Start with your POS system. Every product needs to be coded with the correct tax category before anything else matters. Tobacco products, alcohol, and general merchandise often have different tax treatments. If your system doesn’t separate these at the point of sale, you’re either reconstructing it manually later or hoping your tax returns are right.

For shrinkage tracking, the math is straightforward. Beginning inventory plus purchases minus sales equals what should be on the shelves. Compare that to physical counts and the difference is shrinkage. The challenge is doing the counts and running the comparison consistently.

Monthly physical counts are worth the effort. Weekly is better for high-theft categories like premium spirits or tobacco. Count everything at least quarterly at minimum. Without regular counts, you won’t know you have a shrinkage problem until it’s cost you thousands of dollars.

Separate shrinkage into categories when possible. Theft, breakage, spoilage, and receiving errors each have different implications. Customer theft might mean better security or layout changes. Consistent receiving errors point to vendor issues or sloppy check-in procedures. Knowing the cause helps you fix it. Proper inventory accounting tracks these variances so you can see patterns over time.

Your POS should track inventory in real time. When something sells, the system deducts it from inventory. When you receive a shipment, you add it. The system’s count versus your physical count reveals the shrinkage. If you’re still tracking inventory on spreadsheets or in your head, you’re guessing at shrinkage rather than measuring it.

For sales tax, Texas charges 6.25% state sales tax plus local taxes that vary by location. In The Woodlands and Greater Houston area, total rates typically run around 8.25%. Your POS needs to apply the correct rate to each category of product you sell.

Reconcile your cash drawer to POS totals daily. Liquor stores and smoke shops handle significant cash. Discrepancies between what the register says and what’s in the drawer need investigation. Small consistent shortages suggest employee theft. Large random variances suggest errors in making change or voided transactions that need review.

Keep your sales tax collected in a separate account or at minimum track it clearly. That money isn’t yours. It belongs to the state and you’re just holding it until you remit. Mixing it with operating funds makes it easy to spend accidentally and creates problems when filing time comes.

The goal is a system where your POS, inventory counts, and bank deposits all tell a consistent story. When they don’t match, you know where to look. That’s how you catch shrinkage early and make sure your sales tax reporting is accurate. Working with someone who handles business tax preparation can help you set up the right tracking from the start and avoid costly mistakes down the road.