Glossary & tax terms

 

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Overview

Sales tax compliance involves navigating complex terminology across multiple jurisdictions and regulatory frameworks. This comprehensive glossary provides clear definitions for essential tax concepts, from foundational terms like nexus and taxability to platform-specific features within Anrok. 

Whether you're determining your tax obligations, configuring product categories, managing compliance workflows, or understanding international VAT requirements, this reference guide helps you confidently navigate the tax landscape. 

Use the search bar below to quickly find specific terms, or browse by category to explore related concepts and build your tax knowledge systematically.

Tax glossary

Term Definition
Core tax concepts(6 items)
Sales tax A percentage tax on the sales price of taxable goods, products and services. The seller bears responsibility for assessing and collecting sales tax, but the tax is typically passed through to the end customer at purchase. Some jurisdictions call it Transaction Privilege Tax (Arizona) or General Excise Tax (Hawaii).
Use tax A form of tax complementary to sales tax, applied when no sales tax was collected on a taxable purchase. Typically self-assessed by the purchaser when buying from sellers without nexus in their jurisdiction. Designed to protect a state's revenue by taxing goods purchased outside the state for use inside the state.
Value-added tax (VAT) A consumption tax applied at each production and distribution stage. Allows businesses to claim input tax credits while ensuring tax collection on value added. Common in EU and many countries worldwide (more than 170 countries). Like sales tax in the US, VAT is expected to be paid by the consumer making the purchase.
Goods and services tax (GST) A value-added tax system implemented in Australia, Canada, India, and New Zealand. Each business in the supply chain collects tax on sales (output tax) and can claim credits for GST paid on purchases (input tax).
Taxability Determination of whether specific goods, services, or digital products are subject to sales tax. Requires analysis of multiple factors including product classification, jurisdiction rules, transaction context (B2B vs B2C), delivery method, usage location, and billing address. Varies significantly across jurisdictions.
Tax rate The percentage applied to taxable sales within each jurisdiction. The total rate often combines multiple components including state, county, city, and special district rates. Rates may change periodically.
Jurisdiction A geographic area (country, state, province, county, city) with its own tax authority and regulations.
Nexus & obligations(8 items)
Nexus The connection between a seller and a jurisdiction that creates a tax obligation. Can be triggered by physical presence or economic activity, requiring businesses to register, collect, and remit sales tax. A "sufficient connection" that allows a jurisdiction to subject your business to its tax laws.
Economic nexus A threshold of economic activity that creates a tax obligation, typically based on revenue or transaction volume. Most commonly triggered when sales exceed $100,000 or 200 transactions in a jurisdiction. As of April 2021, all jurisdictions with sales tax have enacted economic nexus provisions.
Physical nexus Tax obligations created by having employees, property, or agents physically located in a jurisdiction. An employee traveling to a jurisdiction for any meaningful period is often sufficient to create nexus. Can also be triggered by owning/leasing real property or having agents/independent contractors acting on behalf of the seller.
Tax nexus threshold The specific level of activity (revenue amount, transaction count, or physical presence) that creates a tax obligation in a jurisdiction. Most common thresholds are $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions annually.
Nexus study A comprehensive analysis of business activities to determine where tax obligations exist. Examines physical presence, economic activity, employee locations, revenue thresholds, and transaction volumes across jurisdictions.
Exposure The potential tax liability a business has accumulated in a jurisdiction before registering and beginning to collect tax. Represents tax that should have been collected and remitted on past transactions.
Exposure date (Nexus start date) The earliest date a business reached economic or physical nexus in a jurisdiction, triggering a tax obligation. Used to calculate total exposure and determine potential liability for past periods.
Exposure modeling Process of calculating potential tax liability in various scenarios by adjusting factors like exposure dates, tax calculation dates, and lookback periods. Helps businesses understand and plan for compliance costs.
Products & services(4 items)
Physical goods Tangible personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt, or touched. Traditional basis for sales tax systems with clearer taxability rules compared to digital products.
Digital goods Products delivered electronically, including software downloads, digital media (music, movies, e-books), digital subscriptions, and online gaming content. Taxability varies significantly by jurisdiction.
