Sales Tax news and trends

State Taxes Could Cause Spike In Streaming Prices
Subscription Commerce // February 24, 2020

About 50 percent of U.S. states have already begun taxing residents’ streaming subscriptions to services like Netflix and Hulu, and others are considering doing the same, CNBC reported on Monday (Feb. 24). “It’s a fast-moving policy development,” Michael Mazerov, a senior fellow at the Center...

Today In Payments: Alibaba’s Loans For Coronavirus-Affected Firms Near $3B; Japanese Sales Tax Triggers 6...
News // February 18, 2020

In today’s top news, Alibaba has made almost $3 billion in loans available for companies hurt by the coronavirus, and Japan’s recent sales tax triggers fears of a recession. Also, HSBC cuts 35,000 jobs and $100 billion in assets in a streamlining and restructuring effort....

Japanese Sales Tax Triggers 6 Pct Economic Contraction
International // February 18, 2020

The coronavirus outbreak has pushed Japan to the brink of a recession as tourism slides and spending drops in response to a sales tax hike, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Monday (Feb. 17). Japan, the world’s third-largest economy after the U.S. and China, contracted...

Amazon (And Others) Brace For India’s New eCommerce Tax
Taxes // February 10, 2020

The jousting over eCommerce taxes — especially for U.S. firms operating on an international scale — is about to get more heated. Last week in India, the government proposed a tax on eCommerce transactions that will likely increase operating costs for sellers large and small....

Interviews & Exclusives
Amazon (And Others) Brace For India’s New eCommerce Tax

February 10, 2020
The jousting over eCommerce taxes — especially for U.S. firms operating on an international scale — is about to get more heated. Last week in India, the government proposed a tax on eCommerce transactions that will likely increase operating costs for sellers large and small. The tax, technically known as “Tax Deducted at Source” (TDS), […]

Online Sales Tax’s ‘Pivotal,’ Post-Wayfair 2019 — And What Lies Ahead

January 03, 2020
There are certain years (and events) that represent significant shifts in business, where there was a way things were done — until everything changed. In an interview with PYMNTS, Liz...

A ‘Diaper’ By Any Other Tax Code: The Complexities Of Selling Across State Tax Laws

December 26, 2019
Merchants aiming to sell nationwide must pay attention to how their goods are treated by each state’s tax code. Items considered as exempt medical necessities in some states may be...

Navigating The ‘Hot Mess’ Of Online Food Delivery Sales Tax

December 13, 2019
In commerce, when it comes to taxes, new business models beget new (tax) problems. Against that backdrop, tax collection in the nascent restaurant delivery space remains fragmented at best —...

Quick Reads
Stripe Debuts Stripe Tax for Platforms to Help Cross-Border Sales

August 02, 2023
Stripe says it is offering its Tax tool to its platform clients to boost their global commerce sales. “Help with sales tax and VAT has been our platform users’ most commonly requested feature,” Michael Carney, product lead for the tool, known as “Stripe Tax,” said in a news release Wednesday (Aug. 2) “We built Stripe Tax because it’s a […]

State Taxes Could Cause Spike In Streaming Prices

February 24, 2020
About 50 percent of U.S. states have already begun taxing residents’ streaming subscriptions to services like Netflix and Hulu, and others are considering doing the same, CNBC reported on Monday...

Japanese Sales Tax Triggers 6 Pct Economic Contraction

February 18, 2020
The coronavirus outbreak has pushed Japan to the brink of a recession as tourism slides and spending drops in response to a sales tax hike, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported...

Italy Sidesteps Sales Tax Hike With Levy On Digital Transactions

October 14, 2019
Italy is preparing to tax digital companies to help fund its 2020 budget as it seeks different revenue streams to avoid a scheduled sales tax hike, sources told Reuters on...