Fee reference
Sales tax software hidden fees
Last updated
What “hidden” means on this page
One narrow definition, applied identically to all 8 platforms: a charge that exists and that the vendor does not put a number on. Not “expensive”. Not “deceptive”. A vendor can publish every fee it charges and still be the priciest option in the category, and the disclosure scores below are ordered independently of the cost ranking for exactly that reason.
Every cell below is built from a recorded field with a source, so this page cannot say a vendor hides something the data does not support. Where nothing is recorded, the cell says so rather than guessing.
Which vendors publish a number, and for what
Four disclosures, scored over the ones that apply to each vendor. This is a transparency measure and not a price measure, and the two orderings are different.
A cell counts as published only when a number exists, not when the vendor says it publishes one. “Claimed, no figure” is a vendor whose own pricing page addresses the fee without putting an amount on it, and it scores as unpublished. “Not charged” means the fee does not exist in that vendor's pricing model, so it is excluded from the denominator rather than counted as a disclosure. The publisher of this site is scored by the same rule, which is why it is not at four out of four.
| Platform | Filing fee | Registration fee | Overage rate | Implementation fee | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kintsugi | Published | Published | Not charged | Published | 3/3 |
| TaxCloud | Published | Published | Claimed, no figure | Published | 3/4 |
| Numeral | Published | Published | Not charged | Not published | 2/3 |
| TaxJar | Published | Published | Claimed, no figure | Not published | 2/4 |
| Sphere | Not charged | Not charged | Claimed, no figure | Published | 1/2 |
| Avalara | Not published | Published | Not published | Not published | 1/4 |
| Anrok | Not charged | Not charged | Not published | Not published | 0/2 |
| Zamp | Not charged | Not charged | Not published | Not published | 0/2 |
How many charges exist without a published number
Counted across the 10 fee categories on this page. A higher number means more charges the vendor levies or offers without saying what they cost, not a higher bill.
- Avalara
6
of 10 categories
- Anrok
3
of 10 categories
- TaxCloud
3
of 10 categories
- Zamp
3
of 10 categories
- Kintsugi
2
of 10 categories
- Numeral
2
of 10 categories
- Sphere
2
of 10 categories
- TaxJar
1
of 10 categories
Both ends of that list need care. A low number can mean genuine disclosure, or it can mean a vendor that does not offer the service at all and so has nothing to disclose, which is why the category tables below keep “not charged” and “unpublished” apart.
Every fee category, vendor by vendor
Per-state filing fee
The charge that turns a cheap subscription into an expensive year. Twenty states filing monthly is 240 returns.
| Avalara | Unpublished$48 per filing reported by third parties, nothing published by the vendorThe vendor does not publish a per-filing rate. Where its published plans bundle returns, this figure does not apply to them. | Source ↗ |
| Kintsugi | Published$75 per filing | Source ↗ |
| Numeral | Published$75 per filing | Source ↗ |
| TaxCloud | Published$20–$33 effective, sold as an annual filing tierPay-as-you-go without a filing subscription is $45 per filing. | Source ↗ |
| TaxJar | Published$50 per filing | Source ↗ |
| Anrok | Not chargedIncluded in the rateFilings are included in the per-market fee. Anrok's pricing page states there are no per-filing charges. | |
| Sphere | Not chargedIncluded in the rateFilings are included in the flat $100/region/month fee on Starter. No per-filing surcharges. Growth tier terms are not published. | |
| Zamp | Not chargedIncluded in the rateNo per-filing fees. Zamp's positioning explicitly attacks per-filing pricing as 'hiding risk.' All filings (including Colorado and Alaska home-rule jurisdictions) are bundled into the subscription with no per-state or per-city surcharge. |
Per-state upcharges
Some states cost the vendor more to file, and some vendors pass that through. Colorado home-rule cities and Louisiana parishes are the usual culprits.
