Overview
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.
Best Product, But Still Needs To Get Better
Avalara Review
Avalara you came along way.
Ease your tax management worries.
Avatax, make your sales tax headache easier.
Avalara- There when you need them!
Avalara - Today, Tomorrow, and into the Future
Worth every penny
My Review of Avalara
Avatax for the WIN!
Avalara is the Real Thing!
Treading Tax Waters with Avalara
Avalara product review
Ava
How Avalara Differs From Its Competitors
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Awards
Products that are considered exceptional by their customers based on a variety of criteria win TrustRadius awards. Learn more about the types of TrustRadius awards to make the best purchase decision. More about TrustRadius Awards
Popular Features
- Sales and Use Taxes (321)8.888%
- Tax Exemption Processing (220)8.383%
- Tax Data Reporting (270)8.282%
- 3rd-Party Software Integrations (244)7.979%
Reviewer Pros & Cons
Pricing
Entry-level set up fee?
- Setup fee optional
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
Features
Type of tax
A list of the different types of taxes that can be filed using tax compliance software.
- 8.8Sales and Use Taxes(321) Ratings
Software is capable of calculating and filing sales and use taxes.
- 7.8Cross-border Taxes(68) Ratings
Software is capable of calculating and filing taxes, such as customs, across countries.
- 7.3VAT / GST Taxes(59) Ratings
Ability to calculate and manage VAT and GST taxes.
- 8.5Energy and Fuel Taxes(25) Ratings
Ability to calculate and manage energy and/or fuel taxes.
Tax Reporting & Compliance
Activities relating to tax filing, reporting, document management, and exemption certificate processing.
- 8.5Geolocation for Tax Assessment(183) Ratings
Ability to use geolocation, which is more precise than zip codes, for mapping taxes to specific jurisdictions.
- 7.93rd-Party Software Integrations(244) Ratings
Pre-built integrations with various systems such as ERP, ecommerce, CRM, invoicing and billing, accounting, and procurement applications.
- 8.2Tax Data Reporting(270) Ratings
Ability to export transaction data for tax filing.
- 8.2Compliance Administration Management(207) Ratings
Ability to facilitate tax preparation, filing, and tax remittances across local, state, and federal jurisdictions.
- 8.3Tax Exemption Processing(220) Ratings
Ability to generate, track, exemption certificates from sales invoices.
- 7.9Tax Document Management(211) Ratings
Collection and storage of tax documents, especially exemption certificates, and ability to retrieve them to use for tax audits.
- 7.1Complex Tax Scenario Management(142) Ratings
Ability to automate handling of tax holidays and other anomalies.
Product Details
- About
- Integrations
- Competitors
- Tech Details
- Downloadables
- FAQs
What is Avalara?
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
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
Comparisons
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Reviews and Ratings
(746)Attribute Ratings
- 9.6Likelihood to Renew30 ratings
- 7.8Availability9 ratings
- 7.8Performance9 ratings
- 8Usability430 ratings
- 5.8Support Rating20 ratings
- 8.2Online Training4 ratings
- 8In-Person Training2 ratings
- 6.8Implementation Rating198 ratings
- 6Configurability6 ratings
- 8.3Product Scalability8 ratings
- 6Ease of integration12 ratings
- 7.9Vendor pre-sale9 ratings
- 1.1Vendor post-sale9 ratings
Reviews
(101-125 of 438)Can't get any better than this!
- Returns - There are so many! They keep us on task and compliant without us having to think twice!
- Consumer Use - By tax coding our items purchased, and where from, they are able to quickly figure out how much you owe, and if you even have overpaid!
- Support Customer Service - Their answers to questions can be short and borderline rude. However I have found with further explanation, I can get to the answer I am needing. Also with this current world of 'work at home', email is not always the best way to present oneself as you cannot hear tone of voice in an email.
Great Sofware
- Accurate sales tax rates.
- Exemption Certificate Campaigns.
- Complete and accurate sales tax return filings.
- Quicker and more knowledgeable when responding to open cases/issues.
- Improved product taxability charts.
- Updates on sales tax changes, news and legislative changes.
All Around Efficient Program
- Communicates directly with your online shopping cart so that tax exempt customers' information is stored and there is no lapse in service.
- Troubleshooting is efficient.
- Helpdesk staff are friendly and knowledgeable-- they understand that they are working with small business owners and not tax professionals.
- If a list of tax-exempt codes is available, I have not found it and the help desk has not shared it. That code is necessary for Avalara and the online shopping cart to communicate that a customer is tax-exempt.
- When I first started using Avalara I could upload documents. Now I need a higher subscription level (as in, pay more money) to do the exact same task I was already doing for years.
- The one or two issues that I had that were not resolved right away were never really resolved. Luckily, we were able to eventually figure it out, but there were one or two cases (out of many, so still a low number) that were closed without a resolution.
Avalara Benefits
- Sales Tax Calculation
- Filing Returns
- Providing Summary Data
- Customer Service
- Technical Support
Avalara has helped but needs improvement.
