Sell in the United States and Canada with sales tax under control
Nexus study, state-by-state registration, filings and voluntary disclosure in the United States; GST/HST and provinces in Canada. For Shopify stores and marketplace sellers.
In short
There is no VAT in the United States: there is a different sales tax in each state, and you must register in every state where you have nexus. The service includes the nexus study, state registrations, filings and, if you are late, voluntary disclosure.
In Canada, federal GST/HST and provincial taxes, with the simplified registration for foreign sellers where it applies.
How US sales tax works
| What it means for your store | |
|---|---|
| One tax per state | Each state sets its own rate and rules; many counties and cities add their own. Some states have no sales tax. |
| Economic nexus | Since 2018, exceeding a volume of sales or orders to customers in a state is enough to have to register there, with no physical presence. |
| Physical nexus | Stock in a warehouse in the state (your own, a 3PL's or a marketplace's) also triggers the obligation. |
| Marketplace facilitator | Amazon, eBay or Etsy collect and remit on your behalf in almost every state. Your Shopify store does not. |
| Reports | Monthly, quarterly or annual depending on the state and the volume, each with its own calendar. |
What's included
Nexus study
Analysis of your sales by state: where you must register and since when.
State registrations
Sales tax registration in every state where you have nexus.
State filings
Each state's returns on its calendar, reconciled with your Shopify sales.
Voluntary disclosure (VDA)
If you have had nexus for a while without registering, the catch-up is negotiated with fewer years and no penalties where possible.
Canada: GST/HST and provinces
Registration with the CRA, provincial taxes (QST, PST) and periodic returns.
Shopify set-up
A review of how you charge the tax at checkout so what you collect matches what is declared.
It affects you if
- You sell through your own store to US customers and exceed a state's threshold.
- You hold stock in US warehouses, even if you sell through marketplaces.
- You sell digital products or subscriptions to US customers: several states tax them.
- You sell to Canadian consumers above the simplified registration threshold.
How we start
We export your sales by state
From Shopify or your marketplace, for the last few years.
Nexus study
State by state: where you have an obligation, since when and what to do about the past.
Registrations and filings
Registrations, tax collection set-up and filing calendar, reconciled with your accounts in Spain.
Frequently asked questions
Is there VAT in the United States?
No. There is a sales tax set by each state, and sometimes by each county or city, charged to the final consumer at the point of sale. There is no federal registration: you register state by state.
When do I have to register in a state?
When you have nexus with it: physical presence (stock in a warehouse, for example) or economic nexus, which most states set at an annual sales volume or a number of orders to customers in that state. Each state has its own threshold.
I sell on Amazon in the United States. Do I have to collect the tax myself?
In almost every state, no: marketplace facilitator laws require Amazon to collect and remit. But if you hold stock in its warehouses you may still have nexus and an obligation to register, and whatever you sell through your own store you do collect yourself.
I sell through my Shopify store to US customers. What do I do?
Shopify is not a marketplace: you are the responsible party. Nexus study, registration in the states where you have it, tax collection set-up and filings: all included.
I have been selling for years without registering. Is there a way to regularise?
Yes: voluntary disclosure agreements (VDAs) let you catch up with fewer years and no penalties in many states. The negotiation with each state is included.
And Canada?
Canada has a federal tax (GST, or HST in the harmonised provinces) and, in some provinces, a separate provincial tax (QST in Quebec, PST in British Columbia, Saskatchewan and Manitoba). Foreign sellers to consumers have a simplified registration above a threshold. Registration and filings are included.
Tell us about your store
Book a 15-minute call or write to us. We'll tell you what you need: VAT registration in whichever country, OSS and IOSS, EPR, US sales tax or your store's accounting. No obligation.