VSTaxJar vs Stripe Tax: Sales Tax Pricing for Small Sellers
Last verified 2026-10-20. Based on vendor-published facts, third-party reviews, and practitioner reports.
Pick TaxJar if a client sells only in the US through marketplaces or carts such as Amazon, Shopify or eBay and does not bill through Stripe: Starter is $39 a month at 200 orders ($419 a year), with 2 AutoFile filings included and extras at $50. Pick Stripe Tax if the client already bills through Stripe or sells abroad: Tax Basic is 0.5% per transaction where registered, with no contract, and Tax Complete bundles registrations and filings from $90 a month on a 1-year contract. Stripe owns both, and TaxJar is Stripe Tax's US filing partner.
- US-only sellers on Amazon, Shopify, eBay or other carts
- Marketplace sellers whose platform already calculates the tax
- SaaS and subscription businesses billing through Stripe
- Businesses with VAT or GST obligations outside the US
| TaxJar | Stripe Tax | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Starter from $39/mo, Professional from $99/mo (200 orders); 10%+ off annual | Tax Basic 0.5% per transaction (no-code) or 50¢ per API transaction; Tax Complete from $90/mo |
| Pricing model | Monthly tier by order volume; AutoFile filings by credit | Per transaction, or monthly tier on a 1-year contract |
| Free trial | 30-day trial, no card | Tax Basic is pay-as-you-go with no contract |
| Best for | US-only sellers on marketplaces and carts that do not bill through Stripe | Businesses billing through Stripe, or selling into 100+ countries |
| Integrations | 20+ prebuilt integrations including Amazon, Shopify, Magento, eBay and QuickBooks Online; API on Professional | Native on Stripe Billing, Checkout, Invoicing, Payment Links and Connect; API for other processors; Shopify, BigCommerce, WooCommerce, NetSuite and TaxJar connections |
| Security | Stripe-owned (vendor-stated) | Stripe-wide SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II (annual, on request), public SOC 3, PCI Service Provider Level 1 (vendor-stated) |
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| Full profile | TaxJar → | Stripe Tax → |
Annual cost for three typical clients
Annual list prices. TaxJar figures use annual billing plus pay-as-you-go AutoFile filings beyond the included credits. Stripe Tax figures use the Tax Complete tier that covers the order count and filings.
| Client profile | TaxJar Starter | TaxJar Professional | Stripe Tax Complete |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 state, 200 orders/mo, 4 filings/yr | $519 ($419 + 2 filings at $50) | $1,069 (4 filings included) | $1,080 ($90 a month) |
| 3 states, 1,000 orders/mo, 12 filings/yr | $1,569 ($1,069 + 10 at $50) | $5,439 ($4,999 + 8 at $55) | $5,160 ($430 a month) |
| 5 states, 2,500 orders/mo, 20 filings/yr | $3,049 ($2,149 + 18 at $50) | $12,879 ($11,999 + 16 at $55) | $12,000 ($1,000 a month) |
Read the columns carefully. TaxJar Starter is built for sellers whose cart or marketplace calculates tax at checkout; real-time calculation through the TaxJar API needs Professional, so Professional is the fair comparison for a store that needs calculation. Stripe Tax Complete also includes registrations (2, 4 or 6 a year on these tiers), while TaxJar's registration service is $299 per state. Prepaid AutoFile bundles cut TaxJar's filing cost: 25 Starter filings are $1,125, or $45 each.
Stripe Tax Basic has no fixed fee and no filing: 0.5% of sales in places where the client is registered. A client with $20,000 a month of registered-state sales on Stripe Checkout pays $100 a month and files with Stripe's reports or through a partner.
Where each one fits
- Payments stack. Stripe Tax runs natively on Stripe Billing, Checkout, Invoicing and Payment Links, switched on from the Dashboard. For other processors it uses the API at 50¢ per transaction. TaxJar is aimed at businesses not using Stripe, with 20+ prebuilt integrations such as Amazon, Shopify, Magento and eBay.
- Geography. TaxJar covers US sales tax only. Stripe Tax calculates and collects US sales tax, VAT and GST in 100+ countries and monitors thresholds in all of them.
- Filing. TaxJar AutoFile files and remits US returns using included or paid credits. Stripe Tax Complete files automatically in the US (and for selected Canada and EU registrations) and routes other filings through partners; TaxJar is its US filing partner. Tax Basic does not file.
- Nexus monitoring. TaxJar includes an economic nexus checker, and Professional adds proactive nexus alerts. Stripe Tax monitors Stripe transactions against local thresholds on both plans and alerts by email and in the Dashboard.
- Liability. Neither takes on the tax liability. Stripe points sellers who want that to Stripe Managed Payments, its merchant-of-record service.
- Commitment. TaxJar is month to month or annual (10%+ off), and flex fees cover a busy month without a permanent upgrade. Stripe Tax Basic has no contract; Tax Complete requires a 1-year contract.
What this means for your clients
Most small-firm clients who ask about sales tax software fall into one of two camps. Ecommerce sellers on Amazon, Etsy or Shopify who do not bill through Stripe are TaxJar's core market, and Starter plus a few AutoFile filings is the cheapest way in the table above to get returns filed. SaaS and subscription clients billing through Stripe get calculation with no new integration on Tax Basic, and can move to Tax Complete once registrations and filings pile up. If a client needs ERP integrations or managed returns in many states, see Avalara vs TaxJar.
Before you sign
- Confirm the tool integrates with the tax software you file in.
- Ask for the SOC 2 report and data-retention terms (IRS Pub 4557), and plan for 7216 consent.
- Get per-return or credit definitions in writing. Several r/taxpros users report credit costs changing mid-contract.
FAQ
Is TaxJar part of Stripe?
Yes. Stripe acquired TaxJar, and the two remain separate products. TaxJar is also the US filing partner for Stripe Tax, so a business can calculate with Stripe Tax and file with TaxJar AutoFile.
Is Stripe Tax cheaper than TaxJar?
For small US sellers, usually not once filing is included: TaxJar Starter with 4 filings a year costs about $519 on annual billing, while Stripe Tax Complete starts at $1,080 a year. Stripe Tax Basic can cost less for low-revenue Stripe users at 0.5% of registered-state sales, but it does not file returns.
Does Stripe Tax file sales tax returns?
Only on Tax Complete, which files automatically in the US and for selected Canada and EU registrations, and through partners such as TaxJar and Taxually elsewhere. Tax Basic provides filing reports so you can file yourself.
Can I use Stripe Tax without Stripe payments?
Yes. The Stripe Tax API calculates and reports tax on payments processed elsewhere for 50¢ per transaction, including 10 calculation API calls. For a no-code setup, Stripe recommends its own payment products.
How much does TaxJar charge for filing?
Starter includes 2 AutoFile credits a year and Professional 4. Extra filings are $50 or $55 each, or $1,125 for 25 filings on Starter annual plans. State registration through TaxJar is $299 per state.
Sources
- stripe.com/tax/pricing
- stripe.com/tax
- docs.stripe.com/tax/filing
- taxjar.com/pricing
- support.taxjar.com/article/139-how-much-does-taxjar-cost
- taxjar.com/taxjar-and-stripe-tax
- taxjar.com/
- docs.stripe.com/security
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