Additional Amazon FBA Tax Amnesty Information

I mentioned in my last post ("Amazon FBA Tax: New Amnesty Can Protect Delinquent Sellers") that the Multistate Tax Commission (or MTC) had put together an amnesty program. Here is some additional information on the program including a link to a webinar sponsored by the Prosper show and hosted by me. The featured speaker of the webinar will be Richard Cram who put the amnesty together. This will be the official kick-off of the program.

For Amazon sellers that have not addressed potential sales tax liabilities to date, it can be challenging to evaluate whether to file a Voluntary Disclosure (indicating that the seller has not been paying sales taxes properly, but wants to rectify the problem) OR continue with status quo of not addressing potential sales tax liabilities, in hopes of not be identified or audited by specific states.

With the current SALES TAX AMNESTY program, the following states have agreed to work through the Multi-State Tax Commission’s Voluntary Disclosure program to offer online sellers the opportunity to get registered for tax collection immediately, and avoid back taxes, interest and penalties. This AMNESTY program features a waiver of back tax liability (no “look-back period”), meaning if the seller registers today to start collecting and remitting sales tax in one of these 15 states, the seller will not be subject to any “look-back” at past years of unpaid sales tax in these states.

• Alabama

• Arkansas

• Colorado

• Connecticut

• Idaho

• Iowa

• Kansas

• Kentucky

• Louisiana

• Nebraska

• New Jersey

• Oklahoma

• Texas

• Utah

• Vermont

Eight additional are considering participation, and will indicate before August 17 start date. Some of these additional states may require a limited look-back period for back tax liability.

This AMNESTY program is available starting August 17 through October 17, after which any Voluntary Disclosure efforts will likely include a “look-back period” going back a few years to figure out a few years’ worth of unpaid back taxes each seller owes to the specific state.

THE AMNESTY WINDOW will close on October 17, 2017 – so act quickly to take advantage of this unusual opportunity.

WEBINAR ON THIS PROGRAM: PROSPER will be hosting a live webinar with Richard Cram of the MTC on August 9 at 11am Pacific / 2pm Eastern – everyone and anyone is invited to attend. To register, click here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/4706225711116880387