Digital services Services delivered electronically, including data processing, information services, domain name services, web hosting, and cloud-based solutions. Face complex tax treatment that varies by jurisdiction. Includes cloud-based software (SaaS), online platforms, streaming services, digital advertising, online gaming services, and electronic support services.
Taxable services Services subject to sales tax in various jurisdictions. Category continues to expand as authorities adapt tax bases, with digital services facing particularly complex treatment.
Tax determination & calculation(13 items)
Tax code A classification system that determines how specific products and services are treated for tax purposes. Defines taxability status, applicable rates, eligibility for exemptions, and specific reporting requirements. Also refers to the identifier used in accounting systems to classify products and services for tax purposes.
Product tax category (PTC) A classification that defines how a product or service is taxed across different jurisdictions (e.g., "SaaS - General, B2B", "Digital Goods", "Professional Services", "Cloud services, Consumer").
Tax configuration A combination of Product Type and Tax Category assigned to a Product ID that signals which taxability ruleset should be applied to transactions.
Taxation type Category defining the type of tax being applied (e.g., state sales tax, local sales tax, use tax, VAT). Used by tax engines to apply appropriate rules and rates.
Tax calculation The process of determining the appropriate tax rate and amount for a transaction based on product type, customer location, and jurisdictional rules.
Tax calculation start date The date from which Anrok begins calculating tax due on transactions. May differ from the exposure date or tax collection date. Critical for determining which transactions are included in returns and for exposure modeling.
Tax collection start date (Collected from customer) The date when Anrok begins syncing tax calculations to customer-facing invoices for collection from customers or when a business begins collecting tax from customers in a jurisdiction (may differ from calculation start date).
Tax date The specific date used for tax calculations. If ommitted, Anrok will use the accounting date in your billing system.
Paid by seller A tax collection status in which Anrok will calculate sales tax on an invoice, but will not add the tax amount calculated to customer-facing invoices. In this case, the seller will absorb that sales tax cost and pay it on the customer's behalf. When a jurisdiction is in this status, transaction tax amounts will be marked with an asterisk (*), indicating that the seller is responsible for paying the tax.
Tax due The total amount of tax a business owes to tax authorities based on taxable sales. Calculated before any adjustments such as state discounts, penalties, interest, or credits. The amount Anrok determined that the customer owes based on the transaction details and applicable tax rules.
Tax charged The amount of tax Anrok added to an invoice in the billing system based on the calculated tax due.
Tax paid The actual amount of tax remitted to a jurisdiction, including any adjustments for state discounts, penalties, interest, or credits. May differ from tax due due to timing differences and adjustments.
Tax collection The process of adding calculated tax amounts to customer invoices in the billing system.
Bundled transaction The retail sale of two or more distinct products/services sold for a single non-itemized price. Jurisdictions often consider the entire bundle taxable if any component is taxable. Some jurisdictions use a 50% approach where taxability is based on the more valuable item.
Sourcing(3 items)
Sourcing Rules determining which jurisdiction's tax rates and rules apply to a transaction. Two types exist: destination-based and origin-based.
Destination-based sourcing Sales tax is collected based on where the customer receives the product or service, applying the tax rate of the customer's jurisdiction. Looks to the purchaser's location and where they're receiving/using the product.
Origin-based sourcing Sales tax is collected based on the seller's location. Charges sales tax at the place where an item originates, provided the purchaser is in the same jurisdiction as the seller. Only applies to intra-state transactions in certain states (Arizona, California, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia).
Exemptions(6 items)
Sales tax exemption Statutory exception allowing tax-free purchase of otherwise taxable items. When a purchaser can legally make a tax-free purchase with the help of documentation that proves the exemption claimed. Common example: "sale for resale" allows retailers to purchase goods from wholesalers tax-free.
Exemption certificate Documentation provided by a purchaser to make a tax-free purchase. Sellers must collect and maintain these certificates to support non-taxed sales during audits. The purchaser determines if they qualify for exemption and properly completes the certificate; the seller must accept it in good faith.
