· Reviewed by Nimra Khalid
What is sales tax reconciliation?
Sales tax reconciliation is the check that tax charged on sales, tax recorded as a liability, tax paid to the authority and tax shown on returns all agree for the same period. The same control applies to VAT and GST, where input tax is reconciled too. Differences point to rate errors, missed transactions, marketplace tax or timing.
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Sales tax reconciliation: what we do and how it runs
Sales tax reconciliation is the check that tax charged on sales, tax recorded as a liability, tax paid to the authority and tax shown on returns all agree for the same period. The same control applies to VAT and GST, where input tax is reconciled too. Differences point to rate errors, missed transactions, marketplace tax or timing.
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What it is
Sales tax reconciliation is the check that tax charged on sales, tax recorded as a liability, tax paid to the authority and tax shown on returns all agree for the same period. The same control applies to VAT and GST, where input tax is reconciled too. Differences point to rate errors, missed transactions, marketplace tax or timing.
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What you get
Collected, remitted and filed agreed to the liability account every period
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How it runs
US sales tax, UK VAT, Canadian GST/HST/PST/QST and Australian GST
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Discovery call
We list the jurisdictions you are registered in, your filing frequencies, your sales channels, and whether Avalara, TaxJar or your accounting software calculates the tax.
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A named accountant, a backup and a team lead
Inside your own software, on a fixed close calendar, with a reply from a person within 1 business day. Call +1-657-777-0006 or start a quote.
Get a custom quote 06 / 06
Who it is for
Online and multi-state sellers
You collect in several US states through Shopify, Amazon and Stripe, and Avalara or TaxJar files for you. The liability account on the balance sheet has never matched what was paid, and you want it to.
UK and Australian businesses
VAT or GST returns are prepared each quarter but the control account never clears. You want the return agreed to the ledger so your accountant or registered agent can submit with confidence.
Canadian businesses selling across provinces
GST, HST, PST and QST each have their own rules and returns. You need the input tax credits and collected tax reconciled by province before your CPA files.
What's included
- Sales tax, VAT or GST collected agreed to sales by rate and jurisdiction
- Liability account reconciled to returns and payments every period
- Avalara, TaxJar or Xero VAT reports agreed to the ledger
- Marketplace facilitator tax from Amazon, Etsy and Shopify separated
- Input tax credits and VAT on purchases reconciled to bills
- Rate and jurisdiction errors on invoices identified and listed
- Exempt and zero-rated sales checked for certificates or evidence
- Payments and refunds from the authority matched to the return
- Return workings prepared for your accountant, agent or CPA to review
- Variance log with cause, fix and owner for every difference
- Nexus and registration threshold watch list where you sell in new places
Deliverables and KPIs
| Deliverable | KPI we report | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Liability account reconciliation | Sales tax, VAT or GST liability agreed to returns and payments | Monthly |
| Collected-versus-filed tie-out | Tax collected by rate agreed to the amount on each return | Per return |
| Return workings | Workings and support ready for your reviewer before the filing deadline | Per return |
| Marketplace tax schedule | Facilitator-collected tax excluded from your liability and documented | Monthly |
| Exception and rate-error list | Every mis-rated or unexplained transaction listed with a proposed fix | Monthly |
| Reviewer sign-off | Team lead reviews each reconciliation under Two-Tier Review | Monthly |
KPIs are what we measure and report, agreed per engagement. Service-level commitments are set in your agreement.
How it works
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Discovery call
We list the jurisdictions you are registered in, your filing frequencies, your sales channels, and whether Avalara, TaxJar or your accounting software calculates the tax.
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Access and baseline reconciliation
You grant accountant access to your ledger and report access to Avalara, TaxJar or the marketplace. We reconcile the liability account for the current year and list every difference.
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Dedicated accountant assigned
A named accountant, a trained backup and a team lead take over. Historical differences are cleared with your approval and the tax code mapping is corrected at source.
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Reconcile every period
Before each return the accountant agrees collected, remitted and filed, prepares the workings, and the team lead reviews. Your accountant, agent or CPA submits the return.
Software we work in
How much does sales tax reconciliation cost?
