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Sales Tax Nexus Explained for Growing and Enterprise Businesses

Sales tax nexus determines when a business has an obligation to register, collect, and remit sales tax in a jurisdiction. Nexus can be created by physical presence or economic activity. For most growing businesses selling across state lines, economic nexus based on state specific thresholds is the primary trigger. Nexus often surfaces sales tax and use tax obligations at the same time. If you want the product view of how this translates to your data, see how TaxMap works. If you want to start immediately, you can check your exposure.

What is sales tax nexus?

Nexus is the rule that answers a simple question:

Does this state consider my business present enough to require sales tax or use tax compliance?
You can be required to take action even if you have no office, no employees, and no warehouse in that state. This is why nexus is often discovered late.

The main types of nexus

Physical nexus

Triggered by physical presence such as employees, inventory, an office, or certain in-person activities.

Economic nexus

Triggered when your economic activity exceeds thresholds defined by the state. This is the most common trigger for online businesses. Economic nexus often drives both sales tax and use tax obligations.

Marketplace-related rules

Marketplaces may collect tax in certain cases, but this does not always eliminate your obligations entirely. The details depend on what you sell and how your transactions are structured.

Why nexus matters

Once nexus is triggered, it can create obligations that may include:

  • Registration requirements
  • Sales tax collection on taxable transactions
  • Use tax assessment on untaxed purchases
  • Filing sales tax and use tax returns
  • Addressing historical exposure when compliance did not occur
TaxMap is designed to identify where these obligations exist and help businesses move toward compliant outcomes with clarity.

Common misconceptions

I do not have an office there.
Economic nexus can still apply.

I am small, so I am safe.
Even smaller businesses can trigger nexus quickly depending on thresholds, growth rate, and product types.

My marketplace handles everything.
Sometimes it does, sometimes it does not. It depends on the state rules and the nature of your sales.

How TaxMap helps

TaxMap applies sales tax and use tax nexus rules directly to your transaction data so compliance decisions are based on facts, not assumptions.

What to do after you understand nexus

Understanding nexus is the first step. The next step is mapping sales tax and use tax exposure using your actual data and moving toward compliance. TaxMap maps exposure and supports automated sales tax and use tax compliance. Many mid market and enterprise businesses file through TaxMap. Smaller businesses may file internally, work with a CPA, or use another provider. Filing is never forced. See filing options for a clear breakdown. If you want simple plan details, see pricing.

Related resources

Use tax exposure is often discovered at the same time as sales tax nexus. Review use tax explained. If you are already concerned about historical exposure, review exposure cleanup and remediation guides.

Frequently asked questions

No. Nexus determines obligation. Registration is an action you take after determining obligation.

In some situations, yes. For example, if sales are non taxable or tax was collected correctly. TaxMap helps you understand exposure and compliance priorities before taking action.

Not always. Timing depends on the state and your situation. TaxMap helps determine when sales tax and use tax compliance actions are required. See filing options

Ready to understand your nexus and exposure clearly?

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