Resale certificate (Reseller exemption) A document certifying a customer's intention to resell purchased items, entitling them to a sales tax exemption. Reseller purchases are generally tax-exempt because the ultimate consumer will pay sales tax when they purchase the product.
Multistate certificate A uniform exemption or resale certificate valid across multiple states, eliminating the need for separate state-specific documentation.
Multiple Points of Use (MPU) exemption (Apportionment) Allows purchasers of software/SaaS to buy tax-free when used across multiple locations. Products (such as software or digital goods) purchased at a single location but used in multiple locations. The purchaser becomes responsible for calculating and remitting use tax based on actual usage across jurisdictions. Some jurisdictions allow apportionment, so buyers only pay sales tax on the portion used in that specific jurisdiction.
Bad debt credit A credit that businesses can claim on sales tax returns to recover tax previously remitted on uncollectible invoices.
Compliance & administration(8 items)
Sales tax compliance (compliant) The comprehensive set of processes and obligations businesses must follow to meet sales tax responsibilities across jurisdictions. Includes registration, collection, filing returns, and maintaining required records with ongoing monitoring of regulatory changes.
Sales tax compliance software Tools automating the sales tax compliance process from registration through filing. Helps manage exemption certificates, calculation, and changing regulations across multiple jurisdictions.
Tax registration Process of establishing a formal relationship with tax authorities for collecting and remitting taxes. Requires detailed business information, documentation of nexus triggers, and projections of expected sales volume.
Registration date The date when a business officially registers with a tax authority to collect and remit sales tax or VAT.
Economic threshold (Registration) The amount of sales or transactions that triggers a requirement to register for tax purposes. Once exceeded, a business must register with the tax authority. Varies significantly by jurisdiction.
Tax compliant invoicing Creating invoices that include all details required by tax authorities. Must include registration numbers, local language/currency requirements, and proper handling of special rules like reverse charges.
Tax compliant e-invoicing Electronic transmission of invoices meeting specific government requirements. May require validation through government portals or specific formats, with varying mandates by country.
Voluntary Disclosure Agreement (VDA) A formal, contractual agreement between a seller and tax authority when the seller comes forward prior to being contacted to pay past tax obligations in exchange for reduced penalties and capped lookback period.
Lookback period A designated window of time (such as the past three or four years) that jurisdictions examine when assessing whether a business has sufficient activity to trigger tax registration, filing, or payment obligations. The timeframe for which tax authorities can audit or assess past transactions. Typically 3 years in the US, though some jurisdictions may look back 5+ years, particularly for unfiled returns or fraud.
Filing & returns(9 items)
Return (tax return) A document filed with a tax authority that reports taxable sales, calculates tax due, and documents tax collected over a specific period (monthly, quarterly, or annually).
Filing The process of submitting a tax return to a tax authority, typically done by a specific deadline.
Filing frequency How often a business must file sales tax returns with a jurisdiction (monthly, quarterly, or annually), typically determined by sales volume, with higher-volume sellers required to file more frequently.
Filing period (return period) The specific timeframe covered by a tax return, such as a calendar month, quarter, or year. The period for which taxable transactions are aggregated and reported.
Tax remittance The act of paying collected tax to the appropriate tax authority, including the actual transfer of funds. Separate from tax calculation or collection, it represents the final step of the compliance process.
Prepayment Estimated tax payment made in advance of filing a return, required by some jurisdictions (particularly in the US) for businesses with high tax liability. Helps jurisdictions manage cash flow and reduce large end-of-period payments.
Fiscal representation Arrangement where a local entity acts as a tax representative for a foreign business in a jurisdiction. Sometimes required for VAT compliance in certain countries when a business has no local presence.
State discount (Early filing discount) Incentive offered by some jurisdictions allowing businesses to deduct a small percentage (typically 1-2%) from their tax payment if filed and paid by the due date. Designed to encourage timely compliance.
Streamlined sales tax (SST) A multi-state cooperative effort to simplify sales and use tax collection and administration.
