Article
Managed Sales Tax vs DIY: Zamp, Numeral and Kintsugi
By the AI Tools for Accounting team ·
The short version
Managed sales tax services combine software with people who register, prepare returns, remit payments and resolve agreed exceptions. DIY software leaves more of those tasks with your team. Zamp, Numeral and Kintsugi all advertise automation, but the practical comparison is who owns each task, what costs extra and who handles notices. This is a cited research roundup, not hands-on testing or a ranking [1][2][3][4].
What are you outsourcing?
Separate calculation, nexus monitoring, registration, filing, remittance and notice response. A free monitoring plan is not a filing service. Ask who reviews exceptions, approves returns, provides funds and checks state portals. Your engagement letter should assign those tasks; buying automation does not make source data complete.
Zamp: a quoted managed-service scope
Zamp describes its service as a team: "We register, file, remit, and answer the state." Its managed-service page says "You review and approve. We prepare, file, and follow up." It advertises specialist reconciliation, dedicated contacts, state notice response and audit support. These are vendor claims, not independently verified service outcomes [2].
Zamp publishes a Free plan with a one-time nexus assessment, taxability review and consultation. Paid U.S. and U.S. + Canada plans require a quote; no fixed paid dollar price was published on the checked pricing page. Zamp says pricing depends on nexus, jurisdictions, entities and systems, and advertises no per-transaction fees. Obtain a written scope rather than assuming all historical work is included [1].
Zamp's vendor-reported Commitment says it covers penalties or interest resulting from a Zamp-managed calculation or filing. Confirm agreement terms, exclusions and audit representation scope before relying on it [1][2].
Numeral: per-filing pricing with a concierge service
Numeral lists free Monitoring, including physical and economic nexus monitoring and exposure alerts. Professional costs $75 per filing and $150 per registration; its FAQ describes the registration fee as one-time per state. It says standard U.S. filings have no setup or onboarding fee and standard accounts are month-to-month [3].
Professional advertises registration, filing and remittance, a virtual tax mailbox, AI product classification, exemption certificate management and a concierge team of sales tax experts. These are vendor-reported features. Do not mistake per-filing pricing for a fully DIY workflow: Numeral describes an expert-backed service. Its advertised guarantee is "Your sales tax will be filed on time, or we'll pay your penalties and interest charges." Confirm the actual agreement and notice-handling duties [3].
Kintsugi: distinguish Starter from managed Scale
Kintsugi publishes Free at $0 and Starter at $75 per action in the U.S. and Canada. It defines an action as a registration, filing, back filing, re-file, amended return or deregistration completed for you. Starter advertises filing autopilot where supported and a virtual tax mailbox [4].
Scale and Premium have custom flat monthly pricing. Scale advertises real-time invoice tax calculations and says "Our team handles the ops work for you"; Premium adds VDA management, API and SDK access and advanced exemption certificate management. Kintsugi says paid plans are month-to-month, except back filing and VDA work on Premium is contracted annually. All are vendor-reported terms [4].
The important notice distinction: Kintsugi explicitly says "on every plan you keep an eye on your own state and provincial portals." Scale and Premium handle notices you forward. Its vendor-reported Guarantee applies to Scale and Premium, not Starter, and covers penalties or interest from its calculation or filing errors, subject to the agreement [4].
Compare the work, not just the sticker price
For an illustrative ten U.S. returns and two new state registrations, Numeral's listed unit prices imply $1,050. If those same twelve tasks are qualifying Starter actions, Kintsugi's listed unit price implies $900. This is arithmetic, not a quote, a tax payment estimate or an all-in cost comparison; calculation services, historical cleanup, notice work and negotiated scope can differ. Zamp and Kintsugi Scale and Premium require quotes [1][3][4].
Keep more work in-house when your team can own reconciliations, deadlines and notices. Request managed-service proposals when those tasks consume more capacity than you can reliably staff. For every proposal ask:
- Which entities, countries, integrations and return types are covered?
- Who checks state portals and answers notices, and within what response window?
- Who approves a return and ensures remittance funds are available?
- Are amended returns, back filings, voluntary disclosures and audit support included?
- What errors does the guarantee cover, and what must you do to qualify?
- What data can you export on cancellation?
FAQ
Is a free nexus monitor enough to file sales tax? No. The vendors' free tiers focus on monitoring or assessment; registrations, filings and remittance require paid services. Zamp Free is a one-time assessment, not the same ongoing service as paid plans [1][3][4].
Is Kintsugi Starter the same service as Scale? No. Starter is a per-action U.S. and Canada service. Scale is a quoted monthly plan with tax operations and forwarded-notice handling. The Guarantee is listed on Scale and Premium, not Starter; customers still monitor their portals [4].
Does managed sales tax eliminate all work for accountants? No. Even Zamp's managed-service description calls for customer review and approval. Establish source-data, approval and funding responsibilities in the contract and your internal checklist [2].
See the Zamp, Numeral and Kintsugi listings, our explainer What Is Economic Nexus? and the Sales Tax category.
Sources
- Zamp pricing (checked 2026-11-07): https://zamp.com/pricing
- Zamp managed service (checked 2026-11-07): https://zamp.com/feature/managed-service
- Numeral pricing (checked 2026-11-07): https://www.numeral.com/pricing
- Kintsugi pricing (checked 2026-11-07): https://trykintsugi.com/pricing
Last checked: 2026-11-07