Tax Return Guidelines
This site is only for Avalara customers licensed for Returns Excise, AvaTax Excise and Government.
Documentation of operation, usage and release dates is confidential and proprietary information of Avalara.
Content last updated: August 30, 2021.
Some tax returns have Return Guidelines available. The guideline assists you with a summary of how the software populates the return. The guidelines are not intended to provide tax advice. They are not provided by the state, and are proprietary to Avalara.
As existing returns are revised or new returns added, additional guidelines will be released.
Display the Return Guidelines
There are 2 ways to display an Avalara Return Guideline:
- Click Tax Filing > Return Guidelines to display the document for the current return.
- If there is return guideline available, it will display on the resulting Guideline tab.
- Click the 'save' icon to download the pdf version to your computer.
- If you retain saved copies, check periodically for updates to the document.
- If not available you will see the message 'Return Guideline does not exist yet'.
- If you retain saved copies, check periodically for updates to the document.
- You can also click Tax Filing > Tax Sessions to find the guideline for a specific session.
- Click a session from the grid row and select Session Details.
- If a return guideline is available, it will show a link to display it.
Effective Date
The Effective Date printed on the upper part of each Tax Guidelines document indicates the time period that the guideline was active. This is important when you are filing a past return amendment.
Add comments
You can add your own notes on filing the return in the Guideline.
- In Session Details, click Return Guidelines.
- Click the Comments tab on the pdf view.
- Enter your notes and click Save.
- The Comment Id, Created By and Created Date will populate automatically.
- The Comment Id, Created By and Created Date will populate automatically.
- Click the Comments tab on any return guideline to check for notes, they will appear in the grid display.
View availability and updates
You can list all the return guidelines and the updated date for your subscribed returns.
- Click Reporting > Express View.
- Select Return Information from the Data Source dropdown and click Execute.
- Click the Return Guideline Updated Date column heading to sort by that column.
