Avalara doesn't provide what's promised in their contracts
We used Avalara to track, file, and remit state and international sales taxes.
Starting at $21 per month
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What is Avalara?
Avalara AvaTax connects to the software that businesses already have and delivers sales tax decisions based on precise geo-location in more than 12,000 taxing jurisdictions in the U.S.
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How Avalara Differs From Its Competitors
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Popular Features
- Sales and Use Taxes (295)8.888%
- Tax Exemption Processing (201)8.383%
- Tax Data Reporting (248)8.383%
- 3rd-Party Software Integrations (223)8.080%
Reviewer Pros & Cons
Pricing
Entry-level set up fee?
- Setup fee optional
For the latest information on pricing, visithttps://www.avalara.com/us/en/products/…
Offerings
- Free Trial
- Free/Freemium Version
- Premium Consulting/Integration Services
Starting price (does not include set up fee)
- $21 per month
Product Demos
Avalara AvaTax Demo
YouTube
Features
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Product Details
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- Integrations
- Competitors
- Tech Details
- Downloadables
- FAQs
What is Avalara?
Avalara helps to make tax compliance faster,
easier, more accurate, and more reliable for 30,000+ business and government
customers in over 90 countries. Tax compliance automation software solutions
from Avalara leverage 1,200+ signed partner integrations across ecommerce, ERP, and other billing systems to power tax calculations, document
management, tax return filing, and tax content access. Visit avalara.com to learn more.
Avalara Features
Type of tax Features
- Supported: Sales and Use Taxes
- Supported: Cross-border Taxes
- Supported: VAT / GST Taxes
- Supported: Energy and Fuel Taxes
Tax Reporting & Compliance Features
- Supported: Geolocation for Tax Assessment
- Supported: 3rd-Party Software Integrations
- Supported: Tax Data Reporting
- Supported: Compliance Administration Management
- Supported: Tax Exemption Processing
- Supported: Tax Document Management
- Supported: Complex Tax Scenario Management
Additional Features
- Supported: Centralized tax management: Unifies sales and use tax calculation, document management, and returns preparation.
- Supported: Integrations: AvaTax connects with more than 700 prebuilt integrations to connect with accounting, ecommerce, POS, and other systems, plus an advanced API.
- Supported: Cloud-based: A software-as-a-service solution, AvaTax updates take effect as soon as they are deployed, helping to ensure the most current information is used.
- Supported: Exemption management: Certificates from vendors are stored electronically for access and to track expiration dates. Automatic renewal requests are sent out before certificates expire.
- Supported: Returns filing and remittance: Returns preparation and remittance in multiple jurisdictions. Avalara Returns can track and manage due dates and payment requirements, enabling users to pay returns with a single source of payment.
- Supported: Lodging: Lodging tax for hotel or rental property are managed with a solution that plugs into reservation software to deliver lodging tax calculations in real time as well as preparation, filing, and remittances of lodge tax returns.
- Supported: Communications: Tax calculations are delivered on an array of communications transactions by directly connecting to a current billing or ERP system, or to an in-house build via API.
- Supported: Beverage Alcohol: Simplified regulatory compliance for suppliers, distributors, and retailers in the beverage alcohol industry.
Avalara Screenshots
Avalara Video
Why Avalara?
Avalara Integrations
Avalara Competitors
Avalara Technical Details
| Deployment Types | Software as a Service (SaaS), Cloud, or Web-Based |
|---|---|
| Operating Systems | Unspecified |
| Mobile Application | No |
Avalara Downloadables
Frequently Asked Questions
Avalara AvaTax connects to the software that businesses already have and delivers sales tax decisions based on precise geo-location in more than 12,000 taxing jurisdictions in the U.S.
Avalara starts at $21.
Vertex, Sovos Intelligent Compliance Cloud, and Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE are common alternatives for Avalara.
Reviewers rate Sales and Use Taxes highest, with a score of 8.8.
The most common users of Avalara are from Mid-sized Companies (51-1,000 employees).
Comparisons
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Reviews and Ratings
(720)Attribute Ratings
Reviews
(1-5 of 5)Companies can't remove reviews or game the system. Here's why
September 29, 2023
The good, the bad and . . .
Currently, I am the primary user, with my manager as back-up. I do have plans to roll out the application to billing personnel in my company and to sales for tax calculation.
- Calculate real-time sales tax for invoices.
- CertCapture for managing my TEC's.
- Transaction sales tax detail.
- Local jurisdiction exemption certificates.
- Avalara online university classes are not interactive and do not provide for practice applications.
90%
9.0
78.57142857142857%
7.9
- I feel that I spend the same amount of time & energy on sales tax, but now my time is more on reconciling than getting data for returns filing.
