Small Business Taxes

State and Local Tax (SALT) Issues for Small Business Owners

Updated 2025-10-28

Understand nexus, apportionment, sales/use tax, and multi‑state filing traps that trip up growing small businesses.

  1. Nexus: physical & economic
  2. Apportionment basics
  3. Sales & use tax
  4. Filing considerations

Nexus: physical & economic

Employees, inventory, warehouses, or sales thresholds can create tax obligations in a state.

Apportionment basics

Many states use formulas based on sales, payroll, and property to apportion income across states.

Sales & use tax

Different product and service categories are taxed differently; marketplace facilitators may collect on your behalf.

Filing considerations

Register before collecting, file on schedule, and reconcile marketplace reports with your books.