How to setup Sales Tax Autofile
Sales Tax Autofile is the sales tax autofiling service provided by Sidr Tax. We use the sales tax reports generated from your Shopify transactions and file the state returns for you. Enroll in each state separately, and rest assured that your sales tax filing will happen on time.
First, go to the Sidr Tax Autofile page. If this is the first time you access the Sales Tax Autofile feature, you need to activate it first. The autofile feature is available to all plans. The feature activation requires authorization to charge a maximum of $1000 monthly. This is not an estimate of how much you will pay. The cost of autofiling varies from $35 to $45 per file depending on your plan, and you will only be charged after a successful file. The increased maximum charge is to ensure that Sidr Tax can continue to file for you if the number of your autofiling states increases.
Start the setup process by providing the general business information. This information is used by most states to identify your business. They pull the information from the IRS. Please make sure the business identification number is correct. Most businesses use Federal EIN. Sole proprietors can use SSN.
Most states also require a Power of Attorney Form so that Sidr Tax can file sales tax on your behalf. Once you filled out the general business information, click the request signature button. To learn more about why Sidr Tax requires the Power of Attorney form, and the permissions you are granting us, please review this article.
You will be brought to our e-signature vendor Dropbox Sign. If you are not logged in to Dropbox Sign, you will be asked to provide a signer email. If you want this form to be signed by someone else, simply provide that person's email here. If you don't see the screen to provide email, go to Dropbox Sign and log out of your account. Come back to the Autofile page after that, and then request a signature again. The form will ask for the general business info again, so if the signer doesn't know the info, please provide that to the person.
Once you receive the signed Power of Attorney form, come back to the Autofile page. Drop the signed form in the Power of Attorney section.
If you asked someone else to sign the form, please ask that person to forward you the signed form. If you are not able to get the form from the signer, let us know and we can drop the file for you.
If you see a download button, this confirms that Sidr Tax has received your file.
Your business is required to collect and file sales tax once you reach the Nexus status in a state. Each state has different requirements for reaching the Nexus status. To understand those requirements, you can visit this help article here. If you need help registering with a state, please read our registration guide.
Once you have registered and started collecting tax in a state, you can add the Nexus info into Sidr Tax. Click on the Add New Nexus State button, and choose the state and filing schedule. Sidr Tax uses this information to determine when you need to file, and keep you on schedule.
If you are not sure about your payment schedule, please select Monthly, and we will check for you after getting access to your account.
Once you have chosen your Nexus states, you can start providing the necessary information for autofiling. Click on the Enroll in Autofile button on the right, you will see the Autofile configuration form. Depending on your Autofile status, the button might also say Autofile is being validated, Autofile requires additional info, Incorrect Autofile information, Autofile Paused, and Autofile Active.
Each state has different requirements to enable autofiling, and Sidr Tax will guide you on what to provide. All the fields are required to finish the setup. Please refer to state-specific guides by clicking on the Guide button. and if you are unsure what to provide for a field, please chat with us in the app or send us an email at support@sidr.io. We are happy to assist you.
After you finish providing Autofile information, the Sidr Tax team will start validating the information. We will reach out to you if there are additional steps needed. For example, certain states require granting third-party access to your Department of Revenue account, and we will walk you through how to set it up. We typically finish validating most states within a week.
Depending on the state, you might receive access request from Sidr Tax, BYOGCC Inc, or Tongbo Huang. All of those requests come from Sidr Tax.
You will also need to provide payment information. This payment account is used by the state government to collect sales tax. Sidr Tax will never use this payment account to collect service charges, since all Sidr Tax payments go through Shopify. Please click on the Add Payment Information button to add the payment information.
You are almost done at this point! The Sidr Tax team will go over all the information you provided and make sure you are properly set up. We will reach out to you if there is any additional information we need from you. You can also go to the Sidr Tax Autofile page to check your Autofile configuration status.
It can take up to 2 weeks to validate your state Autofile. Please continue to manually file until your state Autofile is active.
Once your configuration is done, you won't need to worry about sales tax filing anymore. Learn about retrieving sales tax filing history here.
If you have questions about the Autofile feature, please review this article.
If you have additional questions regarding the Autofile setup, you can always chat with us in-app, or email us at support@sidr.io.
