👉 Watch the replay: https://youtu.be/IEQHyjY0Pes?si=J6B3WkTTpzso0LBx
When accountants talk about sales tax, most describe the same struggle—rates change, rules shift by state, and every invoice feels like a potential audit risk. In this App Academy session, Avalara’s Michael Tribout shows how to stop guessing and start automating.
“We convert that address to a longitude latitude, essentially dropping a pin on that rooftop. We call it rooftop-level accuracy.”
That single statement sums up Avalara’s approach. Inside QuickBooks Online or Desktop, Avalara runs a real-time tax calculation for every invoice. It looks at three things—where you’re shipping from and to, who you’re selling to, and what you’re selling. Each line item is analyzed separately, which means firms and clients get exact rates, not estimates.
From Manual Checks to Automated Compliance
Avalara doesn’t just calculate tax. It automates the entire compliance cycle: determining taxability, validating exemptions, filing returns, and even paying the states. For firms working across multiple jurisdictions, that’s a game changer.
In the demo, Michael walks through how Avalara plugs straight into QuickBooks. Once an invoice is saved or sent, Avalara sends a “get tax” call, applies the correct rate, and records the decision for reporting. It’s a seamless loop—no spreadsheets, no double-entry.
Smart Exemption Certificate Management
Exemption certificates have always been a weak spot. Avalara’s built-in Exemption Certificate Management (ECM) system turns that pain point into a simple dashboard. Users see which certificates are valid, missing, or expiring. Before a certificate expires, Avalara automatically emails customers to renew it. Once it’s updated, Avalara marks the customer exempt and updates QuickBooks automatically.
The result? You stay compliant without chasing paperwork. And when an audit comes, your clients are ready.
Filing and Reporting Without the Chaos
Every month, Avalara runs a set filing schedule. Between the 1st and 10th, users can review reports and make adjustments. After that, Avalara locks the period, files on your behalf, pulls a single lump-sum payment, and distributes it to the right states.
At the end of the cycle, you get detailed reporting that’s ready for auditors or clients. Avalara even includes internal approval flags so multiple users can divide work by state—no one stepping on each other’s filings.
Watching Nexus Before It Becomes a Problem
Economic nexus is easy to miss until it’s too late. Avalara’s dashboard shows a live heat map of U.S. sales. As your clients near a state’s registration threshold, Avalara sends a notice at 80% and another at 100%, prompting you to register before you’re out of compliance.
Registration can be handled right inside Avalara with one standardized form that connects to state systems directly—no more bouncing between 45 different websites.
Built for Accountants, Not Just Developers
Avalara’s integrations cover QuickBooks Online (U.S.), QuickBooks Desktop (U.S. and Canada), and hundreds of ERPs. With more than 3,500 mapped tax codes, it supports everything from digital goods to construction and restaurant industries.
When asked about construction pricing in California, Michael explained that Avalara’s content constantly evolves: “Our database grows daily. If the rule exists, we probably already have it.” For restaurants, Avalara’s Davo acquisition extends support to common POS systems as well.
Why It Matters
Firms want to scale advisory services, not spend hours tracking rates and filing returns. Avalara’s message is clear—let automation handle the rules so accountants can focus on strategy.
“At the end of the day, we want to ensure that when you’re remitting sales tax to a state, they’re only getting what they deserve.”
That precision is what turns compliance into confidence.
👉 Watch the replay: https://youtu.be/IEQHyjY0Pes?si=J6B3WkTTpzso0LBx