International tax(13 items)
VAT Identification Number (VAT ID/VRN) The unique number that identifies a taxable business that is registered for VAT. Unique identifiers assigned to businesses for VAT purposes. Essential for transaction reporting, cross-border sales documentation, and input tax recovery in VAT jurisdictions. Most businesses carrying out an economic activity are required to have a VAT number.
VAT threshold Minimum annual turnover requiring VAT registration. Varies by country, business type, and transaction categories, helping determine registration requirements and compliance obligations.
Input Tax (Input VAT) VAT paid on business purchases and expenses. In VAT systems, businesses can typically reclaim input tax paid, reducing their net VAT liability. For sellers based in non-US countries, Input VAT represents a recoverable tax that can be claimed back from tax authorities.
Output Tax (Output VAT) VAT charged and collected on sales to customers. Businesses remit output tax to authorities, offset by any allowable input tax credits.
Non-resident scheme Registration method allowing businesses without a physical establishment in a jurisdiction to register and comply with VAT/GST obligations. Common in EU, UK, and Canada for digital services providers.
Reverse charge A mechanism shifting tax reporting and payment responsibility from the supplier to the recipient of goods or services. Common in non-US countries, typically applies in cross-border transactions, B2B services, and specific industry sectors.
Non-resident seller A business or individual that does not have tax residence in the jurisdiction where they are making sales, but may still have tax obligations there. Often subject to special VAT registration thresholds and compliance requirements.
Resident seller A business that has an established tax residence in the jurisdiction where they are conducting sales or business activities. Subject to full domestic tax rules and compliance requirements.
OSS (One Stop Shop) EU system allowing businesses to register, declare, and pay VAT on cross-border sales of goods and services to consumers through a single online portal, rather than registering in each EU member state separately. A centralized VAT reporting system allowing non-EU businesses to file a single quarterly return covering all 27 EU countries.
Incoterms® (International Commercial) Standardized trade defining responsibilities in international trade, including shipping costs, insurance, and import taxes/duties.
DAP (Delivered at Place) An Incoterm where the customer is responsible for import clearance, including paying applicable duties and VAT. Common in B2B cross-border sales.
DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) An Incoterm where the seller is responsible for paying all costs including transportation, import duties, and VAT. Common in B2C cross-border sales.
B2B (Business-to-Business) Transactions between two businesses, which may have different tax treatment than consumer sales.
B2C (Business-to-Consumer) Transactions between a business and individual consumers, typically subject to standard tax collection requirements.
Foreign exchange (FX) The conversion of one currency to another, relevant when remitting taxes in foreign currencies for international jurisdictions.
Accounting & reconciliation(7 items)
Tax Payable account General ledger account tracking tax collected from customers but not yet remitted to tax authorities. Current liability account that should be reconciled regularly against filed returns.
Tax Receivable account General ledger account tracking tax that has been paid but may be refunded or credited back. Current asset account less commonly used than tax payable.
Accrual accounting Accounting method recognizing revenue and expenses when earned or incurred, regardless of when cash changes hands. For tax purposes, means recognizing tax liability when the transaction occurs, not when paid.
Beginning balance Tax liability balance at the start of a reconciliation period. Represents previously calculated but unpaid tax from prior periods.
Ending balance Tax liability balance at the end of a reconciliation period. Calculated as beginning balance + tax due - tax paid +/- adjustments.
Tax adjustments Changes made to tax returns after initial filing, including corrections for errors, additional tax due, or credits. May also include Jurisdiction-specific items like business taxes reported on the same return as sales tax.
Penalties and interest (P&I) Additional charges imposed by tax authorities for late filing, late payment, or underpayment of taxes. Penalties are usually fixed percentages or amounts; interest accrues over time on unpaid balances.
Credit & return management(6 items)
Credit carry-forward Tax credit generated when refunds or credits create a negative tax amount that cannot be filed as-is. When a negative tax amount from refunds or credits is automatically applied to future tax obligations in the same jurisdiction. Jurisdictions prohibit negative return amounts, so the negative value is converted to $0 for filing and a credit is created that automatically applies to future tax obligations in the same local region until fully depleted.
Negative return amount Tax liability that falls below zero due to refunds, credits, or other adjustments exceeding tax collected. Cannot be filed directly on returns; must be handled through credit carry-forwards or return amendments depending on jurisdiction requirements.
