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State and local tax (SALT) planning often flies under the radar in strategic conversations. It’s assumed to be tactical, back-office and largely reactive — something to reconcile after growth decisions are made or expansion is underway.

But that mindset no longer serves today’s midsized businesses.

In an economy defined by shifting markets, hybrid talent models and evolving business structures, SALT strategy has moved from compliance exercise to business enabler. It’s not just about understanding where your business is now. It’s about ensuring your structure reflects where you’re going.

If your tax footprint doesn’t evolve with your business model, you’re leaving value on the table — or worse, inviting risk you didn’t see coming.

Why SALT matters more now

Capital is tight. Growth plans are cautious. Decision-making is more deliberate. As businesses adjust to prolonged economic pressure, many are rethinking their next moves: where to grow, where to pull back, how to shift operations or realign people. These decisions have real implications — and not just on your balance sheet.

They can also reshape your SALT exposure, sometimes dramatically.

We’re seeing more companies adjust physical presence, enter new states virtually, launch digital offerings or shift entity structures for tax efficiency. Each of those moves affects your state tax profile. And if that profile hasn’t been revisited recently, there’s a good chance it no longer reflects reality — or future intent.

This isn’t about overhauling your business to minimize tax. It’s about making sure your tax structure doesn’t create friction, limit flexibility or introduce risk as you execute your plans.

Structuring for where you're headed

SALT strategy should be proactive. That starts with looking ahead — not just reacting to past filings. Ask yourself:

• Are we planning to grow across state lines in the next six to 18 months?
• Will our workforce footprint change through hiring, policy or reorganization?
• Are we launching any new products or services that cross jurisdictions?
• Is there a change in ownership, funding or control on the horizon?

Each of these scenarios creates an opportunity — or a necessity — to reassess how you’re structured. Where is your value being created? Where is it being taxed? Do your current entities, registrations and apportionment methods support that future state?

Getting ahead of these questions allows you to reduce inefficiencies, identify incentives, and avoid last-minute restructuring when it’s least convenient.

Agility as a SALT advantage

One of the biggest SALT pitfalls midsized businesses face is rigidity. Organizational structures are often inherited, outdated or based on where the business started — not where it’s going. In a static environment, that might not matter much. But in today’s business climate, rigidity becomes risk.

Remote and hybrid workforces complicate nexus and withholding. Digital products shift sourcing logic. State-specific rules evolve quickly, especially as governments try to recover revenue or compete for business investment.

That’s why SALT planning today is as much about agility as it is about accuracy. Businesses need structures that can accommodate growth and change — without triggering unintended tax consequences. That includes:

• Entity design that supports regional operations.
• Flexible sourcing methods that align with service delivery.
• Real-time tracking of employee and contractor presence.
• Policies and controls to stay ahead of compliance thresholds.

If your tax team is constantly playing catch-up, it may be a sign that your strategy isn’t built for what’s next.

Pressure points we’re seeing in the mid-market

At Wipfli, we’re working with companies across industries that are encountering unexpected SALT friction. It often looks like:

• Misaligned entities, where operational expansion hasn’t been mirrored in the legal or tax structure.
• Nexus surprises, particularly from remote employees who unintentionally create filing requirements in new states.
• Missed refund or incentive opportunities, because credit programs weren’t evaluated early enough.
• Sales tax errors, especially for businesses expanding into digital products, professional services or new geographic regions.
• Audit exposure, from rapidly increasing revenue in high-scrutiny states without the right documentation or procedures in place.

In most cases, the problem isn’t a failure to follow the rules — it’s a lack of visibility and planning. These issues aren’t always apparent until a business is well down the road, at which point the cost of correction is higher, and the strategic flexibility is lower.

SALT strategy and growth alignment

The goal of SALT planning isn’t just to stay out of trouble. It’s to align your tax profile with your business priorities.

That might mean evaluating whether to register a new entity before entering a new market or whether restructuring ownership could reduce exposure in certain states. It could involve modeling different sourcing methods or understanding how a merger might impact filing obligations.

SALT strategy becomes even more valuable when tied to growth planning. For example:

• A SaaS company launching a new service in 10 states may need to shift how it sources revenue to optimize sales tax and income tax outcomes.
• A manufacturer relocating operations or opening a distribution hub may unlock abatements or credits — but only if planned in advance.
• A professional services firm moving toward a hybrid workforce may need to reevaluate compensation withholding and benefits administration across jurisdictions.

These aren't one-size-fits-all decisions. They require coordination between tax, finance, legal and operations — and they benefit from scenario modeling that balances growth, compliance and risk.

Don’t overlook the opportunity side of SALT

SALT isn’t all risk and rules. There are often overlooked advantages to structuring with state and local incentives in mind.

States regularly offer tax credits, abatements, job creation incentives, training grants, and real and personal property exemptions. But accessing those benefits usually requires early planning, clear documentation and coordinated execution.

We often see companies invest millions into new locations or business lines without realizing they could have recovered a portion through available programs — simply because no one asked the SALT team to the table early enough.

Integrated planning is the future

The best SALT strategies aren’t siloed. They’re embedded into business decision-making, brought in early and revisited often. Whether you’re preparing for growth, rationalizing your structure or entering new markets, your SALT exposure should be part of the planning conversation — not a surprise after the fact.

This requires shifting the perception of SALT from reactive to strategic. It means involving tax early in planning sessions, executive reviews and capital allocation discussions. And it means building structures that reflect not just where you’ve been, but where you intend to go.

How Wipfli can help

We help midsized businesses design and refine SALT strategies that match their growth. Whether you’re expanding, consolidating or just trying to avoid surprises, our team works with you to:

• Map your SALT footprint and assess current risk.
• Model future-state structures and tax impact.
• Structure entities and workflows to support business flexibility.
• Coordinate with legal and finance on multi-state compliance.
• Identify credits, exemptions and incentive opportunities.

If your business is changing, your SALT strategy should be too. Learn more about how we can help on our SALT services page.

Want to learn more about navigating uncertainty? See how we’re helping mid-market businesses manage the downside, prepare for the upside and build agility.