Sales Tax & CAT Filing
Ohio sales tax and Commercial Activity Tax filed on time, every time. You collected it. We make sure it gets where it needs to go.
Two Different Taxes
Ohio has sales tax, which you collect from customers on taxable goods and services. The rate varies by county. Hancock County is different from Wood County is different from Lucas County. You’re responsible for charging the right amount based on where the sale happens.
Ohio also has the Commercial Activity Tax, which is a gross receipts tax on your business revenue. It’s not collected from customers. It’s paid directly by businesses with taxable gross receipts over $150,000. Different tax, different rules, different deadlines.
Sales Tax
Sales Tax
Collected on retail sales, remitted to the state monthly or quarterly depending on your volume. Rates vary by location. Miss a filing and penalties start immediately.
CAT
CAT
Based on gross receipts, filed quarterly or annually depending on your revenue. Applies to most business types once you cross the threshold. Easy to forget because it’s not tied to individual transactions.
Why It Matters
The money you collect as sales tax isn’t yours. You’re holding it for the state. When the filing deadline arrives and that money went somewhere else, you owe it anyway. The Department of Taxation doesn’t care that cash was tight or that you forgot. Penalties are automatic.
CAT is easier to ignore because you don’t see it transaction by transaction. But the state knows your revenue from other filings. Skip a CAT return and eventually a notice shows up with the tax you owe plus penalties plus interest for every quarter you missed.
The Deadline Problem
The Deadline Problem
Sales tax is due monthly or quarterly. CAT is due quarterly or annually. The schedules are different, the portals are different, and forgetting either one costs money.
The Rate Problem
The Rate Problem
Sales tax rates change when counties pass levies or let them expire. Using last year’s rate on this year’s sales means you either under-collected or over-collected. Both create problems.
What We Do
We track what you collected, prepare the returns, and file them before the deadline. Sales tax reconciled against your books so the numbers match. CAT calculated from your gross receipts and filed on schedule. You don’t have to log into state portals or remember which return is due when.
When rates change, we update them. When filing frequencies change because your volume increased, we adjust. The compliance happens in the background so you can focus on running the business.
On-Time Filing
On-Time Filing
Returns filed before the deadline, every period. No penalties for late filing, no interest charges accumulating, no notices showing up months later demanding payment.
Accurate Numbers
Accurate Numbers
Sales tax tied to what you actually collected. CAT calculated from your actual receipts. When the state has questions, the documentation is there.
Northwest Ohio’s Trusted Bookkeeping Partner
The Next Step:
A 15-Minute Discovery Call
Let's talk about your current bookkeeping situation. We'll assess your needs, outline a plan of action, and give you a clear quote.
