POS system and accounting software for Michigan businesses
Michigan is one of the simplest sales tax states: 6% everywhere, with no local sales taxes. The complexity is elsewhere, in use tax, city income taxes and trade with Ontario. SeroPOS and SeroBooks handle all of it for businesses from Detroit to Traverse City.
Michigan, handled by Sero
One rate statewide
Michigan’s 6% sales tax applies everywhere in the state, so every location uses the same code.
Use tax tracked
Accrue 6% use tax on untaxed purchases to its own liability account in the SeroBooks ledger, so it reaches the return.
Ontario next door
SeroBooks handles CAD and USD and both Canadian and US tax, for businesses trading across the Detroit River.
Nexus in 50 states
SeroBooks watches your sales into each state, including Michigan’s $100,000 or 200-transaction test.
US payroll in SeroBooks Pro
Federal and Michigan withholding, W-2 EFW2 files and 1099-NEC slips, in the same ledger.
Grocery and convenience
Barcode scanning, per-item tax codes for exempt groceries and lot and expiry tracking.
One company, one login, three products that share their numbers
SeroPOS
The point of sale built for the rush.
Point of sale for restaurants and retail — tables, kitchen tickets, inventory, loyalty and online ordering on iPad, Android, Windows and Mac.
SeroBooks
The books, the store, the bank. One ledger.
Accounting that runs the whole business — invoicing, inventory, banking, sales tax, payroll and year-end for Canada and the United States.
SeroPayroll
Payroll for every province. Right to the cent.
Canadian payroll for all 13 provinces and territories — CPP, EI, QPP, vacation, stat holidays, remittances, T4s and ROEs.
Michigan sales and use tax: 6%, everywhere
Michigan’s sales tax is 6% statewide, administered by the Michigan Department of Treasury, and the state does not allow cities or counties to add local sales taxes. A coffee in Detroit, a jacket in Grand Rapids and a hammer in Marquette all carry the same rate. For a multi-location retailer, that removes the rate-by-store problem that states like Illinois and California create.
Michigan also has a 6% use tax, owed on taxable goods bought for use in Michigan when no sales tax was charged, such as equipment ordered from an out-of-state supplier that did not collect. Use tax is a common audit finding. In SeroBooks you can accrue use tax to its own liability account as purchases come in, so the total is ready for the return.
Restaurants, groceries and liquor
Prepared food and restaurant meals are taxable in Michigan at 6%, while most grocery food for home consumption is exempt. Soft drinks, candy and hot drinks are taxable. A convenience store or deli counter needs per-item tax codes to get a mixed basket right, and SeroPOS gives each item its own code.
Michigan is a control state for spirits: the state Liquor Control Commission is the wholesaler, and licensed retailers and bars buy through authorised distribution agents at state-set prices. Beer and wine move through private distributors. SeroBooks purchase orders and supplier records handle both supply chains, and SeroPOS keeps liquor sales on their own codes for reporting.
- Sales tax: 6% statewide, no local add-ons
- Use tax: 6% on untaxed purchases used in Michigan
- Grocery food: generally exempt; prepared food: taxable
- Economic nexus: $100,000 or 200 transactions
Detroit, Windsor and cross-border business
Detroit and Windsor face each other across the river, and many businesses buy, sell or employ on both sides. Sero is a Canadian company that built for the US from the start, so SeroBooks holds CAD and USD accounts, foreign-currency bills, Ontario’s 13% HST and Michigan’s 6% sales tax in one company file. SeroBooks for Amazon covers both Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.
For payroll, SeroPayroll is Canada-only and can run the Ontario side, while US payroll for Michigan employees is part of SeroBooks Pro at $300 a month, with federal and state withholding, W-2 files in EFW2 format and 1099-NEC slips. Detroit and several other Michigan cities levy their own income taxes, so discuss your city with us before moving payroll.
From Detroit to Traverse City
SeroPOS serves coney islands and bakeries in Detroit and Dearborn, breweries in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo, cafés in Ann Arbor and Lansing, and seasonal gift shops and restaurants in Traverse City and Mackinaw City. Summer tourism up north and a long winter make SeroPOS offline mode, demand forecasting and SeroBooks budgets practical tools.
Michigan’s economic nexus threshold is $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions into the state in the prior calendar year, and SeroBooks watches nexus across all 50 states. Sero serves Michigan remotely from British Columbia by US phone at +1 (213) 265-9014, email and in-app chat, with no Michigan office. SeroPOS starts at $29.99 a month and SeroBooks at $79.99.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sales tax rate in Michigan?
Michigan’s sales tax is 6% statewide, and cities and counties cannot add local sales taxes, so every location in the state uses the same rate. Michigan also has a 6% use tax on taxable goods bought without sales tax. SeroBooks tracks both.
What is Michigan use tax?
Use tax is 6% on taxable goods or certain services used in Michigan when sales tax was not charged, such as equipment from an out-of-state seller that did not collect. Businesses report it on their sales and use tax return. In SeroBooks you can accrue it to its own liability account.
What is Michigan’s economic nexus threshold?
Remote sellers must collect Michigan sales tax once they exceed $100,000 in sales or 200 transactions into Michigan in the previous calendar year. SeroBooks watches your sales into every state against its threshold and flags when you approach one. Marketplace sales may count differently.
Can Sero handle a business in both Michigan and Ontario?
Yes. SeroBooks supports CAD and USD, Ontario HST and Michigan sales tax in one company. SeroPayroll handles Ontario payroll, and SeroBooks Pro handles US payroll for Michigan employees. SeroBooks for Amazon covers Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. Sero is itself a Canadian company with a US phone line.
Does SeroPOS work for a Michigan convenience store?
Yes. SeroPOS supports barcode scanning, per-item tax codes for exempt groceries and taxable items, lot and expiry tracking, low-stock alerts and purchase orders. Plans start at $29.99 a month with a 14-day free trial and no contract. It runs on iPad, Android, Windows and Mac.