- Collection of data
- Producing reports
- Communication with clients
- Accuracy of returns
- Tax Notices of Delinquency received after returns have been filed
Sales Tax Compliance Simplified
- Filing Sales Tax Returns
- Correctly Calculating sales tax
- Support for voluntary disclosure agreements
- Setting up new companies
- Easier summary for monthly activity for multiple companies
Avalara is a Great Product
- Avatax
- CertCapture
- Better How To's - sometimes it doesn't give enough information.
- Responding to questions that need a response sooner than later.
- Easier training.
Avalara is Awesome for Multistate operations
- Calculates sales tax for our invoices.
- Files our sales tax returns.
- Maintains exemption certificates from our customers.
- Entering sales tax credits and other adjustments is a cumbersome process.
Great Services with Lots of Help!
- Avalara helps with personalized assistance for the VDA process.
- Avalara has webinars that help new employees get trained.
- Avalara properly runs tax to add to invoices so that is does not have to be done manually.
- Avalara helps keep a record of exemption forms.
- The only issue I have run into is usability. There is so much information in Avalara that it can be hard to find what you are looking for.
Just Getting Started
- Avalara has a good taxability matrix
- Clearer information in the taxability of service industries
Avalara Review
- Tax rate update
- Periodical informational newsletter
- Q&A tax information
Avalara Handles the Bulk of Sales Transactions with Ease.
- Organizing customer exemptions
- Calculating sales tax as orders are being written
- More than one state's exemption cannot be associated with a customer ship to.
- The sales tax information for reconciliation and review prior to filing a return can be hard to interpret, especially if there were unique adjustments.
Avalara is a Powerful Tool
- Tax calculation.
- Reporting to various state agencies.
- Tax support.
- Everything seems to be an add-on (US based support, better tax support libraries)
- Service/website/setup in general has a bit of a learning curve for non-tech people.
- Not always easy to discuss billing issues. You have to schedule appointments most of the time.
Avalara review
- Generate sales tax liability reports for each state
- Let us know when we have reached nexus for filing in a new state
- Certcapture - customer sales tax exempt forms
- Integrates with our ERP (Navision) to generate correct sales tax on customer invoices
- Responding to questions more timely (email and/or phone call)
Avalara owns this space.
I recently worked with Janay Bridges to implement SST for 5 states. She was thorough, knowledgeable, and communicative. The project was completed without a hitch.
- Accurate tax calculations
- Plethora of reporting and data importing/exporting tools
- Integration with ERP
- Use Tax integration with Sage 100
Another case needed extensive use of Avalara Tax Codes. The Tax Matrix builder is a phenomenal tool for this research.
Marketplace configuration seamlessly handled an Amazon MFN client need.
Avalara license management streamlined our compliance!
- We were their first legacy portfolio conversion client (from BLMS to ALMA). Their technical team was very responsive!
- The contract negotiation process while long, went smoothly for the most part.
- They've been receptive to our feedback on future roadmap development needs.
- Probably due to them acquiring (vs developing) the BLMS product, but we later found out one of the roadmap requests we gave them was actually already available in the system.
- Contract pricing metrics is not very user friendly (renewals, overages etc.).
Great product, easy to use. Reduce your risk!
- Easy to set up.
- Great interface.
- Pricing for larger businesses.
Good small business option
- Keeping tax rates updated.
- Providing multiple report options for creating returns.
- Sales. There is a definite disconnect between sales and what happens been you are signed up.
- Training. Having good tools for learning how to navigate your account.
- Communication. Our current account Rep, which is our third, is great, but prior ones were not. Most previous never made contact and never responded to the email. The first one was not truthful.
Tax compliance made easy
- Tax calculation
- Tax filing
- Historical data retention
- Tax consult and tax support
- Conversion to CAD
- Selecting all states as one option vs. having to list state after state individually for setups, such as for our marketplace
- Filing refund requests vs. carrying credits
- Calculate Sales Tax.
- Tax Compliance.
- Stay up to date with tax laws.
- Updating the companies accounts when they have reached a new level of filing status.
- Better follow-up from sales team.
- Tax Exemptions
- Tracking tax on all transactions
- customer service
- transitioning accounts to new account managers
- Accuracy
- Timeliness
- Completeness
- Account rep communications
- deeper assistance in registering in nexus areas
If Avalara Owns It-Try It!
- Service
- Knowledge
- Integrity
- There is a need for a centralized account manager across all products. We struggle with knowing who to speak to depending on which product we need help with.
Absolutely Fantastic tool for Sales Tax
- Nexus creation
- tax calculation
- product codes
- Adding more returns to standard service, may help other companies as well
- 1:1 Service rather than going to Customer Service every time with any issues
- Every account should have a TM assigned so we can reach out when needed.
Let Avalara take the stress out of sales tax
- Track nexus status.
- File SST returns.
- Store exemption certificates.
- Implementation - did not have much help in setting up.
- Flow of website - format changes often.