Item: Avalara
Rating: 9
Author: Verified User

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Avalara is used throughout our whole organization from shippers to salespeople. Each invoice has Avatax listed and Avatax has eased our ability to collect sales tax throughout the USA. Questions are addressed to me only as I'm the one trained on Avatax and Certcapture. It's enabled our company to feel confident collecting sales tax and there not being as many questions. Either they have a certificate or they don't. Either we collect sales tax in that state or we don't.

Pros and Cons

Contain sales certificates
Specify what's needed per customer
Notify me when we hit our sales threshold
Notify me of exemptions - errors - in customer entries

It would be nice to have support be more specific on answers as it's vague and unclear sometimes
Exemptions could be a bit more clear
Cost is high also

Return on Investment

Staffing is the same. Me. This hasn't changed but it is much more simple for me in a complex sales tax world.
I would say ROI is the fact that I'm confident Avalara charges the correct sales tax. I use to have to input this myself but now don't have to worry that the st amount is correct.
Sales tax returns are simplified by Avatax. It's nice to know they're completed and I don't have to worry about them.

Systems Integrated With

Quickbooks

Initial set up was simple but we've had many issues between Quickbooks and Avalara as they don't play well together. It would be nice if these bugs could be addressed as in the beginning we were told they would be addressed but nothing so far.

Usability

Again, to do with Quickbooks.

Additional Capabilities

Avalara Returns
CertCapture
Professional Services (nexus studies, registrations, backfiling, etc.)

Nexus studies are extremely helpful. I cannot tell you how nice it is to not have to run reports by states and just click my screen to see where we are with economic thresholds. Knowing the returns are automatically filed, even if I forget to approve, is also extremely helpful.

Likelihood to Recommend

I find, because I am the one responsible, Avalara is priceless. It's simplicity with CertCapture is what I love the best. If customer does not have sales tax certificate sales tax is then charged. It's just so easy to understand the process. I do have errors sometimes, but that's usually with my inputting of the customer information. I would say that although it doesn't affect me, that Quickbooks and Avalara don't get along well. Quickbooks is ok with Avalara, but there are some glitches, and those are truly annoying. This needs fixed ASAP. Someone should take care of those bugs!!

Thanks Avalara!!

Modules Used

Overall Satisfaction with Avalara