Outsourcing sales tax filing is one way to become more efficient in your small business, especially when you’re not an expert in sales tax and spend a lot of time double and triple checking what you’ve collected before filing. If you’re constantly second-guessing yourself and are worried about sales tax filing, outsourcing might be for you. But if you’re trying to save on money, doing your own sales tax filing in-house is relatively easy — if you have the right software. Many small business owners feel they can’t do their own sales tax filing, and even that they can’t ask their bookkeepers to do it. On the one hand, a professional CPA knows the laws and will file your data correctly.
On the other hand, “In-House or Outsource Problems with Sales Tax Software” they’re not responsible for the data they file. If you have any errors in the data you turn over to the CPA, it’s your problem. Depending on your CPA and their ability and willingness to spot errors in your data, you might not have any more advantage in outsourcing than if you’d filed it yourself. It all comes down to just how good your CPA is. A good CPA is an invaluable asset to your business because of their expertise and if they’re using their expertise to manage your sales tax data, you’re in good hands. Hiring a CPA to file will save you time and possibly provide peace of mind. But if you have more time than money right now, or your business is at the point where you might be better off hiring an accountant than going out to a CPA, consider automating your sales tax data collection and filing.
If you’re not computer savvy and have trouble with spreadsheets, a CPA is probably a good choice. They can file quickly and easily and you can spend your time doing something else. If you’re comfortable with spreadsheets and following return instructions, using software to help you verify and file can make you more accurate than a CPA who doesn’t verify data. With all these “ifs”, it can be hard to make a decision. Let us give you or your in-house bookkeeper a “Web Demo” free evaluation of our sales tax software, so you know just what’s involved. Then you’ll be able to make an informed choice.
