How Inkle Helped Shelf Navigate U.S. Tax Complexity

About Shelf

Shelf is an innovative open-source platform that allows individuals, teams, and organizations to track and manage their physical assets using QR code-based technology. Co-founded by Carlos Virreira and Nikolay Bonev, the company focuses on making asset management simple and effective while maintaining a long-term vision for sustainable growth. However, as a European-based company expanding to the U.S., they faced a significant challenge: navigating the complexities of U.S. tax compliance.

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The Problem

As a company with European roots, Shelf’s founders, Carlos and Nikolay, were well-versed in the European Economic Area’s tax regulations, handling everything from VAT filings to one-stop shops. However, once they expanded to the U.S., they encountered a whole new set of tax regulations, including franchise taxes and federal filings, which proved to be much more complex.

Carlos explained that while their incorporation process was solid, ensuring their business structure was secure, U.S. tax compliance was a different story. They were concerned about spending valuable time on tasks that felt out of their expertise and bandwidth. With a small team focused on growing the company, Carlos needed a tax solution that would give them peace of mind and allow them to stay focused on product development.

Carlos stated: “As founders, you want to stay close to the problem and customers, shipping features fast. Tax compliance is important but can take a lot of bandwidth. It became clear we needed a solution that would ensure compliance without sacrificing focus on growth.”

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The Solution

Carlos and his team explored several tax solutions but found many to be complicated, lacking the personalized support they needed. When they were introduced to Inkle’s Tax Product, the decision became clear. Built for SaaS founders like Carlos, Inkle provided not just a product but a sense of security. What stood out to Carlos was the ease of use, seamless support system, and the direct availability of experts when needed.

Inkle offers:

👨‍💻 Professional tax assistance tailored to SaaS businesses.

☎️ Access to a support team who can answer complex tax questions.

🚀 Automated tax filing capabilities that save time and ensure accuracy.

✨ User-friendly dashboards for real-time insights into tax status and compliance.

🧩 Integration with key platforms to simplify tax filings.

For Carlos, it wasn’t just about automating a process but also having the reassurance that they were on the right track. Knowing they had a team of experts to fall back on allowed the founders to focus on scaling their business, confident that their U.S. taxes were in capable hands.

Carlos explained: “Inkle felt like it was built by SaaS people, for SaaS people. The ability to connect with support, have experts on hand, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing our taxes were handled professionally was exactly what we needed.”

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Key Results Driven

The implementation of Inkle Tax brought immediate relief to Carlos and his team at Shelf. Some of the key outcomes of using Inkle included:

⚡️ Time savings: Inkle saved Shelf weeks of potential research, doubt, and back-and-forth discussions that would have otherwise consumed valuable time. The streamlined process freed up their schedule to focus on product development.

🙌🏼  Peace of mind: Carlos emphasized the emotional relief that came with knowing their taxes were handled by experts. Instead of worrying about missing forms or deadlines, they could rely on Inkle for timely reminders and updates.

👨‍💻 Extension of the team: Inkle became an extension of Shelf’s internal team, offering a sense of partnership that Carlos valued. This allowed Shelf to avoid hiring a dedicated tax specialist, which would have added cost and complexity to their operations.

✅ Increased confidence: With Inkle managing their tax filings, Carlos and Nikolay felt empowered to make strategic decisions without the constant concern of whether their U.S. tax filings were correct. The assurance of accuracy allowed them to stay laser-focused on their core business goals.

Carlos further explained: “For us, Inkle felt like an extension of our team. It saved us time, but more importantly, it saved us from second-guessing ourselves. We could move forward confidently with business decisions, knowing that our taxes were taken care of.”

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Final Remarks

Inkle’s tax product has had a profound impact on Shelf’s ability to manage U.S. tax compliance, helping Carlos and his team avoid the complexity and stress of navigating U.S. tax regulations, saving weeks of manual work and uncertainty, and allowing them to reallocate time and energy to product development and scaling the company. For Shelf, Inkle has become more than just a tax solution—it’s a strategic partner enabling confident operations in the U.S. market. The ease of use, ongoing support, and seamless integration have provided a foundation for smoother operations, allowing the team to stay focused on their core mission of creating an organized and empowered future for asset management. Shelf’s journey with Inkle highlights the importance of having the right tools for tax compliance, especially for international founders navigating unfamiliar tax environments. With Inkle, startups like Shelf not only stay compliant but also gain peace of mind, time savings, and the ability to scale confidently, knowing their tax needs are in expert hands.