US Sales Tax Specialist

About Inkle:

Inkle is a US tax & accounting software startup based in San Francisco and Bangalore. We exclusively serve US technology startups. Were on a mission to make accounting, tax and compliance easy, scalable, affordable and on-demand for US-registered companies - using software and human services. We are a team of passionate and creative individuals who believe in the power of technology to simplify complex processes. Inkle launched in 2022, and already serves well over 500 US companies, and were growing fast. Were backed by leading global VC funds.

About the team and this role:

You will manage Inkles US sales and use tax from start to finish, handling everything from initial nexus inquiries through registration, filing, notices, and audits. This is a direct, individual role where youll define and execute how the work is done. Sales and use tax often presents initial challenges for our customers and is usually addressed only when prompted by a buyer, investor, or state notice.

Responsibilities:

• Be Inkles in-house expert on US sales and use tax, and the point of contact for customers and internal teams on the subject.
• Run multi-state nexus studies: assess economic and physical presence using revenue and transaction data, employee and contractor locations, remote workforce, inventory and fulfillment arrangements, and event or travel footprint.
• Determine taxability state by state for SaaS and cloud software, downloadable and digital goods, hardware, professional and support services, and bundled offerings, and document each conclusion against the supporting state authority.
• Assess historical exposure where nexus was triggered in earlier periods and recommend the remediation path: prospective registration, voluntary disclosure agreement, or back filings.
• Manage state and local sales tax registrations end to end, including sellers permits and related business licences, and keep the registration and filing frequency calendar current as customers grow.
• Oversee the preparation, review and filing of monthly, quarterly and annual returns across customer jurisdictions, and maintain workpapers any reviewer can retrace.
• Reconcile sales data from billing, e-commerce, payment and marketplace systems to the returns filed and to the general ledger, and resolve variances before filing rather than after.
• Own exemption and resale certificate management: collection, validation, renewal and the audit trail behind each one.
• Respond to state notices and assessments, manage sales tax audits including scoping, data requests, sampling methodology and correspondence with state auditors, and prepare penalty abatement requests where warranted.
• Advise on the sales tax consequences of business change: new products and pricing models, hiring into a new state, opening a warehouse, listing on a marketplace, or entering the US for the first time.
• Configure and maintain customer set-ups in sales tax automation software across Avalara, Kintsugi, Numeral, Stripe Tax and similar, and recognise when the tool has a determination wrong.
• Flag where the same facts create obligations beyond sales tax, including state income tax nexus, gross receipts taxes and registration requirements, and route them to the right team.
• Research legislative, rule, and sourcing changes across states, assess customer impact, and keep our internal knowledge base current.
• Build the internal playbook and train the Tax, Compliance, and other teams; review preparers work and mentor team members on sales tax fundamentals.
• Identify and drive automation of repetitive steps in the compliance cycle with our product and engineering teams.

• Bachelors degree in accounting, commerce, finance, or an equivalent field.
• 2+ years of hands-on US multi-state sales and use tax experience, in public accounting, a tax outsourcing or compliance firm, or an in-house indirect tax function.
• Demonstrated ownership of the full compliance cycle across a wide spread of state and local jurisdictions: nexus assessment, registration, return preparation and filing, notices and audits.
• Strong command of economic and physical nexus rules, exemption and resale certificate rules, and the taxability of SaaS, digital products and services across states.
• Practical experience with voluntary disclosure agreements and back-filing remediation.
• Experience configuring sales tax automation software at the taxability and jurisdiction settings level. We are platform agnostic.
• Advanced spreadsheet skills and comfort working with large transaction-level datasets.
• Strong research skills and comfort with primary sources: state Department of Revenue guidance, statutes, regulations, letter rulings and administrative decisions.
• Strong command of the English language, both written and verbal, and the ability to explain a technical position to a non-tax founder without diluting it.
• Willingness to teach. A meaningful part of this role is making the rest of the team better at sales tax.
• CPA, EA, CA or CMI (Sales Tax) qualification is preferred.
• Experience serving US startups and SaaS businesses, particularly Delaware C-corporations, is preferred.
• Exposure to adjacent state obligations such as state and local business licenses is a plus.
• Working hours: Monday-Friday, based in our Bengaluru office, youll work 12pm-9pm IST, in order to serve US customers.

• Competitive salary: Inkle offers a competitive compensation package benchmarked to local norms in Bangalore and San Francisco.
• Stock option scheme - all Inkle employees receive generous stock options with very favourable terms.
• Health insurance - all Inkle employees are covered under Group Medical Insurance policy.
• Relocation allowance - Inkle provides a one-time expense allowance to cater for moving costs when you join the office in Bangalore.
• Inkle has a very generous leave policy. This includes 1 day of Period Leave per month for all female employees.
• Inkle employees are granted 10 work-from-home days (per year pro-rated). This is on top of their leave.
• A comfortable, fun and safe office environment in the heart of Bangalore with great transport links and eateries nearby.
• All employees receive Laptops and external monitors as required.

Inkle is committed to building a diverse and inclusive culture that promotes our belief in humanity excelling when we celebrate our differences. We are an equal opportunity provider and invite applicants from all backgrounds.