Sales tax issues can become expensive when they’re discovered too late.
I provide specialized sales tax advisory services designed to help businesses understand their obligations, identify potential exposure, resolve existing issues and build stronger compliance processes.
Every engagement is scoped before work begins so you understand what is being reviewed, what will be delivered, and what the fee will be.
And when you work with STAR, you work directly with me (Star) - not an associate.
California Sales Tax Services.
Clear Scope. Fixed Fees. Direct Access.
WHAT I DO
CORE SERVICES
California Sales Tax. Done For You.
CDTFA Audit Defense & Representation
Facing a California sales tax audit, assessment, or dispute?
My 10 years of experience as a sales tax auditor provides firsthand perspective on the audit process, record review, taxability issues, exemptions, and the types of documentation that can become important during an examination.
✓ Audit response, strategy and document preparation
✓ Review and analysis of audit findings
✓ Communication with taxing authority, where authorized
✓ Analysis of sampling and testing methodologies
✓ Assessment review and protest strategy
✓ Assistance with protest documentation and filings
Engagement fee are determined by the audit period, complexity, industry, and scope, A fixed fee will be agreed upon before the engagement begins.
Sales Tax Diagnostic
Know Where You Stand Before You Have a Problem.
A focus review of your current sales tax position designed to identify potential exposure, compliance gaps, and area where your business may be overpaying. This is often the best starting point when you know something may be wrong but aren’t sure where the problem is.
✓ Review of current sales tax practices
✓ Identification of potential exposure and risk areas
✓ Exemption and resale certificate review
✓ Use tax considerations
✓ Reporting and reconciliation considerations
✓ Written findings with prioritized action recommendations
Fixed fee based on business size, complexity, and scope.
Taxability Review
Know What Should and Shouldn’t Be Taxed.
Taxability isn’t always as simple as applying a default product category in accounting or sales tax software. A taxability review examines your specific products, services , transactions, and business activities to identify potential classification and taxability issues.
✓ Product and service taxability analysis
✓ Software configuration and category review
✓ Exemption considerations
✓ Transaction specific analysis
✓ Supporting authority and documentation
✓ Written findings and recommendations
Fixed fee based on the number and complexity of products, services, and transactions reviewed.
Nexus Study
Know Where Your Business May Have Sales Tax Obligations.
As businesses expand across state lines, their sales tax obligations can become increasingly complex. A nexus analysis evaluates your business activities and determines where additional sales tax registration and collection obligation may exist .
✓ California nexus analysis
✓ Multi-state nexus analysis
✓ Economic and physical presence review
✓ Registration obligation assessment
✓ Activity and transaction analysis
✓ Written findings and recommendations
Fixed fee based on number of states, business complexity, and scope.
Advisory Retainer
Sales Tax Expertise When You Need It.
Not every sales tax question requires a separate consulting engagement. An ongoing advisory relationship provides access to specialized sales tax guidance as questions, transactions, business changes and compliance issues arise.
✓ Ongoing sales ax questions and guidance
✓ Account reconciliation and variance review
✓ Regulatory and legislative change monitoring
✓ Taxability and exemption questions
✓ Nexus questions
✓ Priority response
Retainer pricing based on anticipated support requirements and scope.. Three month minimum commitment. Billed monthly on the first of each month. Cancel with 30 days written notice after the initial term.
Compliance Program Setup
Build a Sales Tax Process That Can Scale With Your Business.
Sales tax compliance shouldn’t depend on one employee remembering what o do, Whether you’re establishing a process for the first time or correcting weaknesses in an existing system. I can help create a practical framework for managing sales tax obligations.
✓ Taxability matrix for products and services
✓ Exemption and resale certificate procedures
✓ Filing obligation review and registration considerations
✓ Use tax process considerations
✓ Internal process documentation
✓ Compliance workflow recommendations
Fixed fee based on business complexity and scope.
Credits & Refund Recovery
Find Sales or Use Tax That May Have Been Overpaid.
Businesses can sometimes overpay sales or use tax because of incorrect rates, missed exemptions, taxability errors, or other issues. I can review qualifying transactions to determine whether potential recovery opportunities exist.
✓ Overpayment identification
✓ Quantification of potential recovery
✓ Exemption and deduction analysis
✓ Rate error analysis
✓ Refund claim preparation and filing, where appropriate
Contingency based fee may be available for qualifying recovery engagements. Fee structure will be established before work begins.
Something Else?
Not every sales tax problem firs neatly into a service category. If you’re sealing with a sales tax question, notice, audit, transaction, expansion, or compliance issues and aren’t sure where to start, let’s talk.
Most engagements begin with a brief conversation to understand the situation and determine whether specialized sales tax assistance makes sense .
STAR does not provide income tax or general accounting services and does not compete with CPAs for client relationships.
HOW IT WORKS
From First Conversation to Clear Next Steps
1. Free Consultation
15 minutes. Tell me what you are dealing with. We’ll identify the primary issue and determine whether I can help.
2. Scope & Fee Proposal
If the situation is a good fit, you’ll receive a written proposal outlining: scope of work, deliverables, timeline, fixed fee and payment terms
You know what the engagement involves before you commit
3. Engagement Begins
You work directly with me . I’ll review the relevant information, ask the necessary questions, perform the agreed upon analysis, and keep you informed throughout the engagement.
4. Findings & Next Steps
You’ll receive clear conclusions and practical recommendations based on the scope of the engagement.
The goal is not simply identify a problem. It’s to help you understand: What is happening. Why it matters. What your options are. What you should do next.
Not Sure Where to Start? Start With a Free Consultation.
You don’t need to know which service you need before contacting me. Tell me what you’re sealing with, and we’ll determine the appropriate next step.