How it runs for e-commerce brands and Amazon sellers
Policies for purchase-order approval, refund handling and vendor onboarding are documented. Your controller works alongside your CPA, who prepares returns and provides tax advice.
What are outsourced controller services?
Outsourced controller services provide the review layer that sits between bookkeeping and the owner: a senior accountant who checks the close, owns the accounting policies, tests the controls around cash and spending, and explains the financial statements. The controller does not do daily posting. They make sure what was posted is right and documented before anyone relies on it.
What we handle for e-commerce brands and Amazon sellers
- Monthly close reviewed and signed off before release to the founder
- Landed cost, COGS and inventory write-down methods reviewed each quarter
- Sales-tax nexus and marketplace reporting monitored with your tax adviser
- Cash forecast tied to open purchase orders and settlement cycles
- Lender, investor and due-diligence packages prepared from reconciled accounts
The KPI that matters here
Close reviewed and the reporting package issued by business day 10 each month.
E-commerce compliance notes
Marketplace facilitator laws
Every US state with a sales tax now requires marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, eBay and Etsy to collect and remit sales tax on third-party sales. The marketplace's collections appear in your settlement reports and must be recorded as tax collected and remitted by the facilitator, not as your liability. Some states still require registered sellers to file returns that report marketplace sales as exempt.
Sales-tax nexus on direct sales
Direct sales through Shopify, your own site or wholesale count toward each state's economic nexus threshold, commonly $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions in the current or prior year, and inventory stored in FBA warehouses can create physical nexus. We track sales by state monthly, flag thresholds approaching and prepare the workings for TaxJar, Avalara or your filing provider. Registration and filing decisions rest with you and your tax adviser.
VAT, GST and cross-border selling
Selling into the UK requires VAT registration once taxable turnover passes £90,000, or from the first sale for many overseas sellers, and EU distance sales can be reported through the One Stop Shop. Canadian GST/HST and Australian GST apply to imported low-value goods and to registered sellers. We prepare VAT and GST workings for your accountant or registered agent to file; we do not submit returns.
Inventory valuation and 1099-K reporting
Inventory must be valued consistently, including freight, duties and prep, so COGS and taxable income are right. Payment processors and marketplaces issue Form 1099-K for gross payments, which is reconciled to recorded sales so the figures your CPA reports agree with what the IRS receives. Tax preparation is support only; your firm reviews and signs.
E-commerce software we work in
More for e-commerce brands and Amazon sellers
Other services for e-commerce
Controller services in other industries
Frequently asked questions
What does a controller add for an e-commerce brand?
The bookkeeper posts settlements and bills; the controller checks that COGS, inventory and channel margin are right, that sales tax and marketplace reporting are under control and that cash covers the next purchase order. The controller also produces lender, investor and due-diligence reporting and coordinates year-end with your CPA.
Can the controller help prepare for an investor or a sale of the business?
Yes, the controller prepares the financial package buyers and investors expect: reconciled monthly financials, contribution margin by channel, SKU margin, inventory schedules, sales-tax exposure by state and a quality-of-earnings style bridge from reported to adjusted profit. Valuation, negotiation and legal matters stay with your advisers.
How does the controller handle sales-tax nexus decisions?
The controller monitors sales and transactions by state monthly, flags states approaching thresholds, quantifies the exposure and documents the position for your tax adviser, who decides on registration and any voluntary disclosure. We prepare the data and the workings; registration, filing and advice remain with you and your adviser or filing provider.
Ask an AI assistant to summarize this page
Opens the assistant with a prefilled prompt so you can check our claims against the page yourself.