Retail & E-Commerce Accounting
Tax and accounting built for brick-and-mortar shops and online sellers across Garden City and Long Island, so you can stay on top of sales tax, inventory, and margins while you focus on growing.
Retail runs on margins, and margins run on the numbers.
Whether you run a storefront on Long Island or ship orders nationwide from a spare room, the difference between a profitable year and a stressful one usually comes down to a handful of details: where you owe sales tax, how you value inventory, and whether your books actually reflect what each channel is earning. JRH & Associates works with retailers and online sellers throughout Garden City and the surrounding area, and we keep the financial side clean so you can make decisions with confidence.
Reviewed by James R. Hurley, CPA · June 2026
Sales tax nexus and multistate filing
Sales tax is the issue that trips up more sellers than any other. The moment you create nexus in a state, physically through a location or inventory, or economically by passing that state's sales threshold, you take on the duty to register, collect, and file there. For an online seller shipping across the country, that can mean obligations in a dozen states at once, each with its own rules and deadlines. We track where you have crossed thresholds, get you registered where you need to be, and keep the filings current so a surprise notice never derails your year.
Marketplace facilitator rules
Most states now require marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, and Etsy to collect and remit sales tax on the orders they process, which takes a real burden off sellers. The catch is that those rules often do not cover your direct sales through your own website, and you may still need to register and file even when the platform collects. We map out exactly which channels and states you remain responsible for, so nothing falls through the cracks between your marketplace and your own store.
Inventory valuation and cost of goods sold
For a product business, cost of goods sold is usually the single largest deduction, and it flows directly from how you track inventory. We help you account for beginning inventory, purchases, and ending inventory, choose a valuation method such as FIFO or weighted average, and tie it all back to what you are actually selling. Done right, this gives you an accurate read on margins throughout the year, not just a number you piece together at tax time.
Bookkeeping across platforms and 1099-K reconciliation
Selling through Shopify, Amazon, and eBay means sales, fees, refunds, and payouts land in different formats, and the cash that hits your bank is already net of platform fees. We connect your channels and your bank activity, reconcile each platform back to gross sales, and break out the fees, shipping, and refunds so your books tell the truth. We also reconcile your 1099-K against your actual sales so the figure the IRS sees matches what you report. Explore our full range of services to see how the bookkeeping fits with tax prep and planning.
Margins, cash flow, and entity structure
Healthy retail is a cash-flow game: inventory ties up money before a single sale, and slow seasons can squeeze even a profitable store. We help you watch margins by product and channel, plan for the cash you need to reorder, and time your purchases and tax payments so you are never caught short. As profit grows, an S-corp election can reduce self-employment tax by splitting your income between a reasonable salary and distributions, and we run those numbers for you. Book a free consultation and we will look at your structure together. We also work with restaurants and manufacturing and wholesale businesses with similar inventory and margin challenges.
Every way you sell to customers.
Boutiques & Shops
Brick-and-mortar retailers on Long Island managing inventory, point of sale, and local sales tax.
Online & DTC Brands
Direct-to-consumer stores on Shopify and their own sites navigating multistate sales tax and margins.
Amazon & Marketplace Sellers
Sellers on Amazon, eBay, and Etsy reconciling payouts, fees, and marketplace facilitator tax.
Multichannel Retailers
Businesses selling in-store and online at once, tying every channel into one clean set of books.
"The fastest way for an online seller to get into trouble is to ignore sales tax until a state sends a notice. Economic nexus means you can owe tax in places you have never set foot, and the rules shift state to state. Get ahead of it early and it is just a line item; wait, and it becomes back taxes, penalties, and a lot of stress."
James R. Hurley, CPA Founder & President, JRH & Associates Common retail and e-commerce tax questions.
You generally have to collect sales tax in a state once you create nexus there, which can happen physically by having a location, employees, or inventory, or economically by passing a sales threshold. Most states set economic nexus at 200 transactions or 100,000 dollars in sales into that state in a year, though the numbers vary. Once you cross the line, you have to register, collect, and file in that state. For online sellers shipping nationwide, this can mean obligations in many states at once. We help you track where you have crossed thresholds and keep your filings current.
In most states, marketplace facilitator laws require platforms like Amazon, eBay, Etsy, and Walmart to collect and remit sales tax on the sales they process for you. That covers a large share of marketplace volume, but it does not always cover your direct sales through your own website or other channels, and you may still need to register and file returns even when the marketplace handles collection. The interplay between marketplace and direct sales is where mistakes happen, so we map out exactly which channels and states you are responsible for.
Cost of goods sold is what you paid for the products you actually sold during the year, and it is one of the largest deductions a retailer takes. Calculating it correctly means tracking beginning inventory, purchases, and ending inventory, and choosing a valuation method such as FIFO or weighted average. Getting this right matters because it directly drives your taxable profit and the value sitting on your balance sheet. We set up inventory accounting that ties to your platforms and gives you an accurate margin picture all year.
Selling across several platforms means sales, fees, refunds, and payouts arrive in different formats and on different schedules, and the deposits that hit your bank are net of platform fees. Good bookkeeping reconciles each channel back to the gross sales and breaks out the fees, shipping, and refunds so your books reflect reality. We connect your platforms and bank activity, reconcile your 1099-K against your actual sales, and give you clean financials you can trust for taxes and decisions.
As your store becomes consistently profitable, an S-corp election can reduce self-employment tax by letting you take part of your income as a reasonable salary and part as a distribution that is not subject to that tax. It is not the right move for every seller, and it comes with payroll and filing requirements, so the savings have to outweigh the added complexity. We run the numbers against your actual profit and growth plans and help you choose the structure that keeps the most money in your pocket.
Keep more of what your store earns.
Schedule a free consultation and we will review your sales tax exposure, your inventory and books, and the strategies that can lower what you owe.