Every state runs its own sales tax portal, return, and calendar. Most sellers file online, but the portal name, the form, and the due date change at each state line. This page collects the basics for 20 states in one table and links to a step-by-step guide for each one.
Every guide below is built from the state tax agency's own pages, and each lists its sources and the date we checked them. This is educational information, not tax advice. Confirm current rules with the state before you file.
Key takeaways
- The portal is different in every state. California uses CDTFA Online Services, Texas uses Webfile, Illinois uses MyTax Illinois, and Massachusetts uses MassTaxConnect, for example.
- Due dates cluster around the 20th, but not always. Ohio's is the 23rd, Washington's monthly return is due the 25th, and Massachusetts uses the 30th day after the period.
- You register before you can file. A state permit or account is the first step in every state. See what a sales tax permit is.
- A zero return is still a return. Each guide explains what the state expects when you had no sales for the period.
- Late filing costs money in every state. Each guide lays out the penalty rules the state publishes.
How to file sales tax online in any state
The steps are the same in every state, even though the portals differ.
- Register with the state. You need a permit, license, or account number before you can file. Registration is usually free or low cost and done online.
- Set up portal access. Most states require a separate login for the tax portal, and some require you to enroll before your first return.
- Find your filing schedule. The state assigns monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual filing based on how much tax you collect. Your registration notice controls it.
- Gather your sales for the period. Total sales, exempt sales, and the tax collected, split by location where the state asks for it. Our sales tax calculator shows current rates by address.
- File and pay by the due date. Many states apply a next-business-day rule when the due date falls on a weekend or holiday. Late returns and payments draw penalties and interest.
Filing sales tax online by state
| Guide | Portal | Return | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to file Arizona sales tax online | AZTaxes | Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT) return | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file California sales tax online | CDTFA Online Services | Form CDTFA-401 | Generally the last day of the month after the period |
| How to file Colorado sales tax online | Revenue Online | Form DR 0100 | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file Florida sales tax online | eFile and ePay on floridarevenue.com | Form DR-15 | Due on the 1st, late after the 20th of the following month |
| How to file Georgia sales tax online | Georgia Tax Center | Form ST-3 | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file Illinois sales tax online | MyTax Illinois | Form ST-1 (with ST-2) | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file Iowa sales tax | GovConnectIowa | Iowa sales tax return | Set by the schedule the Department assigns |
| How to file Maryland sales tax online | Maryland Tax Connect | Sales and Use Tax Return | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file Massachusetts sales tax online | MassTaxConnect | Form ST-9 | The 30th day after the period |
| How to file Michigan sales tax online | Michigan Treasury Online (MTO) | Form 5080 (monthly and quarterly) or 5081 (annual) | Monthly on the 20th; quarterly on April 20, July 20, October 20 and January 20; annual February 28 |
| How to file Minnesota sales tax online | e-Services | Sales and Use Tax return | Monthly on the 20th; quarterly on April 20, July 20, October 20 and January 20 |
| How to file New Jersey sales tax online | New Jersey Tax Portal | Form ST-50 | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file New York sales tax online | Sales Tax Web File | Forms ST-100, ST-101, ST-809 and ST-810 | 20 days after the period ends |
| How to file North Carolina sales tax online | NC eServices | Form E-500 (with E-536 for multi-county filers) | Monthly on the 20th of the following month; quarterly by the last day of the month after the quarter |
| How to file Ohio sales tax online | Ohio Business Gateway (OH|TAX eServices) | UST-1 | The 23rd of the month after the period |
| How to file Pennsylvania sales tax online | myPATH | Sales, Use, and Hotel Occupancy Tax Return | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file Tennessee sales tax online | Tennessee Taxpayer Access Point (TNTAP) | Sales and Use Tax Return | The 20th of the month after the period; annual returns January 20 |
| How to file Texas sales tax online | Webfile (Comptroller eSystems) | Form 01-114 | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file Virginia sales tax online | Virginia Tax business account or eForms | Form ST-1 | The 20th of the month after the period |
| How to file Washington sales tax online | My DOR | Combined Excise Tax Return | Monthly on the 25th; quarterly at the end of the month after the quarter |
Due dates in the table are the general rule. Your own schedule depends on the filing frequency your state assigns, so use the guide for your state and check the state's calendar. Our sales tax due dates page lists the rules for every state and lets you download calendar files.
Filing in more than one state
Each state you register in adds a portal, a login, a return form, and a deadline. A seller with nexus in five states has five calendars to keep straight, plus penalties when one slips.
Kintsugi monitors your sales for free so you can see where you have crossed a threshold. When you register, Kintsugi's sales tax filing software prepares and files your returns on each state's schedule and remits the payment. Filing starts at $75 per filing or registration, with no per-state subscription. See pricing or book a demo.
Related state guides
- Sales tax guides by state, for rates, nexus rules, and exemptions in every state.
- Resale certificates by state, for documenting wholesale sales.
- Economic nexus explained, for when a state can require you to register.
Filing sales tax online FAQs
Do I file sales tax online or by mail?
Most states now expect returns to be filed online, and several require it. The state guides above note where paper is still allowed and where it is not. Check the state's own rules for your filing type.
How do I know which state portal to use?
Use the portal run by the state's tax agency for the state where you are registered. The table above names the portal and links to the step-by-step guide for each of the 20 states covered.
Do I have to file if I had no sales?
In most states, yes. A registered seller usually files a return for every period, even a zero return. Each state guide explains what its agency expects.
What happens if I file late?
States charge penalties and interest for late returns and late payments. The amounts differ by state, and each guide lists the rules the state publishes, along with any way to ask for a waiver.
Can one tool file in every state?
Yes. Kintsugi files returns in the states where you are registered, using each state's portal and schedule. See the sales tax filing software page for how it works.
