Get started with AvaTax for Communications

Complete the Set-up Questionnaire sent to you by your salesperson and email it back to Avalara.

• You'll obtain your AvaTax for Communications environment and credentials. Be sure to check your spam or junk folder for your credentials email.
• Credentials must be activated within 24 hours or they will expire.
• You might have one set of credentials for testing purposes, and another set for production.

Participate in the welcome call that your Implementation Consultant schedules for you. To prepare for the call:

• Ensure that all the people involved in the project are available for the call (for example, project manager, software developer, finance representative, tax personnel, and so on).
• Have your "go live" date in mind.
• Read about how the Tax Engine calculates taxes.
• REST API developers should review the REST v2 API documentation and prepare questions.
• Geo for Communications users should review the Geo documentation and prepare questions.
• Be ready to discuss complex issues with the Avalara team.

With your implementation consultant, set up information for your business:

• Set up company profile information, including all related companies and FEIDs.  
• Work with Avalara teams to map your product codes.
• Define tax exemptions and exclusions.
• Determine any rate overrides (an additional fee).
• Provide any services that will be bundled
  • Your Implementation consultant will verify any customer exemptions through the API. 
  • Verify that bundle rates have been clearly defined for the API.
• Receive a confirmation email from Avalara stating that your exemptions, overrides, and bundled rates are completed.

(Note: You will need user documentation provided by Avalara to identify and document bundles, Transaction/Service pairs with bundles and the % needed for creating the bundle file.)

Begin building your integration API.

• For detailed steps, select the link for your implementation:
   
  • Get Started with SaaS Pro - REST API v2  
  • SaaS Standard

Send a test transaction using your sandbox account. 

• Create a series of test transactions to verify that Transaction/Service rates, exemptions, overrides, and bundle rates have been appropriately applied and are calculating as expected.
• Troubleshoot any issues that might arise during the end-to-end testing.  Reach out to your Implementation Consultant if you need assistance with this testing task.

Contact your Implementation Consultant and let them know when you're ready to roll out.

• Configure the API to point to the production environment.
• Send some test transactions to make sure you receive the expected results in production.

• If you are already filing returns, we will request previously filed returns, a tax filing calendar, and login credentials, which can all be completed in the Onboarding Document.
• If you are not already filing returns, we will request data to determine where you are currently collecting and what tax types are coming through the data.

• The compliance cycle, funding request, the Compliance Portal, and the general return preparation process.
• Do you need Avalara to register on your behalf?
• The Implementation Consultant will help determine a tentative Go Live date based on your current compliance status.

(Optional) If needed, we will prepare the registrations via PDF for your approval. 

• Registrations will be prepared by your Implementation Consultant and mailed or completed online. Implementation Consultant will contact your with any questions.
• If the registration requires payment, the registration is sent to you to remit and mail. 
• You will receive a summary document which will include the return, notes, fees, and filing method. 
• Your Implementation Consultant will monitor your registration summary document and wait for your certificates.
• After certificates are received, your Implementation Consultant will coordinate a block of time to test the login credentials (this must occur while authorization codes are still valid).