| TaxCloud | PublishedCO +$60, LA +$30, WA +$45CO: Home rule cities require additional local filings. LA: Parish-level filing complexity. WA: Washington B&O is billed as a separate filing and is not covered by SST | Source ↗ |
| Anrok | UnknownNone recorded | |
| Avalara | UnknownNone recorded | |
| Kintsugi | UnknownNone recorded | |
| Numeral | UnknownNone recorded | |
| Sphere | UnknownNone recorded | |
| TaxJar | UnknownNone recorded | |
| Zamp | UnknownNone recorded |
Per-state registration fee
A one-time cost per state, paid at onboarding when you are least able to compare. Ten new states can cost more than a year of subscription.
| Avalara | Published$403 per stateState permit fees are passed through on top. | Source ↗ |
| Kintsugi | Published$75 per stateState permit fees are passed through on top. | Source ↗ |
| Numeral | Published$150 per stateState permit fees are passed through on top. | Source ↗ |
| TaxCloud | Published$249 per stateState permit fees are passed through on top. | Source ↗ |
| TaxJar | Published$299 per stateState permit fees are passed through on top. | Source ↗ |
| Anrok | Not chargedNot separately pricedRegistrations included in the per-market fee. State permit fees may pass through. | |
| Sphere | Not chargedNot separately pricedRegistrations included in flat region fee. State-level permit fees may pass through (debited from customer's account). | |
| Zamp | Not chargedNot separately pricedRegistrations included in subscription. State permit fees may pass through (not Zamp's fee). |
Overage above the included volume
The rate that decides what a good quarter costs you. It is the least-published number in the category.
| Anrok | UnpublishedApplies (per unit), rate not publishedAnrok discloses that Starter customers with high transaction volumes may be charged additional fees to cover third-party costs. Neither the volume threshold nor the rate is published. | |
| Avalara | UnpublishedApplies (per unit), rate not publishedThe plan page states no transaction limit and no included-return count. Avalara's general pricing language still says cost factors include transaction volume and integration footprint, so overage behavior at this list price is undocumented. | |
| Sphere | UnpublishedApplies (per unit), rate not publishedNo transaction-based fees below 50,000 transactions across active regions. Above that threshold, per-transaction fees apply; rates not publicly disclosed. | |
| TaxCloud | UnpublishedApplies (per unit), rate not publishedOrders exceeding tier billed at the tier's per-order price. An exemption certificate order counts as 2 orders; an API calculation or rate lookup counts as 1/10 of an order. SST member state orders do not count toward allotment for SST-enrolled customers with no physical nexus in those states. | |
| TaxJar | UnpublishedApplies (flex fees), rate not publishedWhen monthly orders exceed the subscribed tier, customer is billed the difference between their tier and the next tier up for that month only, then auto-returns to original plan. | |
| Zamp | UnpublishedApplies (upgrade required), rate not publishedFree tier provides one-time analysis only. Ongoing filing or remittance requires the U.S. or U.S. + Canada plan. | |
| Kintsugi | Not chargedNo overage concept in the model | |
| Numeral | Not chargedNo overage concept in the model |
Per-transaction or basis-point fee
A charge on volume rather than on work done. It grows with the business whether or not compliance got harder.
| Avalara | UnpublishedApplies, rate not publishedPer-transaction overage rates apply when monthly volume exceeds contracted tier. Specific rates not publicly disclosed and vary by customer. | |
| Sphere | UnpublishedApplies, rate not publishedPer-transaction fees only apply above the 50,000-transaction-per-month threshold across active regions. Specific overage rate not publicly disclosed. | |
| Anrok | Not chargedNone | |
| Kintsugi | Not chargedNone | |
| Numeral | Not chargedNone | |
| TaxCloud | Not chargedNone | |
| TaxJar | Not chargedNone | |
| Zamp | Not chargedNone |
Implementation and onboarding
A one-time number that is easy to leave out of a comparison and hard to find out before a contract.
| Avalara | Unpublished$2,500–$50,000 reported by buyers, nothing published | Source ↗ |
| Anrok | Not chargedNone on record | Source ↗ |
| Kintsugi | Not chargedNone, stated on the pricing page | Source ↗ |
| Numeral | Not chargedNone on record | Source ↗ |
| Sphere | Not chargedNone, stated on the pricing page | Source ↗ |
| TaxCloud | Not chargedNone, stated on the pricing page | Source ↗ |
| TaxJar | Not chargedNone on record | Source ↗ |
| Zamp | Not chargedNone on record | Source ↗ |
Credit card surcharge
A percentage added for paying by card rather than ACH. Rare in this category, and easy to miss until the first invoice.
