Sales & Use Tax Recovery
States don’t volunteer refunds.
You have to claim them
A short written scoping exchange first — typically an AP export and your exemption certificates.
Businesses routinely overpay sales and use tax: tax paid on exempt purchases, manufacturing and resale exemptions never applied, vendor-charged tax in states where it wasn’t due. Overpayments can typically be recovered going back three to four years, depending on the state — four years in Texas, three in California, New York, and Florida — but the statute of limitations is strict: anything older is permanently lost.
Where the money hides
A reverse audit reads the tax charged on each purchase back against the exemption that applied at the time it was charged.
- What you get
A reverse audit of your purchase data, prepared refund claims for each state, and documentation that stands up if the state asks questions.
- What it costs
50% of refunds actually paid out by the state or vendor. No refund, no fee.
- What to send
This one starts with a short written scoping exchange — typically an AP export and your exemption certificates. We’ll tell you exactly what, in one email.
- How long it takes
Findings in three to four weeks; state refund processing varies by state (we manage the filings).