How does AutoFile work?

AutoFile is the name of TaxJar’s electronic filing service for state sales tax. Once you enroll, TaxJar will use the information we receive from your shopping carts to prepare and submit returns to the state, along with payments.

Learn more about how it works here.

You need to enroll in AutoFile in order for TaxJar to file your sales tax returns automatically on your behalf. Once you're enrolled, we guarantee to file on time so that you don't ever have to worry about late fees, penalties, or interest.

In this article, we explain how AutoFile works with some common FAQs:

Is AutoFile included with my monthly/annual subscription?

AutoFile is an additional service which requires completing the enrollment process successfully in order for TaxJar to file your sales tax returns in every US state. The AutoFile fee is in addition to your TaxJar subscription fee.

When you sign up for a paid subscription, you gain access to TaxJar Reports.
Your TaxJar Reports provide automated sales tax reports that break down your sales data by jurisdiction, which simplifies the process of filing manually. You can review how to confirm your enrollment in AutoFile here and we show you how to enroll here.

Why do I need to enroll in AutoFile?

AutoFile is an additional service, and enrolling lets TaxJar know that you're interested in having TaxJar file your sales tax returns rather than manually filing them yourself.

We are not able to complete this enrollment for you. Submitting the enrollment form requires confirmation that the information you provide us is accurate and that you authorize us to file on your behalf after you're enrolled successfully.

Once enrolled, you do not need to enroll again for the same state unless you specifically request to cancel AutoFile.
To help you prepare, we've gathered every requirement you need to enroll in AutoFile for every state.

What is the pricing for AutoFile?

The AutoFile fee varies depending on your TaxJar plan.
Annual subscribers have the option to purchase sets of prepaid AutoFile bundles at an additional discount.

TaxJar Starter AutoFile pricing		TaxJar Professional AutoFile pricing
Pay as you go $30/filing		Pay as you go $35/filing
25 bundle* $625		25 bundle* $750
50 bundle* $1,250		50 bundle* $1,500
100 bundle* $2,500		100 bundle* $3,000
Unlimited* $6,000		Unlimited* $7,500

You can also view your plan's pricing details for AutoFile in your AutoFile Dashboard
You can learn more about how to purchase AutoFile bundles here.

We provide more information on how much AutoFile costs here.

I'm enrolled, what's next?

Once you're successfully enrolled in our AutoFile service, TaxJar will use the transaction data we receive from your Linked Accounts to prepare and submit returns to the state, along with payments.

Our AutoFile service supports exempt or reduced taxability. Please follow these instructions to make sure your reports properly reflect your sales.
As we explain here, AutoFile is based on the Expected Sales Tax Due Report and the total we expect to file will be based on the estimate you see in the Expected Sales Tax Due Report

AutoFile is built on system-automated deadlines because we guarantee your sales tax return will be filed by the state's due date.

When you are successfully enrolled in AutoFile, you will receive an email notification when your AutoFile return begins processing.
If you need to make any changes, please pause your return immediately. We discuss the timeline and deadlines for AutoFile in this article.*
If no changes are required or your filing has been resumed, then your sales tax return will be submitted automatically to the state.
You can view a copy of the sales tax return filed by our AutoFile service in your Filing History. Learn more about Filing History here.

* Sales tax returns that have been submitted via AutoFile cannot be stopped or paused.

When will my sales tax return be filed by AutoFile?

Our system currently begins processing returns on the 1st day of the month the return is due. Though we can't predict in advance the exact date your return will be filed, we guarantee that if you are enrolled in our AutoFile service, your return will be submitted and confirmed by the state's due date.

You will not be able to choose the date that your return is filed by AutoFile, nor the date that your account is debited by the state.

You'll also receive an email notification on the first when your AutoFile return begins processing and at that time, it will be marked as Filing Soon on your account's AutoFile Dashboard.

Once you receive this email, you'll need to make sure that you add all additional sales data into TaxJar and make sure the funds are available in your account for the state to debit.

If the state is marked as Ready to Schedule or Filing Soon on your Dashboard, you will still be able to request to Pause or Skip your current AutoFile return and we show you how to do this here.
After two days, the filing state will be marked as Ready to File, In Progress, Submitted or Complete on your account's AutoFile Dashboard, which means that no further changes will be allowed to the Report's data.

If you mark transactions as wholesale/exempt or categorize products in the Exemptions tab after the state's status is marked Ready to File, In Progress, Submitted or Complete on your account's AutoFile Dashboard, those changes will not be applied to returns in that status.

If you import new transactions (via a cart connection, CSV or API) while the Filing Status is marked as Ready to File, In Progress, Submitted or Complete on your account's AutoFile Dashboard, those additional transactions will not be included in any return in that is Ready to File, In Progress, Submitted or Complete on that Dashboard. Those transactions will be included in the return for the next filing period, but will not be included in the current return.

The state will typically debit your bank account when the Filing Status is marked Ready to file, In Progress, Submitted or Complete on your account's AutoFile Dashboard, but because the debit is controlled by the state's DOR, we cannot predict the date they will withdraw the funds from your account.

If funds are not available when the state attempts to debit your account, you will receive a nonpayment notice from the state and you will need to contact the state directly to make arrangements for a new debit attempt.

If you see a status of "Issue" on your AutoFile Dashboard, please reach out to TaxJar Support for more detail regarding your return.

