CPA for Shopify Stores: Do I Need an Accountant for My Shopify Store?

Shopify gives you good data. The judgment and filings are still yours.

• Shopify handles: checkout, order and payout reports, sales tax calculation (with Shopify Tax), and Form 1099-K for Shopify Payments when you pass the threshold.
• You still own: sales tax registration and filing in each state where you have nexus, recording gross sales and fees correctly, inventory and cost of goods sold, income tax returns, estimated tax payments, and the choice of entity.

Shopify is not a marketplace facilitator. On your own store you are the seller, so the sales tax rules in our e-commerce sales tax guide apply to you directly.

1. Payout reconciliation. We book gross sales, discounts, refunds, Shopify fees, chargebacks and reserves separately, then clear each payout to the bank. See Shopify payouts reconciliation.
2. Inventory at landed cost. Supplier cost plus freight-in, duties, tariffs and brokerage, so gross margin is real. See tariffs, landed cost and COGS and inventory accounting.
3. Sales tax nexus. We total sales by state from Shopify and your other channels and flag where you must register.
4. 1099-K reconciliation. The form shows gross payments. We tie it to the sales on your return so the IRS sees why the numbers differ. See 1099-K for online sellers.
5. Tax returns and planning. Schedule C, partnership or S corp returns, quarterly estimates, and whether an S corp election fits.
6. Financial statements. Monthly reporting for you, and statements a bank or investor will accept when you need financing.

• Your books show bank deposits as sales, so fees and refunds are missing.
• You buy inventory in bulk and expense it all when you pay the supplier.
• You import and are not sure whether tariffs belong in inventory.
• You ship to customers in many states and have never checked nexus.
• Your 1099-K is far higher than your profit and you do not know why.
• You owed a large tax bill last April that you did not plan for.
• A lender, investor or buyer has asked for financial statements.

Messy history is common. We can start with catch-up bookkeeping and move to monthly Shopify bookkeeping.

Best for: Shopify brands with inventory, multichannel sales or multi-state customers, from first-year stores to established DTC brands.

1. Free initial consultation. Tell us your channels, apps, sourcing and what is not working in your books.
2. Fees quoted upfront, in writing. Transparent, fair fees in an engagement letter before work starts.
3. Setup review. We review your Shopify reports, connected apps, chart of accounts and inventory method.
4. Clean books. Payout clearing, landed cost, and sales tax liability that ties to filings.
5. Ongoing. Monthly reporting, quarterly tax planning and year-end returns.

For the full service, see E-commerce accounting services.