'Tis the season…and it never seems to end. We have been communicating with many CPA firms during the month of August regarding numerous client issues and partnering opportunities. Almost without exception, the firms we contacted indicated they did not have the capacity to do anything new until after the September 15 and October 15 income tax deadlines. This is indicative of the life of most CPAs. We schedule our lives around a never-ending list of deadlines.

In my last blog, I discussed the opportunity CPA firms have to use sales and use tax issues as a way to add value to their clients and further cement the relationships and related revenue stream. As promised, this blog provides the following action items for identifying sales and use tax risk with your client:

Throughout my career, I have worked in and with CPA firms of all sizes. For the most part, they all have similar business models that are heavily dependent on their client relationships. The CPA firms and the individual CPA’s within the firms need to continually prove their value in the relationship by exceeding client expectations, which guarantees the relationship and related revenue remain secure. One of the ways a CPA can exceed expectations is by offering solutions to unidentified client risks and problems.

TaxConnex has developed a CPE Training program focused on sales tax compliance issues including sales tax nexus and sales tax audits. The program can be delivered in 4-hour, 6-hour, or 8-hour sessions depending on the topics selected. Initially, the training will be offered complimentary to CPA firms and delivered on site. A sample agenda includes the following topics:

• Sales Tax Nexus
• Marketplace Fairness
• Drop-Shipment Transactions
• Exemption Certificate Management
• Sales Tax Outsourcing
• Sales Tax Calculation Software
• Sales Tax Audits