---
title: "Your First Filing with TaxCloud: What to Expect"
description: "Your First Filing with TaxCloud: What to Expect"
canonical_url: "https://support.taxcloud.com/articles/your-first-filing-with-taxcloud-what-to-expect-Qdb2YmC7Kh"
md_url: "https://support.taxcloud.com/articles/your-first-filing-with-taxcloud-what-to-expect-Qdb2YmC7Kh.md"
---
# Your First Filing with TaxCloud: What to Expect

Once you're live, TaxCloud captures your transactions, builds your sales tax reports, and files your returns with each state on schedule. Your one job in the first cycle: review your reports before we file, so the numbers going to the state are numbers you've confirmed. Here's how it works.

## What happens before your first filing period?

1. **You set your integration live.** You’ve turned on tax collection, and your transactions flow into TaxCloud through the integration.
2. **Your filing period closes** at the end of the month or quarter, depending on the schedule each state assigned you.
3. **Your reports generate.** You filing report is ready on the 3rd of the following month. Reports will be finalized on the 11th, giving you between the 3rd - 11th  to confirm all transaction data (including refunds and adjustments) is present.
4. **You review.** Compare your TaxCloud reports to your own sales records. The checklist below takes about five minutes.
5. **TaxCloud files and remits.** We file your returns and send the tax you collected to each state by its due date.
6. **Your filing status updates** on the Tax Reporting page after filings complete each cycle. Check back at the end of the filing month.

## What does TaxCloud do, and what do you do?

**TaxCloud:** calculates tax on every transaction, builds your state reports, files your returns, remits payment to the states, and tracks your filing calendar.

**You:** keep your integration connected, make sure every sales channel is represented in TaxCloud, review your reports before your first filing, and keep your payment and bank details current so nothing interrupts remittance.

## How do I review my reports before TaxCloud files?

Five minutes of time, four checks:

1. **Confirm your transactions are in.** Open your Transactions page and compare order counts and totals against your platform (Shopify, QuickBooks, and so on) for the same date range.
2. **Review your pre-filing report.** On the Tax Reporting page, confirm the state-by-state totals match your own records.
3. **Check exempt transactions.** Exempt sales change what's owed, so make sure they're marked correctly.
4. **Flag anything that looks off.** If your numbers don't match, send your onboarding manager 2 or 3 specific order IDs before the filing date. Most differences have a quick explanation (gross vs. net, refund timing, exempt orders), and we'd rather sort them out before we file than after.

## Why does my filing status look overdue?

Direct-file statuses update after filings complete each cycle, which is later in the month than the due date shown on the page. So during your first cycle you may see a red indicator suggesting a deadline passed when your return is on track. If you're ever unsure whether a return was filed, ask us and we'll confirm directly.

## Why don't my TaxCloud numbers match my platform's numbers?

The two reports measure slightly different things, so small differences are normal. The common causes: gross vs. net sales, refunds importing on a schedule rather than instantly, orders counted by ship date vs. order date, and exempt or wholesale orders. For the full walkthrough, see **Understanding the Differences Between TaxCloud Tax Reporting and Your Platform's Tax Reporting**.

## Common first-filing questions

**Do I need to do anything on the state's website?** No. Once you're set up, TaxCloud files for you. If you registered a state yourself, just make sure your license details are entered in TaxCloud.

**What if I had sales before I joined TaxCloud?** Prior periods are handled separately from your regular filing schedule. Talk to your sales partner or onboarding manager and they'll walk you through the options.

**Where do I see that my return was filed?** Your Tax Reporting page shows filing status by state and period.