Blog

Answered: Most-Asked Questions from the Sovos ShipCompliant–WineDirect–Enolytics Webinar, Post-Pandemic Planning: Customer Engagement for the Road Ahead

Our recent webinar with WineDirect and Enolytics, Post-Pandemic Planning: Customer Engagement for the Road Ahead, was a timely topic that drew lively Q&A—too many to address in our allotted hour! Here are our panelists’ take on the most-surfaced themes in your questions. (Missed the live webinar? You can still access the recording and slides on […]

Read More
DtC Shipments Continue to Increase as Buying Channels Shift

The direct-to-consumer wine shipping channel continues to grow each year, with a 7.4 percent increase in value and 4.7 percent increase in volume in 2019. But starting mid-March 2020, as the pandemic progressed, and buying patterns shifted to rely heavily on ecommerce, we’ve seen a significant spike in growth over last year’s numbers. The DtC […]

Read More
How New York Will Reduce Time & Costs for Suppliers, Distributors and State Agencies

As of April 28, 2020 the state of New York and the alcohol suppliers within its borders will now be able to streamline the process of filing brand registrations and renewing licenses. With Sovos ShipCompliant’s Product Registration Online (PRO) tool, the process and cost of getting registrations approved for beer, wine and spirits will greatly […]

Read More
The Top 5 Ways to Stay Ahead of Unclaimed Property
The Top 5 Ways to Stay Ahead of Unclaimed Property

Unclaimed property compliance is a year-round job. Preparations must be made monthly in order to stay compliant. Below are the top 5 ways you can stay ahead of your unclaimed property obligations, before they turn into penalties. 1. Review procedures and document them: A lack of good audit trails and procedure documentation is commonplace in […]

Read More
The Danger of Unclaimed Property for Healthcare Providers
The Danger of Unclaimed Property for Healthcare Providers

Healthcare providers build up patient credit balances from collecting more coinsurance, copays, and deductibles than they earn. Unfortunately, because the fees are unearned, the healthcare provider has inadvertently accepted fiduciary responsibility for the funds. In addition to safeguarding the funds from potential loss, the healthcare provider is now facing penalties and interest from the states […]

Read More
Black Friday Cyber Monday
Foster Lasting Customer Relationships by Adding Education to Your Ecommerce Platform

Younger or less experienced wine consumers may find speaking with a wine expert at a tasting room or wine retailer intimidating. There is plenty of wine-specific terminology that consumers outside of the wine industry may find opaque or confusing. Don’t underestimate the role that even seemingly basic education can play in helping convert customers. At […]

Read More
Thinking About a Post Pandemic Sales Tax Enforcement Landscape

For those tax professionals responsible for keeping their company safe from audit risk, the time is coming (if it’s not already here) to think about how states may act to shore up budget shortfalls stemming from decrease in sales tax revenue  as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the US economy was (until recently) […]

Read More
The Top 4 Benefits of a Cloud-based Unclaimed Property Solution
The Top 4 Benefits of a Cloud-Based Unclaimed Property Solution

According to Forrester Research, 65 percent of North American enterprises relied on public cloud platforms in 2019. This is five times the percentage that used cloud platforms 6 years ago. Leading businesses are flocking to cloud solutions because of the numerous benefits they provide. Below are the top 4 benefits of using a cloud-based unclaimed […]

Read More
The Top 5 Ways Coronavirus is Affecting your Business’s Tax Reporting Obligations
The Top 5 Ways Coronavirus is Affecting Your Business’s Tax Reporting Obligations

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act addresses the economic impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. It authorizes emergency loans to distressed businesses, payouts of tax rebates to individuals and their children and provides paid family leave and paid sick leave benefits to employees by offsetting tax credits to employers. The bill provides for […]

Read More
The Danger of Unclaimed Property for Healthcare Providers
The Top 5 Challenges of Forms 1099-LS and 1099-SB

Forms 1099-LS and 1099-SB were born out of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) as part of the Life Settlement reporting section. They were first introduced for the 2019 tax season, and require reporting from both the purchaser and the life insurance carrier when a life insurance policy is sold to a new […]

Read More
Sales Tax Obligations, Economic Nexus for DtC Shippers

Sales tax always has been, and always will be, an integral part of compliance for wineries, especially for those shipping direct-to-consumer (DtC). In recent years the standards for determining who is obligated to collect sales tax and at what rates has changed due to evolving legislation like the Supreme Court case South Dakota v. Wayfair.   […]

Read More
As COVID-19 Changes the Retail Landscape, are SMBs Ready for the Sales Tax Ramifications?

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the way in which commerce is conducted in the United States and around the world. Based on current restrictions, consumers have had no other choice but to explore e-commerce options to fulfill needs for all but the most essential items and services. In turn, smaller and mid-sized businesses that […]

Read More
Kentucky to Allow Direct Shipments of Wine, Beer, and Spirits

On April 7, 2020, Kentucky became the latest state to adopt rules clearly permitting the direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping of alcoholic beverages. As established in HB 415, Kentucky residents will soon be able to purchase and receive shipments of beer, wine and spirits from licensed producers across the country. That this bill includes all types of […]

Read More
GoKeyless: Life with Sales Tax Automation

GoKeyless Journey 3-part Q&A blog series This three-part blog series will cover the journey of GoKeyless as they struggle to deal with the initial impact of the South Dakota vs. Wayfair ruling. Told from the vantage point of Skip Graham, network administrator at GoKeyless, this series is an inside look at how manual compliance processes […]

Read More
GoKeyless: In Search of the Right Sales Tax Partner

GoKeyless Journey 3-part Q&A blog series This three-part blog series will cover the journey of GoKeyless as they struggle to deal with the initial impact of the South Dakota vs. Wayfair ruling. Told from the vantage point of Skip Graham, network administrator at GoKeyless, this series is an inside look at how manual compliance processes […]

Read More
GoKeyless: We Thought We Were Ready For Wayfair, We Were Wrong 

GoKeyless Journey 3-part Q&A blog series This three-part blog series will cover the journey of GoKeyless as they struggle to deal with the initial impact of the South Dakota vs. Wayfair ruling. Told from the vantage point of Skip Graham, network administrator at GoKeyless, this series is an inside look at how manual compliance processes […]

Read More
Direct Shipping is Not a Zero-Sum Game

By: Jason Haas Jason Haas is the second generation proprietor at Tablas Creek Vineyard, the pioneering Rhone specialist in Paso Robles, California. In addition to his work overseeing the operations there, he serves on the board of directors of the Paso Robles Wine Country Alliance, Rhone Rangers, and Free the Grapes.   Back in 2017, […]

Read More
Tax Considerations for Good Corporate Citizens

The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the business landscape of our country in a matter of weeks. The demand for products such as paper products and hand sanitizers have overridden the ability of suppliers to fulfill orders. And perhaps most alarmingly, we have learned that our critical services such as hospitals, clinics and first responders […]

Read More