Mike Sanders is a tax technology entrepreneur with over 30 years’ experience building and scaling successful businesses. In 1998, he co-founded Tax Partners, growing it into the nation’s largest sales tax compliance service bureau before its acquisition by Thomson Corporation. In 2010, he co-founded SureTax, the first SaaS tax calculation platform tailored for the telecom and energy sectors, which was later acquired by Wolters Kluwer.

Currently as CEO and co-founder of CereTax, he leads the company’s vision and strategy, ensuring the development and delivery of a next-generation cloud-based sales tax automation platform designed to help businesses navigate complex compliance and regulatory requirements with greater accuracy and efficiency. Visit CereTax at www.ceretax.com.

Tell me a little about CereTax.

CereTax is the first tax automation solution built to take advantage of the countless technological advancements over the last decade and engineered in a way that truly transforms the way tax calculation platforms operate. We threw out the old paradigms and designed CereTax to handle the challenges many companies face with legacy solutions, from speed and scalability to dependability and throughput.

What inspired you and the team to create CereTax?

U.S. sales tax and vertically specific transaction taxes are extremely complex, varying significantly across states and even within municipalities. Some taxes apply to other taxes, adding another layer of complexity.

New opportunities emerge from needs, whether it’s the need for a new solution or alternative options when existing options aren’t sufficient. Existing sales tax solutions might not be “bad,” but they often have limitations due to their scope, age, or lack of support.

It’s been many years since a new sales tax calculation solution was introduced, and none have supported complex industries like construction, manufacturing, telecommunications, or deregulated energy. We believed we could create a platform using modern software development techniques to manage all this complexity through a flexible and robust interface.

What sets CereTax apart from other legacy tax systems?

We wanted to create a modern sales tax solution capable of managing various taxes for complex vertical markets through a single consolidated platform. We also aim to bring this solution to market with a “Value Culture” that is dedicated to serving clients with excellence.

What are the most common misconceptions businesses have about tariffs and their impact on tax liabilities?

One misconception is that tariffs are purely a customs concern. In reality, they often increase sales tax collected because they raise the selling price. Another is assuming you can pass tariffs straight to the customer without rethinking your taxability logic, in some jurisdictions, how the tariff is itemized or bundled can impact the sales tax calculation. Tariffs aren’t just a customs issue, they change the sales tax equation.

How can changes in tariff policies create unexpected compliance risks for companies?

Tariff changes can break compliance overnight. Rapid tariff changes can lead to mismatches between customs data and sales tax records. If HS codes or product taxability rules aren’t updated instantly, businesses risk undercharging tax or collecting incorrectly, both of which can trigger audits or penalties.

How is technology, such as automation or AI, shaping how companies handle tariff calculations and compliance reporting?

Automation turns tariff chaos into compliance control. Legacy systems struggle to keep pace. CereTax uses AI and automation to update in real time, deliver rooftop-accurate tax calculations, and give businesses full audit visibility and the agility needed when tariffs shift fast.

What upcoming global trade or tariff trends should businesses prepare for in the next 3–5 years?

Trade is getting greener and more regulated. Emerging tariffs and digital trade agreements will test sales tax systems’ flexibility. States may also revise taxable categories in response to global trade shifts.

If you could give one piece of advice to CFOs about aligning tariff strategy with tax compliance, what would it be?

Control, clarity, and confidence, that’s the real ROI in compliance. Fines aren’t the only risk. Outdated tax processes waste time and obscure critical data. Winning companies invest in infrastructure that delivers control, clarity, and confidence, especially when tariffs change the rules. Treat tariffs as a trigger event for reviewing your sales tax automations. The companies that stay ahead are the ones that can model the impact, adjust taxability rules instantly, and execute with confidence.

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