# Shopify automated filing is ending. Here’s how to stay compliant with Kintsugi.

Canonical: https://trykintsugi.com/blog/shopify-automated-filing-ending
Published: 2026-10-19

Shopify Tax automated filing ends with December 2026 sales. See when your last return is due and how to move sales tax filing to Kintsugi without a gap.

If Shopify Tax has been filing your sales tax returns, a change is coming. [Shopify automated filing ends with sales you make through December 31, 2026](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/taxes/shopify-tax/automated-filing/filing-partners), so the next return after that will be yours to file. If you file monthly, that’s your return for January 2027 sales, due to most states in February.

The good news is that your checkout stays exactly as it is. Shopify Tax will keep calculating tax on every order and keeping your tax reports up to date. What ends is the filing and the work that comes with it: remitting payments, tracking each state’s calendar, and responding to notices that arrive in your mailbox.

In this post, we’ll walk you through three things: how to manage your first return, how Kintsugi can take over your Shopify sales tax filing without touching your checkout, and how to plan the handoff so no return gets missed or filed twice.

## When Shopify automated filing ends for your store

Your last automated return depends on how often each state asks you to file. Find your filing frequency in the table below. Any return after the one listed will need a new filer.

| How often you file | Shopify’s last automated return | Due to the state |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | December 2026 | January 2027 |
| Quarterly | October to December 2026 | January 2027 |
| Quarterly, New York | December 2026 to February 2027 | March 2027 |
| Semi-annually | July to December 2026 | January 2027 (February 2027 in Pennsylvania) |
| Annually | 2026 | January 2027 |

Exact due dates vary by state, so check each state’s schedule.

There’s one more thing worth checking now rather than in January: Shopify marks a return as Not filed if it was skipped or still had unresolved issues on its filing date, and it won’t file that return for you. Any Not filed return is your responsibility, so take a few minutes to review the filing page in your Shopify admin before the year wraps up.

## Shopify Tax keeps calculating at checkout, so you only need to replace filing

There’s no need to rebuild your tax setup. Shopify Tax will continue calculating and collecting tax at checkout at no extra cost. The only question left is who files once Shopify stops.

You have three options for filing sales tax for your Shopify store:

1. You can file yourself using your Shopify Tax reports, logging in to each state’s portal on that state’s schedule.
2. You can work with an accountant.
3. You can use a filing service that files and remits for you, just like automated filing did.

Filing yourself can work well if you’re registered in one or two states. It gets harder as that list grows, since every state sets its own frequency, due date, and portal. If you file monthly in some states and quarterly in others, you’ll be tracking a different set of deadlines each month.

## How Kintsugi handles your Shopify sales tax filing without changing your checkout

Kintsugi connects to your store through the [Kintsugi app in the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/kintsugi). The integration is read-only, so Shopify keeps collecting tax at checkout and your storefront stays just as it is. Kintsugi reads your orders, products, customers, refunds, POS locations, and shop information, then uses that data to work out what you owe in each state.

From there, Kintsugi picks up right where Shopify automated filing leaves off:

- **Filing and remitting:** Kintsugi files and remits your returns on each state’s schedule, using autofile where the state supports it.
- **Nexus alerts:** when your Shopify sales cross a state’s economic nexus threshold, Kintsugi lets you know so you can register before you owe back tax.
- **Registration:** Kintsugi registers you in new states, using autoregister where the state supports it.
- **Notices:** Kintsugi Mail gives you a virtual mailbox for state tax notices. When a notice arrives, just send it to Kintsugi and our team will take it from there.
- **Corrections and closures:** amended returns, back filings, and deregistrations are covered too, so you always have support when a return needs correcting or a state account needs closing.

Refunds sync at the transaction level, so your returns reflect the tax you actually kept rather than just your gross sales.

## How to switch from Shopify automated filing without a gap

1. **Download your Shopify filing records.** In your Shopify admin, go to Finance > Tax filing, open each return, and click Return report under Documents. Shopify keeps these available until April 30, 2027, so we recommend saving copies now.
2. **Connect Shopify to Kintsugi.** Install the Kintsugi app and get started on the Free plan. No credit card is needed, and your checkout won’t change.
3. **Confirm where you’re registered and how often you file.** Kintsugi’s Starter onboarding includes a nexus study that compares your registrations with where your sales show you owe tax. For a quick check, you can also use our nexus calculator.
4. **Set your first filing period in each state.** Using the table above and your Shopify records, identify the first return Kintsugi will file in each state.
5. **Give Kintsugi access to file.** Some states require a power of attorney or your portal login before anyone else can file on your behalf, so be sure to leave time for this step.

You don’t need to turn off automated filing. It stops on its own after your last return, and Shopify Tax keeps calculating at checkout.

## What Shopify sales tax filing costs with Kintsugi

[You can get started for free.](https://app.trykintsugi.com/?login=signup)

- Nexus monitoring across every state
- Alerts when you cross a threshold
- A historical liability audit
- Product categorization
- Address validation

When you’re ready for filing, the Starter plan is $75 per action in the US and Canada. An action is any of the following, completed for you by Kintsugi: a filing, a registration, a back filing, an amended return, or a deregistration. Starter also includes:

- Autofile and autoregister where supported
- Kintsugi Mail
- Notice handling
- Onboarding with a nexus study
- 24/7 live chat

There are no onboarding fees, transaction fees, or per-state subscriptions, and every paid plan runs month to month.

If you file in several states, the Scale plan replaces per-action pricing with one flat monthly price. Scale and Premium include the Kintsugi Guarantee: if a Kintsugi calculation or filing error leads to penalties or interest, Kintsugi pays them. [You’ll find full details on our pricing page](/pricing).

## Shopify automated filing FAQ

### When does Shopify automated filing end?

It ends after the returns covering sales through December 31, 2026. Most of those returns are due in January 2027. If you’re a quarterly filer in New York, you’ll get one more return, covering December 2026 through February 2027 and due in March 2027.

### Does Shopify Tax still calculate sales tax after automated filing ends?

Yes. Shopify Tax keeps calculating and collecting sales tax at checkout, and your tax reports stay up to date at no extra cost. Only the filing ends.

### Do I need to turn off Shopify automated filing before switching?

No. Automated filing stops on its own after your last return is filed.

### How long can I download my Shopify filing records?

Until April 30, 2027. We recommend downloading a return report for each automated return and keeping copies for your records and your new filer.

### What happens if a return shows Not filed in Shopify?

Shopify won’t file it. Download that return’s report and either file it yourself or have your new filer take care of it.

### Will Kintsugi change my Shopify checkout?

No. Kintsugi’s Shopify connection is read-only. Shopify keeps collecting tax at checkout, and Kintsugi uses your order data to monitor nexus and to register, file, and remit on your behalf.

## Connect your store before your last automated return is due

Your first return after Shopify automated filing ends is already on the calendar, and getting set up early will make January much easier. Connect your Shopify store to Kintsugi on the Free plan today to see where you have nexus and which returns are coming up next. [Then book a call with our team](/kintsugi-demo), and we’ll help you set your first filing period in each state.