Understanding economic nexus and its impact on your business

Economic nexus is a tax collection obligation imposed on companies that have a certain level of economic activity within a state. Unlike nexus that’s based on physical presence, economic nexus is based entirely on sales revenue, transaction volume, or a combination of both. Like many sales tax laws, economic nexus criteria vary by state, but all aim to level the playing field between non-collecting out-of-state sellers and brick-and-mortar businesses. 

On June 21, 2018, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of the state in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. This ruling allows the state to begin taxing remote sales via their economic nexus laws. Since the ruling, more than 40 states enacted economic nexus laws of their own.

Prior to this ruling, states could only enforce a tax collection obligation on businesses that had a physical presence in the state, such as a brick-and-mortar location or remote employees. While the physical presence standard still exists, nexus laws were expanded to include a sales tax obligation based on a certain level of economic activity within the state, including sales revenue, transaction volume, or a combination of both. Like many sales tax laws, economic nexus criteria vary by state and by the type of tax.