Contract term and exit
Not a fee until you want to leave. Then it is the only one that matters.
| Anrok | Publishedmonth-to-month or annualStandard SaaS terms. | Source ↗ |
| Avalara | Publishedannual or multi-year, multi-year discountedAnnual or multi-year contracts with early termination penalties; specific terms vary. Cancellation reportedly difficult, with customers reporting auto-renewal traps. | Source ↗ |
| Kintsugi | Publishedmonth-to-monthNo long-term contract lock-in per pricing page. Implied month-to-month. | Source ↗ |
| Numeral | Publishedmonth-to-monthNo long-term contract. Clients pay month to month when filing taxes and/or registering. | Source ↗ |
| Sphere | Publishedmonth-to-monthMonth-to-month, no long-term contract required. | Source ↗ |
| TaxCloud | Publishedmonth-to-month or annualStandard SaaS terms; no early termination penalties on month-to-month. | Source ↗ |
| TaxJar | Publishedmonth-to-month or annualUpgrade, downgrade, or cancel at any time per pricing page. | Source ↗ |
| Zamp | PublishedannualNot publicly disclosed. Typical SaaS terms assumed. | Source ↗ |
Optional extras with no published price
Named services and gated features a vendor offers without saying what they cost. Individually small, collectively the difference between a quoted price and an invoice.
| Anrok | Unpublished1 unpriced: High-volume third-party fee (Starter)Anrok: 'On the Starter plan, sellers with high transaction volumes may be subject to additional fees to cover 3rd party fees we may incur.' No threshold or rate published. | Source ↗ |
| Avalara | Unpublished3 unpriced: ERP connector fees; Premium features add-ons; Early termination fees. Priced: License Guidance $119Connectors for SAP, Oracle, NetSuite, and other enterprise ERPs priced separately from AvaTax. Many maintained by third parties, not Avalara directly. Per Vendr data, ERP connectors are a major source of contract expansion. Advanced reporting, multi-company management, custom integrations priced separately per Vendr buyer data. Multi-year contracts reportedly carry early termination penalties; specific terms vary by contract. | Source ↗ |
| Kintsugi | Unpublished2 unpriced: Error insurance; SSO & advanced reportingListed as a Premium plan feature; presumably covers penalties or interest from filing errors. Specific coverage limits not published. Premium plan only. Common gate point for enterprise customers. | Source ↗ |
| Numeral | Unpublished1 unpriced: Exemption certificate management (50+ certificates)First 50 certificates free; custom plans for 50+. Specific pricing not published. | Source ↗ |
| TaxCloud | Unpublished1 unpriced: Guided onboarding (optional)1-on-1 guided onboarding available for an additional fee. | Source ↗ |
| Zamp | Unpublished1 unpriced: Zamp CommitmentZamp covers customer-incurred penalties or interest resulting from Zamp calculation or filing errors. No additional charge; included in the subscription. | Source ↗ |
| Sphere | Not chargedNone recorded | |
| TaxJar | Not chargedNone recorded |
Back-filing and voluntary disclosure
Cleaning up prior exposure. Almost always sold as a service on top, and almost never priced in public.
| Anrok | UnpublishedVDA and back-filing offered, no published price | Source ↗ |
| Avalara | UnpublishedVDA and back-filing; $1,500 per return reported by a buyer, nothing published | Source ↗ |
| Kintsugi | UnpublishedVDA and back-filing offered, no published price | Source ↗ |
| Numeral | UnpublishedVDA and back-filing offered, no published price | Source ↗ |
| TaxCloud | UnpublishedVDA and back-filing offered, no published price | Source ↗ |
| Zamp | UnpublishedVDA and back-filing offered, no published price | Source ↗ |
| Sphere | Not chargedNot offered | |
| TaxJar | Not chargedNot offered |
What to ask before you sign
Six questions, covering the categories where the data most often runs out. Get the answers in writing, in the order of magnitude they matter.
