Sales Tax Product Classification: Why It’s Important and How to Get It Right

Are you struggling when classifying taxable items? That's understandable; many find themselves in the same trouble, especially those new to the business.

This article aims to help business owners familiarize themselves with their products to classify them accurately. There are some useful and practical tips at the bottom of the article.

What Is Product Classification?

Product classification refers to the process of classifying goods and services according to how they are taxed under state and local tax laws.

Different products are taxed differently — some are fully taxable, some are exempt, and others are taxed at a reduced rate depending on the type of product, its use, and jurisdiction-specific rules.

Each state maintains its own rules and taxability matrices. To manage these differences systematically, products are usually mapped to a tax code — a predefined code in a tax engine or database that determines the tax treatment.

Why Product Classification Is Important?

Product classification is the backbone of accurate sales tax compliance. It determines how each product is taxed based on jurisdictional rules. It ensures businesses charge the correct amount of tax to customers.

Here are some reasons why product classification is very important.

Ensures Sales Tax Accuracy

Correct product classification allows businesses to apply the right tax rates, exemptions, or rules for each jurisdiction. This prevents under- or over-collection of tax, which can lead to legal issues or customer dissatisfaction.

Reduces Risk of Audit Penalties

Tax authorities often audit businesses to verify tax compliance. Proper classification provides a defensible position during audits, minimizing the risk of penalties, interest, or retroactive tax liabilities.

Supports Regulatory Compliance

Every state has different product taxability rules (e.g., food, clothing, digital goods). Accurate classification ensures businesses comply with complex and ever-changing state and local tax regulations.

Improves Customer Experience

Charging the correct sales tax amount builds trust and reduces disputes or refund requests. Misapplied taxes (especially on exempt items) can frustrate customers and erode credibility.

Saves Time and Resources

Accurate product classification streamlines sales tax calculations, reporting, and filing. It reduces the need for manual corrections, reclassifications, or tax adjustments during filing.

Scales with Growth

As businesses expand into new states or launch new product lines, a consistent classification system makes adapting and staying compliant across jurisdictions easier.

What Is Tax Code?

A tax code is a standardized identifier (usually a short alphanumeric code) assigned to a specific type of product or service to indicate how it should be taxed under different state and local rules.

You can think of it as a shortcut. Instead of manually defining the taxability rules for every single product you sell in every state, you assign a tax code that determines the following:

• Whether the product is taxable or exempt
• If it has a reduced rate
• If it is conditionally taxable (e.g., taxable based on how it's used)
• Special rules for particular jurisdictions

Tax codes allow businesses to apply the correct tax automatically. Aside from accuracy, it makes classification efficient because one does not need to research tax rates manually for every product and jurisdiction.

It also makes audits simpler because tax codes are well-documented. It shows how a business follows a systematic approach to tax compliance. Most importantly, it updates when tax laws change to reflect the changes.

How Tax Code Works

Tax codes are typically used within sales tax automation platforms like Avalara, TaxJar, Vertex, Sovos, or Kintsugi to automate sales tax calculations accurately. However, these tools have their own unique classification systems.

For the purpose of this discussion, let's say the tax code for clothing is CLO0123. The tax engine will automatically determine whether the item is taxable or not, depending on the jurisdiction, and apply the tax rules.

For example, clothing is generally tax-exempt in Pennsylvania but taxable at full rate in Texas. However, in New York, clothing priced under $110 is exempt, but clothing above $110 is taxable.

Automation systems use tax codes to adjust the tax based on the shipping address instead of the seller manually coding every rule that applies to the product.

However, one should note that the seller has to map the correct tax code to each product. Mismapping a tax code could result in mischarging tax.

Product Classification vs. Product Categorization

Many businesses often confuse product classification with product categorization. While it's easy to take the two as one, they are actually two different things.

Product classification is primarily about how a product is taxed. On the other hand, product categorization is about how a product is grouped for business or customer purposes.

For example, one can categorize a shirt under "Men's Clothing" and "Summer Essentials" in an online store. Product categorization will help shoppers easily look for what they need or want to buy.

In product classification, the seller has to map the shirt to a sales tax code that specifies whether it's taxable or exempt, considering the jurisdiction.

Implications of Wrong Product Classification

Product classification is essential for tax compliance because doing it wrong can affect the amount of sales tax collected, cash flow, and business operation. Additionally, it has legal repercussions.

Here's why you should classify each of your products correctly.

Regulatory Compliance

Jurisdictions perform audits to verify that companies are applying the correct tax rates. Misclassification can lead to penalties, fines, or assessments during audits.

When a product is incorrectly classified, a business might either overcharge or undercharge sales tax to customers. This creates risks of non-compliance.

Cashflow and Financial Planning

Collecting incorrect tax amounts can throw off financial projections. Businesses might find themselves owing large sums to tax authorities when they under-collect taxes.

When a business under-collects taxes due to the wrong classification, the business, not the customers, is liable for the unpaid taxes.

Damage Business Reputation

In case of over-collection of taxes, customers may complain or request refunds. The refund process can be complex and may take months. In some cases, others might file a class-action lawsuit against a business.

Tax mistakes can be a major public relations issue. It can damage the company's long-term relationship with its loyal customers and tarnish the brand image.

Audit Risks and Penalties

Wrong product classification is a major red flag during audits. When auditors notice this, they could assume there's a systematic issue, which may lead to a more comprehensive audit.

Being subjected to a comprehensive audit could be costly and take months. It could disrupt business operations and subject the company to penalties.

Tips for Product Classification For Sales Tax Complication

Misclassifying a product is a major red flag that could put a business at risk of audit. Aside from that, it could taint the company's business reputation when customers question the wrong tax collected.

To avoid the implications listed above, here are some tips when classifying a product.

Understand the Taxability of Your Products

Before assigning a tax code, research how your product is taxed in the states where you operate. For example, candy is often taxable even when food is exempt. Also, SaaS is taxable in some states but not others.

Avoid Relying on Product Titles Alone

Don't assume that a product labeled "book" is tax-exempt — it might be taxable if it's a digital eBook. Always classify based on product attributes and use cases, not just names.

Distinguish Between Similar-Looking Products

Products that seem similar may be taxed differently. For instance, supplements vs. medicine or downloaded software vs. cloud-based SaaS. So, review the tax rules for each product subtype to ensure correct mapping.

Bundle Items with Care

When selling bundles (e.g., a physical product with a digital component or service), taxability can change depending on how items are packaged and priced. So, itemize the bundle so each component can be classified and taxed correctly.

Regularly Audit Your Classifications

Products evolve over time (e.g., feature updates, format changes), and tax laws change. Set a schedule to review and confirm your classifications are still valid. You can create a classification checklist to make this easy for you.

Use a Sales Tax Automation Tool

Platforms like Kintsugi, Avalara, or TaxJar can help you auto-assign tax codes using product metadata and maintain tax compliance across multiple states. These tools update rules automatically when laws change. So you don't have to keep track of everything related to product classification yourself.

If you do not have the time to keep up with the ever-changing tax laws and audit the classifications, you can leave it to the experts. Kintsugi can do product classification accurately for you, so you can focus on your business growth.

When choosing a provider, select one that aligns with your business. Kintsugi is best for SaaS and digital products. If interested, book a demo or sign up today to experience the power of Kintsugi.