Tackle Tax Compliance Like a Pro

Payments to suppliers, contractors, and other types of payees or partnerships come with a variety of tax obligations, which differ depending on factors like the payee’s status, the nature of the services, and the country in which the transactions take place.

The following are some of the key tax obligations that businesses may need to consider when making payments to these entities:

Withholding Taxes
For suppliers and contractors, companies may be required to withhold a portion for tax purposes. Tax codes will differ based on the region and tax compliance processes.

• Independent Contractors: Organisations may have to report payments for services provided. However, direct withholding is not typically required.
• Non-resident Withholding Tax: Payments to foreign contractors may trigger withholding tax obligations from that region’s tax department. This process ensures that taxes are collected from non-residents who earn income within a country.

Goods and Services Tax (GST), Sales Tax, and Value-Added Tax
When making payments to suppliers, companies may be obligated to pay or collect consumption tax. Regulations include:

• Sales Tax: For U.S. businesses, sales tax must be paid on the purchase of certain goods and services. Typically at the point of sale.
• GST/HST: In Canada, companies may be required to pay the Goods and Services Tax.
• VAT: In Europe and other regions, businesses may need to charge VAT on sales and remit it later on.

Cross-Border Payments and Transfer Pricing
Payments to foreign suppliers may trigger cross-border tax obligations. This trigger is especially the case concerning transfer pricing rules.

• Transfer Pricing: Payments between related entities in different countries must adhere to certain principles to prevent profit shifting. Transfer pricing ensures appropriate taxation in each tax jurisdiction, keeping tax authorities happy.
• Tax Treaties: Double taxation treaties between two countries may reduce withholding tax rates or clarify which country has taxing rights over specific payments.

Self-service supplier management offers myriad benefits that enhance accuracy, improve relationships, and streamline operations. Here are some of the key advantages:

Precise Data Accuracy
When new suppliers manage their own onboarding process, the likelihood of data entry mistakes decreases. Suppliers are vested in ensuring their data and all information are accurate.

Real-Time Access from Anywhere
Vendors can access a self-service portal at any time, from anywhere. They can check on invoice status, payments, and orders in one place.

Better Supplier Relationships
Companies can build stronger, more collaborative relationships by providing suppliers with tools and templates to manage their own data.

Vendors will always appreciate the transparency, quality management, and attention to detail. Their autonomy will lead to increased trust and satisfaction.

Improved Reporting and Analytics
Self-service supplier portals often come with built-in tools for reporting and analytics.

These solutions provide valuable insights into supplier scorecards, transaction histories, and spend patterns, helping companies make informed decisions, increase sustainability, and optimize their supply chain.

Greater Compliance and Security
A self-service portal and supplier management system often include features that ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations.

Additionally, these finance modules provide secure environments for suppliers to submit sensitive information, reducing the risk of data breaches.

Additional Benefits

• Increased efficiency and less workload
• Improved communication and collaboration
• Faster dispute resolutions
• Significant cost and labor savings
• Easily scale to accommodate more suppliers

Tipalti supports IRS-compliant tax reporting at year-end by automating collecting, validating, and filing tax forms. This ensures businesses comply with U.S. tax regulations, reduce manual errors, and avoid penalties.

Here’s how Tipalti facilitates IRS-compliant tax reporting:

Automated Tax Form Collection
Tipalti automatically collects the right tax forms (e.g., W-8, W-9) from suppliers, contractors, and other payees during onboarding. The system determines the correct form to collect based on the payees’ country of residence and tax classification.

Validation of Tax Data
Tipalti integrates with the IRS’s Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) matching service. The TIN matching service integration helps validate the accuracy of the TINs provided by U.S. payees. It also ensures that the tax identification numbers submitted are correct, reducing the risk of mismatches that could trigger IRS penalties.

Year-End Tax Form Generation
At the end of the year, Tipalti generates IRS-compliant tax forms, including:

• Form 1099: For reporting payments to U.S. individuals and contractors.
• Form 1042-S: For reporting payments made to foreign entities or individuals subject to withholding.

IRS E-Filing
Tipalti is a compliance platform that can electronically file forms directly with the IRS, reducing the need for manual tax return filing. Our solution streamlines the workflow of submitting the required forms, ensuring compliance with IRS deadlines.

Additional Ways Tipalti Supports Year-End Filing

• Batch filing for bulk tax forms
• Automated withholding calculations
• Apply relevant tax treaty benefits
• Compliance alerts and notifications
• Global tax compliance

Tipalti handles tax form validation and verification by automating the collection, validation, and verification process for various tax forms. The validation ensures that the data provided by payees is compliant with tax regulations.

Here’s how:

Real-Time Validation
Tipalti validates the data provided by payees in real time. As payees fill out their tax forms, the system checks the data for completeness and correctness, reducing the chances of missing or inaccurate details that could lead to compliance issues.

Automated Tax Form Collection
The system collects the necessary tax forms from suppliers and other payees during onboarding. Based on the payee’s residency and tax classification, Tipalti determines the type of tax form they will need to complete.

Error Notifications
It automatically flags the issue if the system detects invalid or incomplete data, such as incorrect or missing information on a tax form. These notifications prompt the payee or the AP team to correct the information before payment processing.

Withholding Tax Calculations
Based on the verified tax data, Tipalti will automatically calculate the applicable withholding tax rate for payees. For some payees, this includes applying the correct rates for reporting. Tipalti applies withholding taxes for international payees based on the relevant tax treaties.

Additional Ways Tipalti Handles Tax Validation

• Securely store all tax forms and verification data
• Comprehensive audit trail of all tax form submissions
• Any required withholding taxes are applied according to tax authority guidelines

Tipalti collects the necessary payee data, executes your global payments, and produces tax preparation reports to save you time complying with the EU’s DAC7 reporting obligations for digital platforms.

DAC7 features can be enabled alongside Tipalti’s IRS and international tax capabilities for seamless multijurisdictional tax compliance in a single solution. The solution is also suitable for compliance with the UK Platform Operators Regulations.