How to setup Sales Tax Autofile
Activate Sales Tax Autofile
First, go to the Sidr Tax Autofile page. If this is the first time you access the Sales Tax Autofile feature, you need to activate it first. The autofile feature is available to all plans. The feature activation requires authorization to charge a maximum of $1000 monthly. This is not an estimate of how much you will pay. The cost of autofiling varies from $35 to $45 per file depending on your plan, and you will only be charged after a successful file. The increased maximum charge is to ensure that Sidr Tax can continue to file for you if the number of your autofiling states increases.
Fill out general business information
Start the setup process by providing the general business information. This information is used by most states to identify your business. They pull the information from the IRS. Please make sure the business identification number is correct. Most businesses use Federal EIN. Sole proprietors can use SSN.
Power of Attorney Form
Most states also require a Power of Attorney Form so that Sidr Tax can file sales tax on your behalf. Once you filled out the general business information, click the request signature button. To learn more about why Sidr Tax requires the Power of Attorney form, and the permissions you are granting us, please review this article.
You will be brought to our e-signature vendor Dropbox Sign. If you are not logged in to Dropbox Sign, you will be asked to provide a signer email. If you want this form to be signed by someone else, simply provide that person's email here. If you don't see the screen to provide email, go to Dropbox Sign and log out of your account. Come back to the Autofile page after that, and then request a signature again. The form will ask for the general business info again, so if the signer doesn't know the info, please provide that to the person.
Once you receive the signed Power of Attorney form, come back to the Autofile page. Drop the signed form in the Power of Attorney section.
If you asked someone else to sign the form, please ask that person to forward you the signed form. If you are not able to get the form from the signer, let us know and we can drop the file for you.
If you see a download button, this confirms that Sidr Tax has received your file.
Select Nexus States
Your business is required to collect and file sales tax once you reach the Nexus status in a state. Each state has different requirements for reaching the Nexus status. To understand those requirements, you can visit this help article here. If you need help registering with a state, please read our registration guide.
Once you have registered and started collecting tax in a state, you can add the Nexus info into Sidr Tax. Click on the Add New Nexus State button, and choose the state and filing schedule. Sidr Tax uses this information to determine when you need to file, and keep you on schedule.
If you are not sure about your payment schedule, please select Monthly, and we will check for you after getting access to your account.
Enable State Autofile
Once you have chosen your Nexus states, you can start providing the necessary information for autofiling. Click on the Enroll in Autofile button on the right, you will see the Autofile configuration form. Depending on your Autofile status, the button might also say Autofile is being validated, Autofile requires additional info, Incorrect Autofile information, Autofile Paused, and Autofile Active.
Each state has different requirements to enable autofiling, and Sidr Tax will guide you on what to provide. All the fields are required to finish the setup. Please refer to state-specific guides by clicking on the Guide button. and if you are unsure what to provide for a field, please chat with us in the app or send us an email at support@sidr.io. We are happy to assist you.
After you finish providing Autofile information, the Sidr Tax team will start validating the information. We will reach out to you if there are additional steps needed. For example, certain states require granting third-party access to your Department of Revenue account, and we will walk you through how to set it up. We typically finish validating most states within a week.
Depending on the state, you might receive access request from Sidr Tax, BYOGCC Inc, or Tongbo Huang. All of those requests come from Sidr Tax.
Provide Payment Information
You will also need to provide payment information. This payment account is used by the state government to collect sales tax. Sidr Tax will never use this payment account to collect service charges, since all Sidr Tax payments go through Shopify. Please click on the Add Payment Information button to add the payment information.
What's next?
You are almost done at this point! The Sidr Tax team will go over all the information you provided and make sure you are properly set up. We will reach out to you if there is any additional information we need from you. You can also go to the Sidr Tax Autofile page to check your Autofile configuration status.
It can take up to 2 weeks to validate your state Autofile. Please continue to manually file until your state Autofile is active.
Once your configuration is done, you won't need to worry about sales tax filing anymore. Learn about retrieving sales tax filing history here.
FAQ
If you have questions about the Autofile feature, please review this article.
If you have additional questions regarding the Autofile setup, you can always chat with us in-app, or email us at support@sidr.io.
Updated on: 05/08/2024
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