Do I need to remit payment to the state?

No. We will debit your payment account for the amount you owe on your sales tax and remit directly to the state. We provide more details in our AutoFile banking FAQ here.

What states does AutoFile support?

We can AutoFile your state sales tax returns in every US state, except Alaska.

We do not support filing outside of the US. We like to keep track of which areas people need AutoFile the most, so shoot us an email at support@taxjar.com and let us know which country you’d like to see.

What if my state offers a discount for on-time filing?

Many states offer money-back for filing on-time. Other sales tax solutions keep this on-time filing reward for themselves, but TaxJar does not. Some AutoFile users find that this discount often covers the extra cost of AutoFile for them.

We have more information here regarding our AutoFile service.

AutoFile email notifications

When you are successfully enrolled in AutoFile, you will receive an email notification when your AutoFile return begins processing.

You will receive one single email summarizing all your AutoFile filings.

We listened to our customer's feedback about receiving too many emails (one per state) so we've streamlined these notifications for your enrolled states into one email to review.

This email will no longer include the "Estimated Tax Due" amounts for each of your filings.

This keeps your financial details more secure and private.
You can view the Estimated Tax Due amounts on your AutoFile Dashboard within your account.

Pausing AutoFile returns will need to be requested directly within your TaxJar Account.

If you need more time to review your filing or makedatachanges, you can initiate this process using the "Pause an AutoFile" request button on your AutoFile Dashboard.
We walk you through the steps to request to Pause an AutoFile return here.

If I sign up for AutoFile and there is no tax due for a state, do I still get charged the AutoFile fee?

Yes. Once you register to collect sales taxes in a state, the state will require you to continue filing sales tax returns based on the frequency they've assigned you, whether you made any sales during that period or not.

TaxJar will file these sales tax returns on your behalf until you inform us that you wish to cancel your AutoFile enrollment. Because we do incur costs for filing these returns, the usual AutoFile fee will apply to zero returns.

Do I have to use AutoFile?

No, you do not have to use AutoFile to use TaxJar!

You have the option to file manually on your own or to enroll in AutoFile (an additional service) in order to have us file for you.

Keep in mind that your TaxJar Reports subscription allows TaxJar to compile your transaction data into clear, concise Sales Tax Reports that are updated each day. In these Reports, you can see your sales broken down with the details the state would like to see when you file your returns.

We do not submit the details from your Reports to a state unless you specifically request that we do so by enrolling in our AutoFile service for each individual state where you'd like us to do file on your behalf.
If you do not enroll in AutoFile, you are responsible for filing your own returns with the states.

Can TaxJar AutoFile my return early if I close my business?

At the moment, TaxJar's AutoFile service does not support filing a sales tax return earlier than your state-assigned filing frequency's due date.

If you'd like to file returns before your state-assigned due date, please contact support@taxjar.com to request we remove AutoFile enrollments.

You'll also need to make sure that you work with the state directly to manually file any remaining sales tax returns.

We strongly recommend reaching out to the state directly regarding closing your business and canceling your sales tax registration. The state will confirm the period for the last return they are expecting you to file when you close your sales tax account.
If you wish to allow TaxJar to AutoFile your sales tax return, we discuss marking your return as final in more detail here.

Do I need to enroll in AutoFile every month?

Once you have been successfully enrolled in AutoFile for a specific state, you will not need to re-enroll in the following months.

Please review these details if you are unsure if you are enrolled in AutoFile.
If you need to enroll in AutoFile, we show you how to enroll here.

Does TaxJar offer AutoFile for all FBA warehouse states?

Yes --you can enroll in TaxJar AutoFile in all 45 US states with a sales tax.

Find out more about how to enroll in TaxJar AutoFile.

Do I receive copies of all returns filed on my behalf?

Because the return information is submitted electronically, we don’t send in hard copy paper returns to the state.

You also may not see a record of an AutoFile return listed inside of your state e-file account the same way you'd see a record of a return you had filed manually.

However, once your return is filed, you'll receive an email notification that shows you the amount paid to the state.

You can also view a confirmation number (if we received a confirmation number from the state) on your AutoFile enrollments page under "Filing History."

You can also view and download a copy of the return information we submitted to the state for your AutoFile in your TaxJar account's Filing Histor y to retain for your records.

Returns filed via AutoFile (after April 2017) will show a downloadable copy of the return that was submitted next to the "AutoFile by TaxJar" icon on your Filing History page:

Filed via AutoFile by TaxJar

Does TaxJar offer AutoFile for all FBA warehouse states?

Yes. You can enroll in TaxJar AutoFile in all 45 US states with a sales tax.

Why is the amount TaxJar AutoFile filed different than estimated?

Before we AutoFile your sales tax returns, we send you an email estimating how much we will file. In some cases, this number changes between the time we send that email and when we file your return. This can happen for a number of reasons, but the most common reasons are:

We imported more sales data that affected your return
- We automatically imported more sales data from your online shopping carts and marketplaces
- We imported refunds that affected your totals
You uploaded more sales data via .CSV
Rounding issues - some states require that we round sales tax totals up or down and this sometimes leads to slight discrepancies in what we predict vs. what we file

If you’re still unsure why the amount TaxJar filed was different from what you expected, contact us at support@taxjar.com and we’re happy to help.