- What is my rate above the included volume, per unit? The least-published number in the category and the one that decides what a good quarter costs.
- Which states carry an upcharge, and how much? The states recorded with an upcharge anywhere in this set are CO, LA, WA. Ask about those by name.
- What does a new state registration cost me, all in? Separate the vendor's service fee from the state's own permit fee, which passes through.
- Is there an implementation or onboarding charge, and is it waivable? It is free or unrecorded at most vendors in this set, and five figures at the enterprise end.
- What is the term, the notice window, and the renewal uplift? Auto-renewal with an undisclosed uplift is the fee nobody lists as a fee.
- What do back-filings and a voluntary disclosure cost? Offered by most, priced publicly by none, and usually needed exactly when you are least able to shop around.
See it in a real bill
The calculator applies every fee above that a vendor publishes, and says so when it cannot apply one because the rate is not public.
Frequently asked questions
- What hidden fees do sales tax software vendors charge?
- The costs that do not appear on a sales tax software pricing page are per-state filing fees, per-state registration fees, overage rates above the included volume, per-state upcharges for home-rule and parish jurisdictions, implementation and onboarding, back-filing and voluntary disclosure work, credit card surcharges, and contract term and early-termination language. Across the 8 platforms tracked here, checked against 10 fee categories, the platforms with the most charges that exist without a published number are Avalara (6 of 10), Anrok (3 of 10), TaxCloud (3 of 10), Zamp (3 of 10). Publishing a fee is not the same as charging less. Disclosure score and cost rank are different orderings, and this page reports only the first.
- What is the most commonly hidden fee in sales tax software?
- The overage rate above the included volume. Of the 8 platforms tracked here, 6 have an overage concept in their pricing model and 6 of those do not publish the rate. It is the number that decides what a strong quarter costs you, and it is the one you are least able to negotiate after signing. Two platforms have no overage concept at all, which is a different thing from not publishing one, and the category table below keeps them apart.
- Which sales tax vendors publish the most about their fees?
- Scored on four disclosures, filing fees, registration fees, overage rates and implementation fees, counting only the ones that apply to each vendor and only where an actual figure exists: Kintsugi 3/3, TaxCloud 3/4, Numeral 2/3, TaxJar 2/4, Sphere 1/2, Avalara 1/4, Anrok 0/2, Zamp 0/2. A vendor whose pricing page addresses a fee without naming an amount scores as unpublished, including the publisher of this site. Publishing more is not the same as charging less, and this page keeps the two questions separate.
- Are there per-state surcharges in sales tax software?
- Yes, at some vendors. Colorado home-rule cities and Louisiana parishes require additional local filings that cost more to prepare, and some vendors pass that through as a per-filing upcharge in those states. Recorded on this site: TaxCloud (CO +$60, LA +$30, WA +$45). Where no upcharge is recorded, that means none was found in public sources, not that none exists.
- Do sales tax software vendors charge to cancel?
- 6 of the 8 platforms here publish month-to-month terms, where leaving carries no contractual penalty. The 2 that do not are Avalara and Zamp. Avalara sells multi-year terms, which usually means an early-termination clause. Read your own paperwork rather than a comparison page for this one, because the term and the notice window are what actually bind you.
- Does the publisher of this site charge hidden fees?
- TaxCloud, which operates this site, charges something unpublished in 3 of the 10 categories checked, and it is the only vendor in the set with a published credit card surcharge. It also offers guided onboarding "for an additional fee" without publishing the fee, which is exactly what this page defines as hidden. All of it is in the tables above, computed the same way as every other row.