- I do believe that with time and learning this will improve, and also when we move forward with returns filing.
- Microsoft Dynamics SL 2018
Not too difficult, Field Service module had to have custom integration built and there were several bugs to work out once we went live.
- Avalara Returns
- CertCapture
Yes, helped me reduce my returns filing calculation time and improved accuracy of returns and payments. CertCapture has eased the availability of requesting certificates and finding expired certificates.
RSM already had a connector and CCH did not; we were also using RSM for SL2018 implementation.
Nexus alerts and standard reports available to show sales & tax by state.
n/a
No
n/a
n/a
2
Accounting
1
myself
- more accurate sales tax calculations
- faster returns calculations & filing
- nexus research
- taxable/non-taxable sales by state
- sales tax registrations
No
- Price
- Product Usability
- Prior Experience with the Product
- Third-party Reviews
We were already using Avalara rate tables import and RSM as our SL upgrade 3rd party implementation vendor.
Not sure I would change it.
- Third-party professional services
RSM & Plumline
No
- bugs had to worked out once we were live that didn't come up in test
- sales tax calculations were not showing up on our invoices there were completed
- Online training
Yes, make sure to completely understand Avalara and your company. We were told we had to do a complete import of our customers by our Avalara implementation coordinator with their shipping addresses but after we went live I found our we should have only imported our customers and not the shipping addresses. I could not get the shipping addresses deleted in bulk. I was told we would have to re-do the whole import and lose some of our data for sales tax transactions and/or re-import the transactions. I can only delete shipping information on a customer by customer basis which is a pain.
Some - we have added small pieces of custom code
Yes it was relatively easy with supports assistance once we talked to the right person. We have some customization for a few local taxes.
no
No
Not cost effective for us and the support we need.
No
No, not really. I had some difficulty with Avalara in the beginning and support was difficult to obtain. I had to go above my customer service representative be get the immediate support we needed. I did attend the Avalara Crush a while after going live and I believe it was extremely important in my knowledge of Avalara. They was a lot of information I learned that I wish had been provided to me when we first implemented as what reports to use to reconcile and how to correct Avatax transactions to reconcile to my general ledger. I also think Avalara online training could be improved. The videos go too fast and don't allow for practice transactions and training materials.
- adding transactions
- running reports
- deleting information in bulk
- importing transactions, template is not user friendly
- Mircrosoft Dynamics SL 2018
yes
- File import/export
not sure, we are now on direct/live integration with Avalara in real time
Have good communication within your organization and between integration team, your company and Avalara. Get in writing exact details of who will do what and when exactly.
- Solomon 2018
- Field Service module
We had to have an RSM custom builder connector for the Field Service module; it was not part of the standard SL2018 connector.
We did not negotiate with Avalara. We were told the price for the product. We did negotiate with RSM/Plumline for the Field Service custom Avalara portion.
Yes, deal not only with your customer service representative but also their manager and make sure to get all the specific details regarding support before you go live. Ensure you have adequate date and time allotment for testing. Go live near the Avalara Crush and attend the classes on returns, reporting and reconciliations.
Yes
We were using the Avalara rate tables prior; now we are fully integrated with Avalara.
- Streamlined sales tax process
- Improved accuracy of sales tax calculations & returns
- easy way to import transactions
No
No
We are currently new with Avalara. We went live with a new web platform in April 2019. We are using it to calculate our tax on our web, but we are not entirely sure if it is working correctly for us. We have gone to Avalara University for training, but it isn't helpful to our situation. Currently, we don't see committed transactions, so we don't actually know if or even how to use it correctly.
- Has tax exceptions, such as tax-exempt holidays, already figured in.
- Training has been a difficult area for us.
- Being able to receive timely contact with our rep has been a challenge. Particularly since the Wayfair decision.
17.5%
1.8
31.428571428571427%
3.1
- Currently, from a reporting standpoint, it has not helped us.
- It is currently capturing rates we were not certain if we were calculating correctly. This is a positive for us.
- We are finally able to utilize Avalara as it was meant to be utilized, but we do have some problems.
- Microsoft D365
- CertCapture
Cert Capture has been helpful.
None at this time.
No.
No, we just added Avalara to our already existing business.
I'm not sure
We have not talked about the possibility of expanding.
We do not sell on marketplaces.
79
Avalara is working on all of our registers in our stores and on the web. We have 90+ stores. Two people in the Corporate office do the maintaining and reporting.
2
- Sales Tax Calculation
- Certificate Capture
- Cert Capture has been wonderful
- We would like to have Avalara file our returns, but that may be a 2022 project.