Regional credit restriction Limitation requiring credits to be applied only within the local jurisdiction where they originated. A credit generated in Dallas, Texas cannot offset tax obligations in Houston, Texas, as jurisdictions maintain separate accounting of local tax revenues.
Return amendment Corrected return filed with tax authorities to recover overpaid tax amounts. Alternative to credit carry-forward that provides direct cash refund but requires 2-6 months processing time and additional administrative effort for submission and documentation.
Zero-floor requirement Jurisdiction rule prohibiting negative values on tax returns. When tax due would be negative, filers must show $0 tax due and handle the credit through carry-forward or amendment processes rather than displaying the negative amount.
Credit utilization timeline Period required to fully apply a credit carry-forward through future tax obligations. Credits only provide benefit when future tax is owed in the same jurisdiction; infrequent collection areas may take considerable time to utilize accumulated credits.
Business classifications & status(4 items)
Remote sellers Businesses selling into jurisdictions where they have no physical presence. Must monitor economic nexus thresholds and maintain compliance across multiple jurisdictions, particularly important in the e-commerce era.
Remitting jurisdiction A jurisdiction where a business is registered for tax, actively collecting tax from customers, and filing returns. Jurisdiction status indicating you are officially registered within the jurisdiction and are required to remit sales tax and file returns.
Non-remitting jurisdiction A jurisdiction where a business is monitoring for nexus thresholds but not yet registered or collecting tax.
Exposed jurisdiction A jurisdiction where a business has nexus (physical or economic) and accumulated tax liability but is not yet registered or collecting tax.
Jurisdiction-specific(5 items)
Home-rule jurisdiction A city, county, or municipality with independent taxing authority that manages taxability and compliance separately from the state. Often has unique filing requirements and tax rules. Example: Colorado has over 70 home-rule cities where SaaS is taxable in certain cities but not broadly taxable at the state level.
Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) Arizona's term for its sales tax regime. Imposed directly on the seller for the "privilege" of doing business in the jurisdiction, though typically passed through to customers like traditional sales tax.
General Excise Tax (GET) Hawaii's gross receipts tax on all business activities. Functions similarly to sales tax and may be passed through to customers, but is technically a tax on gross receipts rather than a traditional sales tax.
Washington B&O Tax (Business & Occupation Tax) Washington state's gross receipts tax that is separate from sales tax but filed on the same return. Washington state's primary method of taxing business activities based on gross receipts, serving as the state's alternative to corporate income tax. Not a sales tax and should be recorded in a separate account from tax payable.
Personal Property Lease Transaction Tax Specialized tax applied to lease/rental transactions in specific jurisdictions like Chicago. Covers equipment rentals, vehicle leases, software licenses, and hardware rentals.
Anrok platform-specific(7 items)
Product ID Identifiers describing specific products or services sold to customers, passed from billing systems to tax platforms. Each product ID must be mapped to a corresponding tax configuration that determines taxability status, applicable rates, and exemption eligibility for accurate tax calculation.
Customer ID A unique identifier for a customer in a billing system. Used by Anrok to track transactions, apply exemption certificates, and manage customer-specific tax settings.
Data source A system that provides transaction or employee data to Anrok, such as billing platforms (Stripe, QuickBooks, Rippling) or file imports.
Integration source A billing system or other platform connected to Anrok that automatically synchronizes transaction data and tax calculations.
Accounting time zone The time zone used by a billing system to timestamp transactions. Must match between Anrok and the billing system for accurate transaction processing.
Tax agency Government entity or designated organization responsible for administering and collecting taxes in a jurisdiction. In accounting systems, also refers to the entity to which collected taxes are assigned.
Tax ID A unique identifier issued by a tax authority to a business or individual for tax purposes. Also refers to VAT identification numbers in international jurisdictions.
Employee backfill Process of recording employee location information to accurately determine physical nexus exposure across jurisdictions. Can be completed automatically through HRIS integration or manually.
