2018 Review of Avalara AvaTax

AvaTax from Avalara is well suited for businesses of just about any size as well as accounting professionals handling sales tax calculations and processing for clients. AvaTax, like all Avalara applications is cloud-based, so users can access the product from any location.

Integrating with more than 600 ERP, E-Commerce, Accounting, POS, CRM, and many custom systems, AvaTax supports more than 12,000 tax jurisdictions and provides complete sales, VAT, and use tax compliance.

AvaTax includes an advanced tax calculator that helps to ensure all tax rates are current. AvaTax also ensures that correct tax is applied to the correct product by accessing thousands of sales tax rules. All Avalara products are designed to be used as stand-alone applications, but offer greater functionality when used in conjunction with other Avalara applications.

Designed to integrate with point of sale, ERP, and financial applications, AvaTax works behind the scenes. The product offers address verification, checking all addresses entered into the system to verify accuracy and pinpoint data entry errors. Geolocation is also included to ensure pinpoint accuracy when calculating tax rates. Users can also manually import transactions from their third-party application directly into AvaTax using Microsoft Excel or a CSV file.

AvaTax works quickly, preparing all the necessary returns based on current transaction data. Returns can be processed as signature ready and filed by mail, or users can choose to have Avalara file returns electronically. The product will also prepare and complete an ACH transfer of any associated tax liability. Avalara updates tax data constantly, ensuring that the latest information from new rate increases to tax holidays are always available to users.

Along with sales tax compliance, AvaTax also offers complete VAT calculation for more than 190 countries. The product also supports consumer use tax and, together with CertCapture, offers complete exemption certificate management.

AvaTax provides a central console for users to manage all system activity. This console allows users to set up initial Nexus, add organizations, enter transactions, run reports, and change any setting. Avalara support personnel work with businesses to initially setup the application, ensuring that users can make any future changes if necessary. The console also displays account alerts, a tax summary, as well as access to the Avalara Help Center.

CertCapture, an optional product from Avalara offers easy management of exemption certificates. Users can upload certificate images and store them for future reference. Users may also request customers – individually or as a group – for their updated exemption certificates via email. Customers can then submit the exemption certificates using the web-based CertExpress.

AvaTax offers a solid selection of reporting options, including reconciliation reports such as Document Summary, Exemption Exposure, and Document Line Detail. A variety of tax filing reports are also available including a Tax Summary, Tax Jurisdiction Detail, Exemption Detail by Jurisdiction, and a State Summary. There is also a group of export reports available as well. All AvaTax reports can be viewed on screen, printed, or exported in a variety of formats including Crystal Reports, Microsoft Excel and Word, RTF, or saved as a PDF.

The Avalara Customer Center offers access to the Help Center, a user forum, events, Avalara University, Products & Services, and a Get Started Kit. Users can access the Find Your Home Page option from the Help Center, which helps to customize Avalara help options to the accounting software currently being used. The Help Center also offers access to system videos and Avalara Webinars. Users also have access to help and support options from the Admin Console as well.   Avalara offers toll-free product support during extended business hours and offers a variety of support plan levels that users can purchase. Users can also reach support via email or chat, or by submitting a support case directly from the website. Additional resources available include case studies and white papers, as well as a sales tax calculator.

Avalara AvaTax is well suited for companies small and large as well as accounting professionals who want true sales tax compliance automation including tax rate calculations, filing and remittance. Add on applications such as CertCapture help to automate the exemption certificate process considerably. Avalara AvaTax is available as an online subscription, with prices varying, depending on the subscription level and number of transactions processed. Avalara also offers Avalara for Accountants, which provides accounting professionals with tools and training. A Partner program for accounting professionals is also available.

2018 Overall Rating: 5 Stars