No
- Price
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
I would not change my evaluation process.
- Third-party professional services
RSM
No
- connection from Avalara and D365 seem to drop and only state rates calculate
- no training
No it was not.
Again, I don't use that side so it is hard for me to answer.
Some - we have done small customizations to the interface
No - we have not done any custom code
No
We have not purchased premium support. I do not feel like we should have to spend that extra money. The customer service dedicate rep we have is WONDERFUL! When I have to go to support, I feel like it takes a long time, and my problems don't really get resolved. I feel as a customer, I shouldn't have to purchase extra to get some help on a product I already pay a large amount of money for.
No
Any single time I have called my dedicated rep, I know I am going to get immediate help. She is very attentive to our needs. We recently did an acquisition, and she reached out to another rep that had more experience in doing these, walked us through the process beforehand, then on the day of, stayed on the phone with us to make sure it was done correctly. They also scheduled a follow up call to make sure everything was working well. I admired that she felt she needed a partner on this and worked to have one when the time came. I also liked that we had a "pre call" to get everything talked through and ready so that the day of, the actions were pretty seamless. Debbie Sweeney-Radice is our dedicated rep.
- Adding locations into Avalara has been pretty easy
- We struggle with reporting
- Microsoft D365
- File import/export
We did not have a smooth integration. We had high turnover on the Avalara side, so no one knew our company and responses were very slim.
- Sales Force
- Microsoft D365
This was very difficult. We were supposed to go live in 2018 and did not complete until April 2019.
I do not recall at this time.
Follow up with the company would be great. This was a big challenge for us.
No
- No upgrades
- Ease of use
No
No
February 04, 2020
Cream of the crop
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
We are using the federal terminal reporting of Avalara
- Customer Service is top notch
- Always willing to help you 100%
- Detail of the program is above and beyond
- the new e-mailing customer help desk
100%
10.0
100%
10.0
- The actual process is cut by more then 80%
- ADDS
Could not do because of the other system.
If you are at the top of the stack looking down the first one you will see is Avalara
I use their changed monthly
NA
No
na
2
Tax Department
1
None needed from a user stand point, customer service at Avalara is great
- Federal filing
- ease of use
- Tax updates
- Went to use them for sales and excise tax in multi states
No
- Product Features
- Product Usability
na
- Implemented in-house
No
Change management was a small part of the implementation and was well-handled
- training
- integration
- Online training
na
let your support do what they do best.
Some - we have done small customizations to the interface
support help me and showed me how
No - the product does not support adding custom code
na
No
No
once you get to the support team, they are great at helping you resolve all issues.
- filing
- support e-mail
- ADDS
Not able to
- File import/export
do your homework and make sure you can
- Adds
We have to create a CSV file to upload.
na
na
No
- na
- na
No
No
February 04, 2020
CertCapture
CertCapture was used by the tax department, and our company just pushed it down to the whole organization this year. It helps to store and track our customer's resale certificate in a central place and provide support for tax audit purpose.
Some Problems:
Some Problems:
- Missing certificates.
- Improper certificate forms were used by the division.
- Incomplete certificates were accepted.
- Misplaced certificates.
- Out of date certificates.
- We were able to track the number of missing customer certificates.
- We were able to identify the acceptable certificate forms.
- This product educated our division's credit manager enough to only accept the proper forms.
- The automated and customized report is needed.
80%
8.0
80%
8.0
- The time saved to obtain the resale certificate to support the tax audit.
- AS400 in-house program
not sure, our IT team is leading the integrations.
- CertCapture
management decision.
don't know.
it provides the rules across state
Not applicable
I'm not sure
TTR
not applicable to our company
50
division credit managers and tax department
no in-house support
- collect the resale certificate in right format
- storage the resale certificate in a central place
- using rate is low
- need to duplicate the resale certificate information twice - to our in-house program and CertCatpure
- storage other tax documents in addition to resale certificate
No
- Product Features
- Product Reputation
Don't know
- Implemented in-house
Change management was minimal
- it was implemented before I joined the company, so not sure
- Online training
it's very easy to follow the instructions and learn how to use the product.
Need to found it out with IT team.
Not sure as I am not a IT person.
Yes
not yet. still waiting for resolution.
this case happened before the bulk deletion function available. I need to delete a bulk of customers, but already attached with certificate. I don't want to spend so much time to delete one at a time. Contact the support and they helped to delete at their end. Saved me a lot of time.
- search
- report
- editing
- deleting
No
- AS400 in house program
i think so.
