and file your returns in 140+ countries. The software is a flat monthly plan, and done-for-you filing has a published price per country.