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unclaimed property program
How to Set Up a Successful Unclaimed Property Program

Unclaimed property compliance can be difficult and overwhelming. Clients often ask what they should be doing to ensure they are compliant with the various laws and regulations. It isn’t easy, especially if you have multiple property types such as checks, credits or customer accounts that have the potential to become unclaimed property in multiple states. […]

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How Hold At Locations Improve Your Customers’ Wine Delivery Experience

Direct-to-consumer shipping wine lovers enjoy the convenience of having their favorite vinos shipped to their front door. But what happens when, for whatever reason, they aren’t available to accept their wine deliveries? Whether they aren’t available during the day or they don’t have someone 21 or older available to sign for their package, these challenges […]

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insurance statutory reporting
Identifying Sales Tax Liabilities and Why They Matter

By Steve Claflin, CLA It’s incredible that it has now been five years since the landmark Wayfair decision. It seems like just yesterday we were reading the case, alerting clients and tracking the ever-developing state guidance. Unfortunately, many companies still are not familiar with their sales tax filing obligations caused by economic nexus, or they […]

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breweries DtC Oregon
Out-of-State Breweries Gain Self Distribution, DtC Rights in Oregon

Under a settlement agreement, breweries located outside of Oregon now have more options for selling into the Beaver State, including direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping and self-distribution to retailers. The settlement arose out of a lawsuit filed by a group of Washington breweries last year challenging Oregon laws that limited beer self-distribution to in-state breweries and DtC […]

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Florida HR 583
Top 5 Myths Surrounding Retailer Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping

By Tom Wark, Executive Director, National Association of Wine Retailers Politics breed myths. This has always been the case as politics is, at its most fundamental, a form of storytelling. So it should be no surprise that myths have arisen as various elements of the wine industry have fought against consumers and specialty wine retailer seeking […]

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Colorado retail delivery fee
Relief from Colorado Retail Delivery Fee for DtC Wine Shippers

Colorado enacted changes to the state’s Retail Delivery Fee (RDF) effective in May, which should provide some relief to wineries engaged in direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping in the state. The RDF was adopted by Colorado in 2022 as a 27-cent fee that applied to all retail sales that involved the delivery of goods using motorized […]

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California unclaimed property
Breaking Down the California Unclaimed Property Reporting Process

The chorus to “California, Here I come,” a popular showtune from the Great American Songbook, starts with the lyrics, “California Here I come, right back where I started from.” For holders trying to stay on top of their California unclaimed property reports, it sometimes feels like a piece of musical déjà vu. Wait, didn’t we […]

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2023 Comply & Connect Reporting
5 Benefits to Attending 2023 Comply & Connect: Reporting

In-person conferences are back in full force for Sovos in 2023. It’s likely that you, or your employees, have been invited to several industry conferences that offer high-impact keynote speakers and a great depth of potential insights into our industry. How do you evaluate the true value in terms of return on investment for you, […]

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Alabama direct-to-consumer wine shipping
Alabama Sales Tax Compliance Post-Wayfair

For fully remote sellers, sales tax compliance in Alabama can feel daunting. However, just prior to Wayfair, Alabama created the Simplified Sellers Use Tax system. Today, remote sellers with economic nexus in Alabama can apply to participate. Once accepted, their transactions become subject to a special flat rate (currently 8%), which represents an amalgam of […]

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register transmitter control code (TCC)
Common Unclaimed Property Issues for Small Businesses

Oftentimes, small companies hold unclaimed property without realizing it, mistakenly assuming only mid-sized and large companies have the potential to generate it. In fact, many are not aware that such liabilities even exist. If small businesses do have some awareness, they do not fully understand the numerous responsibilities concerning unclaimed property and the consequences for […]

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W-9 backup withholding
Proposed W-9 Update Expands Backup Withholding Requirements

For the third year in a row, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s annual General Explanations of the Administration’s FY2024 Revenue Proposals (Greenbook) includes a proposed update that would expand the federal backup withholding requirements. The proposed change would help facilitate more accurate tax information, supporting “the broader goals of improving IRS service to taxpayers, […]

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New Mexico sales tax
How Has New Mexico Simplified Sales Tax?

New Mexico used to be one of a minority of states that applied origin-based local sales tax sourcing while also not applying a complimentary “seller’s use” tax to its local sales tax. Both of these things have changed in recent years. Today, New Mexico joins the majority of states in applying a destination-based tax system […]

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The Dangers of Third-Party Shipping

Direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping represents 12% of total off-premise domestic wine sales, totaling $4.1 billion in 2022. It’s no wonder that wineries from across the country are looking to expand their reach by shipping their bottles to consumers in every corner of the nation. In response, we’ve seen an increasing number of third-party shipping businesses […]

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Building in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.
How Louisiana Sales Tax Continues to Evolve

Despite Louisiana’s struggles to adopt meaningful sales tax simplifications, it implemented the Sales and Use Tax Commission for Remote Sellers, creating a single spot for state and local sales tax filing. Unfortunately, this system does not address the complexities of local sales tax rules. Prior to Wayfair, Louisiana allowed “volunteer” remote sellers to use their 8.45% […]

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Florida sales tax
What to Know About Florida Sales Tax

Until recently, Florida required sellers to calculate sales tax using a “bracket schedule,” which determines how much tax applies to the portion of sales priced under $1.00. While other states also publish tax brackets, those schedules are readily broken down into a clear mathematical formula. This was not the case with Florida, which previously continued […]

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sovos booke
Sovos Booke to Offer Statutory Accounting CPE in Washington, D.C. Area

For the past couple of years, businesses have been emerging from their pandemic work settings at varying degrees. And during that time, we’ve been listening to your feedback. Sovos Booke (also known as Sovos Education) finally has multiple in-person continuing education opportunities coming your way this year. Your first chance to join us is coming June […]

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on-site DtC
Where On-Site is Still Relevant for DtC Shippers

Direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping of wine comes in two general categories: on-site and off-site. Both ultimately involve the use of a third-party common carrier to fulfill an order by a consumer, but they differ in how the consumer places their order. “On-site” DtC shipments are those where the consumer was physically present at the winery’s premises […]

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sales tax wayfair
Which States Can Still Improve Sales Tax Post-Wayfair?

In the five years since the Supreme Court case of South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., every state with a sales tax has enacted a law regarding economic nexus. However, Wayfair did not change the constitutional requirement that sales tax cannot represent an undue burden on interstate commerce. To the contrary, it can be argued that […]

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