- File import/export
I don't think so.
no comments as I don't involve on the integration
- AS400, a customized program written to fit our company.
our program is in house written software.
not applicable
not applicable
- not applicable
- better performance
No
No
May 10, 2019
Avalara Power
We use Avalara for sales tax calculcations, reporting and remittance. The tax department owns the relationship with Avalara, but the IT and web platform departments work quite closely with Avalara as well. Avalara takes the challenge out of calculating sales tax for our multi-state, multi-entity retail businesses. In light of the Wayfair decision, Avalara has been a great tool to already have implemented. We have added approximately 25 states since the Wayfair decision.
- Provides up-to-date sales tax rates
- Maintains taxability rules in every jurisdiction -- assuming that you have your products mapped accurately.
- Completes the reporting and remittance process in a timely manner
- Customer service can be a challenge. Avalara tends to give you a canned answer . . . even when you tell them that you've already tried their canned solution.
- Billing can be a challenge. Review all bills from them. Verify all amounts with your contract.
- Timeliness of responses on compliance notices from states has a little to be desired. Process is very slow, even though Avalara prepares, files and remits for the majority of our sales and use tax returns.
25%
2.5
54.28571428571429%
5.4
- As a result of Wayfair, we had to begin filing approximately 7,300 sales tax returns in a year vs. 1,500 sales tax returns. And we did this without adding a headcount. We may need to add headcount in a couple of years when we are subjected to more audits, but for now, Avalara took on the extra returns and we didn't need to add a preson to our department.
- Also as a result of Wayfair and the requirement to collect and file in many new states, our transaction-based fee went up significantly , which hurts our bottom line.
- We spend a little more time researching compliance notices, since we don't actually prepare the returns (Avalara does), but it is still a much more efficient process than manually preparing returns ourselves.
- Vertex O Series
For the size of our company and the tools that we need, Avalara was priced better than Vertex or Sabrix and, appeared to be more self-suffient . . . that is more intuitive than the competition. The sales person from Vertex made us feel like we were too little for them. Avalara made us feel like we would be a valued partner from the beginning.
Wayfair has required us to increase our footprint. Without Avalara there is no way that we could have kept up with the number of new states.
Not that I'm aware.
6
Tax, Accounting and IT are the primary users of Avalara. IT helps coordinate the web team and accounting utilizes Avalara reports to prepare the journal entries for the cash tax payments. Tax is the primary user -- that sets up the product mappings, compliance calendars and runs reports for audits.
2
The people that support Avalara within our company have a solid understanding of sales tax and how it works. They have worked with various support people within Avalara to determine how to best set up rules and mappings and know how to run ad hoc queries and tests.
- Real time tax calculation
- Reports that can be generated by state/time period to support audits
- Returns are filed by the same system that calculated the tax, so all information is in one place.
- We utilize Avalara to verify tax rates for one of our lines of business that doesn't (yet) use Avalara. Just need the details of the transaction and let Avalara do the rest.
- We also obtain rate tables for our HQ state that we utilize in our Excel based use tax process.
- Use tax -- The Avalara solution to automate this sounds good . . . I just need to get the internal support for this project.
- We also have a handful of brands/entities that currently use a flat rate table from Vertex to calculate tax. This needs to change!
No
- Price
- Product Features
- Vendor Reputation
- Positive Sales Experience with the Vendor
From day one, Avalara made us feel like a true partner. They answered all of our questions and took the time to get to know us and our business -- even our very manual, custom processes. Their responsiveness during implementation was key to us getting the system in place in a timely manner and within the expectations of everyone involved.
I 'm not sure that much would have changed. We may have looked at the other vendors with a little more detail and we probably would have talked to more people about their experiences with the different services/products that Avalara offers. We didn't utilize the Avalara returns/compliance from the beginning and we truly wish that we would have started that process on day one!
- Implemented in-house
No
Change management was a small part of the implementation and was well-handled
- Determining how to map products.
- Self-taught
Very easy to learn
Don't map UPCs -- Map product categories!
Not that I can think of.
No
Transaction cost is too high. Business won't support spending more $$.
N/A
- Product mapping is very easy using the upload feature
- Running transaction reports for audits is very easy.
- Looking up filed returns can be a little cumbersome. Not all returns are on the dashboard as quickly as I would expect.
- Setting up a filing calendar can be cumbersome. A lot of information to enter!
- No
- API (e.g. SOAP or REST)
None
- We have a self-developed system that we have integrated with Avalara.
Our systems are self-deleveloped and our IT team worked with the developers at Avalara to build a custom integration. During integration we had a good experience. Sometimes it took a little longer to get a response, from the Avalara team, but we eventually always got the assistance that we needed.
None
No
- none
- none
No
No