Indirect Tax Recovery
Overpaid taxes drain your cash flow — but most businesses don’t even realize they’re leaving money on the table. At BlancPeak, our CPA team specializes in indirect tax recovery, identifying past overpayments and securing refunds while ensuring compliance moving forward.
Why Indirect Tax Recovery Matters
Sales and use tax, excise tax, and other indirect taxes are prone to errors. Misapplied exemptions, overreporting, or incorrect classifications can quietly cost your business thousands every year. Unfortunately, most companies don’t discover the issue until it’s too late.
Our CPAs conduct detailed reviews of your past filings, purchases, and exemptions to uncover opportunities for refunds. We also implement stronger compliance processes, so you don’t continue overpaying in the future. Indirect tax recovery not only boosts cash flow but also strengthens your overall tax position.
What’s Included
Review of past sales, use, and excise tax filings
Identification of overpayments and refund opportunities
Documentation and support for refund claims
Process improvements to prevent future overpayments
CPA oversight for compliance and audit readiness
We Help With
Overpaid sales or use tax on purchases
Missed exemptions due to poor documentation
Errors in classification of goods or services
Failure to claim credits or refunds on time
Lack of visibility into multi-state indirect taxes
Explore More Sales & Specialized Tax Services
Indirect tax recovery is part of a broader compliance strategy. Explore other services in our Sales & Specialized Tax category:
- Sales & Use Tax Compliance — accurate filings across states
- Nexus Discovery & Compliance — identify and manage multi-state obligations
- Audit Sampling & Compliance Review — defend your business during audits
- Excise & Property Tax Compliance — specialized compliance for industry-specific taxes
- Sales Tax Exemptions Review — ensure exemptions are valid and defensible
FAQs: Indirect Tax Recovery
A CPA helps you avoid overpaying taxes and build a strategy that supports your financial goals. Here’s what you need to know about tax filing, planning, and audit representation —whether you’re in New York or anywhere in the US.
What is indirect tax recovery?
Indirect tax recovery is the process of identifying and reclaiming overpaid taxes — including sales tax, use tax, excise tax, and other non-income taxes. It involves reviewing past transactions and filings to uncover errors, exemptions, or missed credits that can generate refunds.
How do businesses end up overpaying indirect taxes?
Overpayments often occur due to misclassified purchases, missing exemption certificates, or simple filing errors. In multi-state operations, the complexity of varying rules makes overpayment even more common. Without regular reviews, these mistakes can go unnoticed for years.
How far back can I claim refunds for overpaid taxes?
It depends on the state. Most states allow refund claims for three to four years, though some may vary. Acting quickly is important — the longer you wait, the more potential refunds you lose due to statute limitations.
Will filing for refunds increase my chances of an audit?
Not necessarily. While refund claims may attract additional scrutiny, having CPA-prepared documentation significantly reduces the risk. We prepare claims with full supporting evidence to ensure they are defensible and compliant.
Is indirect tax recovery worth it for small businesses?
Yes. Even small businesses often uncover meaningful refunds, especially if they operate across states or industries with frequent exemptions. Beyond refunds, the process improves compliance and prevents future overpayments.
