Selling in a state you don't usually sell in? A show over the state line can be a great day, but it also means a sales tax rate you may not know off the top of your head. It's worth checking before you set your prices, not after. This short video shows Sales Tax Owed at salestaxowed.us, which is free and needs no sign-up.
How It Works
- Type in a sale amount. Any sale you want to check.
- Pick the state. Where the show is.
- Read the tax and the total. It shows both.
Every state's rate is listed on the page, so you can look across them too.
Check local rates. Local rates can add to the state rate, so confirm with the state before you file.
Why It Matters Before the Show
If you add tax on top of your prices, you need to know the rate so you charge customers the right total. If you build tax into round prices, you still need to know how much of each sale is tax. Either way, checking the rate before the show saves guessing at the table.
After the Show
My earlier post on how much sales tax craft fair vendors owe goes into collecting and filing in more detail. If your prices already included tax and you need to work back to the sales amount, the reverse sales tax calculator does that. Rules vary by state and product, so your state's revenue department is the place to confirm what applies to you.
Part of VendorTools
This is one of the VendorTools tools, a set of free calculators and checklists for craft fair and market vendors. You can see the rest in my VendorTools hub post. If you want to track every show, your sales and your costs in one place, that is what FairKeep is for, and my FairKeep overview covers what it does.
More short how-tos on the VARØ Industries YouTube channel.
More short how-tos on the VARØ Industries YouTube channel.