9.4 Sales Tax Adjustments and Settle and Post Sales Tax
Key Takeaways
- Sales tax amounts can be inspected and manually adjusted on the Sales tax transactions form before an invoice is posted.
- Settle and post sales tax closes a settlement period, moves payable and receivable balances into the settlement account, and can generate the authority payment.
- The Original payment version settles the period the first time; Latest corrections picks up transactions posted into an already-settled period.
- Running the process in Update mode posts the settlement; running without update produces a report only.
9.4 Sales Tax Adjustments and Settle and Post Sales Tax
Quick Summary: Managing indirect and direct taxation extends beyond transaction calculation to periodic closing, adjustments, and statutory remittances. In Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance, the periodic Settle and post sales tax routine clears accumulated Sales Tax Payable and Sales Tax Receivable balances and generates a net vendor payable to the tax authority. In parallel, organizations must handle line-level manual sales tax adjustments, configure Withholding Tax (deducting taxes at source from vendor payments), and govern US 1099 Vendor Reporting through box mapping and retroactive transaction update routines.
1. Sales Tax Inspection & Manual Adjustments During Entry
Prior to posting journals, sales orders, or purchase invoices, accounting users frequently need to inspect calculated tax amounts or manually adjust tax figures to reconcile subtle penny-rounding discrepancies with supplier paper invoices.
Accessing and Inspecting Sales Tax Details
From any document header or line (e.g., Vendor Invoice Journal > Lines, Sales Order > Sell tab, Vendor Invoice), click the Sales tax button in the Action Pane.
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| Sales Tax Transactions Inspection Form |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Sales Tax Code | Base Amount | Calculated Tax Amount | Actual Sales Tax Amount | Difference |
| -------------- | ----------- | --------------------- | ----------------------- | ---------- |
| `IL_STATE` | $10,000.00 | $625.00 | $625.00 | $0.00 |
| `COOK_CNTY` | $10,000.00 | $175.00 | $175.02 | +$0.02 |
| `CHI_CITY` | $10,000.00 | $125.00 | $125.00 | $0.00 |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| [ Reset ] -> Restores all Actual Sales Tax Amounts to Calculated Sales Tax Amounts |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Manual Tax Adjustment Rules
- Calculated Sales Tax Amount: The system-derived tax value based on active tax code percentages and marginal base settings (read-only).
- Actual Sales Tax Amount: An editable field where users can manually adjust the tax figure.
- Tolerance Controls: Manual adjustments are governed by legal entity parameters (
General ledger parameters > Sales tax > Maximum rounding tolerance). If an adjustment exceeds the configured tolerance threshold (e.g., $5.00), the system blocks posting to prevent unauthorized accounting distortion. - Reset Button: Instantly clears all manual adjustments and re-runs the standard calculation engine.
2. The Settle and Post Sales Tax Periodic Process & Payment Versions
The periodic tax settlement routine consolidates all posted sales tax transactions within a defined settlement period interval, clears the intermediate GL tax accounts, and establishes a net remittance liability against the tax authority vendor.
Navigation
- Path:
Tax > Declarations > Sales tax > Settle and post sales tax
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| Settle and Post Sales Tax Parameter Dialog |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Settlement Period: [ MONTHLY ] |
| From Date: [ 08/01/2026 ] (Auto-populated from active interval) |
| Transaction Date: [ 08/31/2026 ] (Settlement voucher & invoice date) |
| Sales Tax Payment Version:[ Original ] |
| Post: [X] Yes |
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Sales Tax Payment Versions Matrix
Understanding the four settlement payment versions is a vital MB-310 exam competency:
| Payment Version | Operational Purpose & Execution Timing | Handling of Settlement Intervals |
|---|---|---|
| Original | The primary, initial settlement run for an open period interval. | Commits the main settlement voucher and marks the period interval status as Closed. |
| Corrections | Used when transactions with retroactive posting dates were posted into an already closed period interval. | Generates a comprehensive settlement report reflecting all original plus newly backdated transactions for the period. |
| Latest corrections | Used after retroactive transactions are posted into a closed period, but reports only the net delta (difference) since the last settlement run. | Creates an incremental settlement voucher for the difference amount only. |
| Total list | Generates a consolidated audit report of all transactions across original and all subsequent correction runs without creating duplicate vouchers. | Reporting and statutory audit reconciliation only. |
3. Tax Settlement Accounting Mechanics & T-Account Flows
When the Settle and post sales tax job is posted, Dynamics 365 Finance executes an automated balancing voucher that zeros out the active tax accounts for the period:
Standard Scenario: Net Output Tax Liability Payable to Authority
- Total Output Sales Tax Collected (Payable Account
220100): $45,000.00 (Credit balance) - Total Input Sales Tax Paid to Vendors (Receivable Account
130700): $30,000.00 (Debit balance) - Net Tax Due to State Tax Authority Vendor (
V-TAX-STATE): $15,000.00 (Credit liability)
GENERAL LEDGER TAX ACCOUNTS TAX AUTHORITY VENDOR SUBLEDGER
Sales Tax Payable (220100) Vendor Account: V-TAX-STATE
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
(Dr) 45,000 | 45,000 (Open Bal) | 15,000 (Cr Invoice)
--------------------------------- ---------------------------------
Balance: $0 Balance: $15,000 Open AP Liability
Sales Tax Receivable (130700)
---------------------------------
(Open Bal) 30,000 | 30,000 (Cr)
---------------------------------
Balance: $0
Step-by-Step Authority Payment Disbursement
- Settlement Run: Generates Open Vendor Invoice
TAX-SETTL-0826in Accounts Payable for $15,000 against vendorV-TAX-STATE. - Payment Execution: Accounts Payable opens
Accounts payable > Payments > Vendor payment journal. - Payment Proposal: Creates a payment proposal selecting vendor
V-TAX-STATE. - Disbursement Voucher: Posts payment disbursement:
- Debit: Vendor Account
V-TAX-STATE($15,000.00) - Credit: Operating Bank Account
110110($15,000.00)
- Debit: Vendor Account
- Settlement Complete: All general ledger tax accounts and AP vendor balances are fully settled to $0.00.
A tax accountant settled the January monthly sales tax period using the 'Original' payment version on February 15. On February 20, an AP clerk retroactively posted a late vendor purchase invoice dated January 28 that includes $2,500 of deductible sales tax receivable. The tax accountant needs to settle this additional tax deduction to reflect the revised net tax amount owed to the authority. Which Sales Tax Payment Version should the accountant select in the 'Settle and post sales tax' dialog to post an incremental settlement voucher for the difference only?
The January sales tax period was settled on 15 February using the Original payment version. On 20 February an accounts payable clerk posts a late January vendor invoice carrying $400 of recoverable tax. How should the tax accountant bring that $400 into the tax return?