Sales tax reconciliation is priced as a flat monthly fee based on the number of jurisdictions and returns, your filing frequency and the sales channels feeding the ledger. Avalara or TaxJar subscriptions stay in your name. Pricing depends on volume and scope, so we send a custom quote within 1 business day.
What moves the quote
- Number of tax jurisdictions and registrations
- Filing frequency: monthly, quarterly or annual returns
- Sales channels and whether a marketplace collects tax for you
- Condition of the liability account and any clean-up required
Market benchmarks
| Market | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US | Outsourced bookkeeping with sales tax support runs $150 to $1,600 per month; Avalara and TaxJar subscriptions are billed separately by the vendor | indinero, RadCity (2026) |
| UK | Fixed fees £100 to £1,500 per month including VAT workings; VAT registration threshold £90,000 | UK provider pricing surveys, HMRC (2026) |
| Canada | C$300 to C$2,000 per month; provincial tax work priced by number of provinces | Outsource Bookkeeping CA, TheAccTaxCo (2026) |
| Australia | Bookkeepers A$40 to A$100 per hour; registered BAS agents A$75 to A$150 per hour | Australian bookkeeping fee surveys (2026) |
Third-party ranges for orientation, not our prices.
Get a custom quote No setup fee. Month-to-month.
Sales tax reconciliation for your industry
Security and compliance
- Report-only access to Avalara, TaxJar and marketplace tax reports
- We never file returns or make tax payments; you or your agent submit and pay
- MFA on every login and a per-client access log reviewed monthly
Full control list on the security page and country rules on the compliance page. Certifications are listed only when held.
Frequently asked questions
How much do sales tax reconciliation services cost?
Pricing depends on volume and scope, and we send a custom quote within 1 business day. As a market reference, US outsourced bookkeeping that includes sales tax support runs $150 to $1,600 per month (indinero, 2026), and Avalara or TaxJar subscriptions are billed to you by the vendor. The number of jurisdictions, returns and channels is what moves our quote.
Do you file the sales tax, VAT or GST return?
No. We reconcile the liability account and prepare the return workings for review. In the US, your firm or Avalara or TaxJar files under your account. In the UK, you or your accountant submit the VAT return through MTD software. In Canada, your CPA or a registered EFILE transmitter files. In Australia, BAS workpapers are prepared for your TPB-registered BAS agent or accountant.
Why does my sales tax liability account never match what I paid?
The common causes are payments posted to an expense account instead of the liability, marketplace-collected tax booked as if you owed it, credit notes and refunds not reversing the tax, invoices dated in one period and returned in another, and rate changes not updated in the software. The baseline reconciliation identifies which of these applies and we fix the mapping so it stops recurring.
Can you tie Avalara or TaxJar to my books?
Yes. Each period we agree the Avalara or TaxJar liability report to sales by jurisdiction in the ledger and to the liability account, then agree the filed amount and the payment. Differences are usually transactions that reached one system but not the other, or a product tax code mapped differently in each. We list them and correct the mapping.
How do you handle marketplace facilitator tax from Amazon or Shopify?
Tax that Amazon, Etsy, eBay or Shopify collects and remits on your behalf is separated from your own liability and recorded on a marketplace tax schedule. That way it is not counted twice and not paid twice. Where a state or country still requires you to report those sales, the schedule provides the figures for your return.
Do you reconcile UK VAT and Australian GST the same way?
The control is the same: output tax collected, input tax reclaimed, the net liability, the amount paid and the amount on the return must all agree. For UK VAT we prepare the workings and the VAT control account reconciliation in Xero or QuickBooks Online for your submission. For Australian GST the workpapers go to your TPB-registered BAS agent or accountant; we never prepare or lodge the BAS ourselves.
How do you handle Canadian GST, HST, PST and QST?
Each tax gets its own liability account and reconciliation. HST applies in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, GST plus PST in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, GST only in Alberta and the territories, and GST plus QST in Quebec. Input tax credits are reconciled to bills with valid registration numbers. The workings go to your CPA, and only a registered EFILE transmitter files.
Can you tell me if I need to register in a new state or country?
We keep a watch list of your sales by jurisdiction against published registration thresholds and flag when you are approaching one. That is a reconciliation output, not tax advice. The decision to register, and any voluntary disclosure, sits with you and your tax adviser. Our sales tax preparation support service covers nexus tracking in more depth.
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