Avoiding Government Audit-Related Risks
Sales and use tax compliance is complex, but our checklist helps leaders stay proactive, reduce risks, and ensure compliance.
Sales tax overpayments are more common than most companies realize.
Most businesses don’t have the resources to sift through every single transaction. Instead, they just flag 10-20% of transactions for review and rely on a basic tax determination matrix to find recovery areas. The problem? A lot slips through the cracks, and companies end up paying more than they need to.
Sales and use tax present a massive overpayment refund opportunity.
While income tax gets all the attention at the board level, sales tax is quietly paid month after month without much scrutiny. This blind spot makes it a prime area for recovery—and we’ve delivered tens of millions of dollars in refunds for our clients.
An insider’s edge on tax codes, and the auditors who enforce them.
Tax codes are complicated and frequently change—a challenge for any in-house staff balancing other large tax initiatives. And if your business operates across multiple states, staying compliant with varying sales tax laws can be an added burden. Our sales and use tax consulting team includes CPAs and executives who’ve worked as state tax auditors. They know the tax codes inside and out, and they get the job done without taking up your valuable time.
Designed for speed and precision.
Like it or not, your time is limited when filing for sales and use tax recovery, and any delay can result in those potential refunds being lost forever. Revenew’s sales and use tax consulting team is comprised of data mining experts who can find more opportunities and overpayments in less time. Whether minor errors or large-scale issues, we work efficiently to pinpoint where you’ve overpaid so you can recover those funds quickly.
The tax refunds you’re entitled to. Guaranteed.
Are you worried sales tax recovery services might not pay off for you? Don’t be. We’ve identified an eligible refund for every one of our clients. And because our recovery fees are tied to results, no upfront budgeting is required on your end. We don’t charge you for our percentage until you have your full refund in hand.
A recovery process built for speed, precision, and minimal disruption.
- Analyze. Our sales tax recovery process begins with a detailed review of your financial records. We focus on the top spending categories we know are consistently taxed unnecessarily.
- Substantiate. Field staff gathers documentation to validate and substantiate our claims. All savings are calculated at the invoice level to ensure that cost reductions are accurate.
- Educate. Our sales and use tax consulting team educates your employees and suppliers about our findings to help maximize your future tax savings.
- Deliver. We present all findings and claims for your approval before we submit them to the tax commission. But our work isn’t done until your claim is granted and your refund is paid.
Unexpected Savings.
Our Sales Tax & Use Recovery team identified nearly $34 million in available refunds across eight US states for a multinational food manufacturing company. Read the case study here.
Checklist for Sales & Use Tax Leaders:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is sales tax and use tax recovery?
Sales and use tax recovery is a systematic review of an organization’s historical purchase transactions to identify taxes that were incorrectly assessed, misapplied, or charged at incorrect rates, and then formally reclaim those overpayments from state and local tax authorities. Use tax applies when sales tax was not collected at the point of purchase, requiring the buyer to self-report; recovery reviews examine both types for refund opportunities.Why do companies overpay sales and use tax?
Overpayments occur for several reasons: tax rates and exemption rules vary by state and locality and change frequently; products or services may be misclassified; exemption certificates may not be applied correctly; and transactions may be taxed in the wrong jurisdiction. Most organizations don’t have the internal bandwidth to review every transaction, which means errors accumulate undetected over time.How long does a sales tax recovery review take?
Most Revenew engagements require 30–35 hours of client team time over approximately four months. Recoveries can begin within 30 days of engagement start. The timeline for receiving refunds from state authorities varies by jurisdiction, but our team manages the process through to final payment.Is there a time limit for filing sales tax refund claims?
Yes. Most states impose statutes of limitations on refund claims, typically ranging from three to four years from the date of payment. This means overpayments outside that window cannot be recovered, making prompt action important. Our team tracks filing deadlines across jurisdictions to ensure claims are submitted within the applicable window.Does Revenew charge upfront fees for sales tax recovery?
No. Revenew’s sales tax recovery services are tied to results: we charge no upfront fees, and our fee is only collected after your refund is received. If no recovery is identified, there is no charge. You assume no financial risk by engaging our team.Which industries benefit most from sales tax recovery?
Industries with high transaction volumes, multi-state operations, or complex product and service classifications tend to see the largest recoveries. Revenew has significant experience in utilities, oil and gas, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals, where sales tax complexity is highest and the opportunity for recovery is most substantial.How is Revenew's sales tax recovery different from what our tax team already does?
Internal tax teams manage compliance, filings, and current-period tax obligations. It is a critical and demanding function. Our review is specifically focused on historical transaction analysis, exemption identification, and refund recovery. We complement your team’s work rather than replace it, and our proprietary gainIQ analytics platform allows us to review transaction volumes that would be impractical to examine manually.What information does Revenew need to begin a review?
The initial phase primarily requires access to purchase transaction data and invoices. Our team conducts the majority of the review off-site to minimize disruption. A Revenew specialist will walk your team through the specific data requirements during our initial consultation.Was there a question we didn't cover?