Transaction & currency(13 items)
Transaction A record of a sale, including customer information, products sold, amounts, dates, and addresses. Used to calculate tax and include on returns.
Historical transaction A past transaction imported into Anrok, typically to establish accurate nexus exposure and compliance history.
Historical backfill The process by which past financial transactions (sales, credit memos, refunds) are transferred into a tax compliance system to maintain accurate records of economic exposures. Critical for understanding nexus obligations across jurisdictions. Standard lookback periods are typically 3 years in the US, with some jurisdictions requiring up to 5 years. Can be completed automatically through billing system integration or manually via CSV upload.
Backfill The process of importing historical transactions into Anrok to create a complete picture of past sales activity and tax exposure.
Billable sales For US sales: based on the taxability of products purchased, not the customer. For international sales: based on the VRN validation or Tax calculation start date (whichever is earliest).
Transaction currency The currency in which an invoice is issued to the customer at the time of sale. Important for multi-currency businesses as it represents the actual currency of the transaction before any conversions.
Functional currency The primary currency used by a business for financial reporting purposes, typically the currency of the primary economic environment where the company operates. Often USD for US-based companies. Transactions in other currencies are converted to functional currency for aggregate reporting.
Return currency The currency required by a tax jurisdiction for filing returns. Tax authorities typically require returns to be filed in their local currency, necessitating currency conversion from transactional or functional currency.
Currency conversion Process of converting transaction amounts from one currency to another using exchange rates. Critical for businesses operating internationally, as rates used can differ between transaction date, reporting date, and filing date.
Tax-exclusive pricing Pricing model where the listed price does not include tax; tax is calculated and added on top of the base price. Most common in B2B transactions and US commerce. Required by many tax platforms since tax rates can fluctuate.
Tax-inclusive pricing Pricing model where the listed price already includes tax; the tax portion is extracted from the total price. Common in B2C transactions and many international markets, particularly in Europe.
Transaction discrepancy A difference between the tax amount Anrok calculated (tax due) and the tax amount added to the invoice (tax charged), often caused by integration issues or post-payment recalculations.
True object test Method used by tax authorities to determine taxability of bundled items. Evaluates what the customer is primarily purchasing. If a SaaS product is sold with a few free hours of integration services, the jurisdiction determines if the customer would make the purchase without the SaaS (probably not), making the SaaS the "true object."
Marketplace facilitator A platform (like AWS, Azure, or GCP) that handles tax calculation and remittance on behalf of sellers for marketplace transactions.
Error management & transaction processing(7 items)
Unprocessed transaction A transaction that Anrok was unable to successfully process due to missing information, errors, or configuration issues. Invoice that Anrok was unable to ingest or update when processing the request from an external billing system. Typically means tax was not added to the transaction and it has not been included on tax returns, requiring manual review and resolution before compliance can be achieved.
Unassociated transaction A transaction successfully processed by Anrok for tax calculation but not currently included in any open or past return filings within a jurisdiction.
Transaction retry Process of resubmitting an unprocessed transaction after resolving the underlying error. Successful retry means the transaction was ingested and added to an open tax return if relevant, though tax may not be collectible if the invoice is no longer editable.
Archived transaction Permanently removing a transaction from the active errors list without blocking future reprocessing attempts. Recommended for historical transactions that cannot be resolved or have insignificant impact, such as missing addresses on old invoices with low dollar amounts.
Error type Category classification of processing failure that identifies why a transaction could not be ingested or updated. Common types include malformed address, missing product ID, invalid authentication, and currency not supported, each requiring specific resolution actions.
Integration configuration rrror Processing failure caused by incorrect integration setup preventing correct tax amount updates. Requires technical support review to identify and resolve underlying connectivity or configuration issues between systems.
Invalid authentication Error occurring when attempting to reprocess a transaction for an integration in "Invalid" or "Disconnected" status. Resolved by re-authenticating the billing integration through the Data Sources page with updated credentials.
Technical(2 items)
API key A unique code that allows Anrok to securely connect with and communicate with external systems like billing platforms.
HRIS (Human Resources Information System) Software used to manage employee data, which can be integrated with Anrok to automatically track physical nexus created by employee locations.
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