Best Sales Tax Software: 11 Tools Compared

US sales tax is a patchwork of states, counties and rules, and online sellers can owe tax in places they've never visited. The moment you sell across the country, keeping track by hand gets risky.

The eleven tools below are listed alphabetically and in no particular order, from fully managed services to developer-friendly tax engines. Each description comes from the tool's own site, read this week. If you're still choosing where to sell from, my look at alternatives to BigCommerce covers the store side.

Sales tax tools at a glance

In the free plan column, Yes means the tool's own site describes free use or a free plan, Trial only means a time-limited trial and No means neither is stated on the pages we read.

Tool	Type	Good for	Free plan
Anrok	Sales tax and VAT	SaaS and software companies	No
Avalara	Tax compliance suite	Large catalogues and many states	No
Kintsugi	Sales tax automation	Hands-off registration and filing	Yes
Numeral	Managed sales tax	Nexus alerts and filings handled	No
Quaderno	Global tax compliance	Creators and sellers worldwide	Not stated
Sovos	Enterprise tax compliance	E-invoicing plus indirect tax	No
Stripe Tax	Built-in tax for Stripe	Businesses already on Stripe	No
TaxCloud	Sales tax software	Human support while you grow	Trial only
TaxJar	Sales tax automation	Ecommerce across many channels	Trial only
Vertex	Enterprise tax engine	Complex, multi-entity tax	No
Zamp	Managed sales tax service	Handing sales tax to experts	No

Eleven sales tax tools

Anrok

Best for: Software and SaaS companies selling across states and countries that want sales tax and VAT handled together.

Avalara

Best for: Established sellers with large product ranges that want sales and use tax compliance, plus business licensing help, from one big provider.

Kintsugi

Best for: Founders who want sales tax registrations, filings and payments handled automatically, with experts on call when needed.

Numeral

Best for: Ecommerce and SaaS businesses that want nexus monitored around the clock and filings done before deadlines.

Quaderno

Best for: Online sellers and creators selling worldwide who want tax calculations, invoices and threshold monitoring in one tool.

Sovos

Best for: Larger businesses with e-invoicing obligations in several countries that want indirect tax and reporting on one platform.

Stripe Tax

Best for: Businesses that already take payments with Stripe and want sales tax, VAT and GST compliance added to the same account.

TaxCloud

Best for: Growing mid-market sellers that want automated sales tax compliance backed by real human support.

TaxJar

Best for: Online sellers on several channels who want the whole sales tax lifecycle, from calculation to filing, automated.

Vertex

Best for: Large companies with complex tax rules that want determination, returns and audit support connected across the tax lifecycle.

Zamp

Best for: Busy founders who'd rather hand sales tax to a managed service with tax professionals than learn it themselves.

A route worth checking before you sign up

Here's an option many sellers never hear about. The Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board lists Certified Service Providers and asks sellers whether they qualify for free sales tax calculation and reporting services in its member states.

Before you choose sales tax software, check whether you sell into Streamlined member states and whether you qualify for that route. Ask any provider you're considering whether it's a Certified Service Provider.

Managed service or software you run yourself?

Some providers handle everything: registrations, filings and payments, with tax professionals behind the software. Others give you the tools and expect your team to run them. Managed services save you time, while self-run software gives you more control.

If nobody on your team enjoys tax admin, a managed service is usually the better choice. If you have a finance team, self-run software may suit you.

Getting sales tax under control

1. List every state you've shipped or sold to over the past twelve months.
2. Check where your sales may have created nexus.
3. Register in the states where you need to collect.
4. Connect your store or billing system to the tax tool.
5. Set up product tax codes for anything with special rules.
6. File on time every period and keep the confirmations.

Features to compare

• Nexus monitoring. Alerts when you approach a state threshold.
• Automatic filing. Returns filed for you on time.
• Integrations. Connections to your store, billing and accounting.
• Exemption certificates. Stored for wholesale and exempt customers.

If you've handled sales tax for a real business and want to write about it, my accounting guest post guidelines show what I accept.

Selling internationally

If you also sell to customers outside the US, look for a tool that handles VAT and GST too. Managing US sales tax in one system and overseas VAT in another doubles the work and the risk of mistakes.

See also best tax software UK.

Other sales channels and your own store

Some sales channels collect sales tax for you, while your own store usually doesn't. Make sure your tax tool knows which sales were already taxed, so you don't report them twice.

Do you make sales tax software? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.

My plain advice on sales tax software

Check your nexus before you buy anything. Many tools offer a nexus check or study, and knowing where you owe tax tells you how much help you need. A seller registered in two states needs something very different from one registered in twenty.

Make sure the tool connects to every place you sell. If you sell on your own store and other channels, gaps in the connections are where mistakes creep in. For growing your ecommerce side, see my guide to AI for ecommerce marketing.

Frequently asked questions

What is sales tax software?

It's software that calculates sales tax at checkout, tracks your obligations in each state and files returns.

Is there free sales tax software?

Some tools describe free starts or free nexus checks, and the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board offers free services to qualifying sellers in member states.

What is a Certified Service Provider?

It's a provider listed by the Streamlined Sales Tax Governing Board for sales tax calculation and reporting in member states.

Do SaaS companies need sales tax software?

Some states tax software and digital services, so SaaS companies selling across the US often need help with sales tax.

Can sales tax software handle VAT too?

Several tools on this list cover VAT and GST as well as US sales tax.

What's nexus?

It's the connection with a state that means you have to collect and file sales tax there.