Monthly tasks to maintain sales tax compliance
There are no guarantees that you won't get audited, so you need to be prepared for when the taxman comes calling. We've gathered resources for specific tasks you should complete each month to help you remain sales tax compliant. For each section below, there are videos and guides so you can choose how you want to learn.
It's a best practice to be aware of the common risks of sales tax compliance and what could potentially trigger an audit. These videos help you learn the basics:
| Step | How to be ready | AvaTax | CertCapture | Returns | Avalara Account |
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| 1. Stay up-to-date on tax law changes - AvaTax maintenance updates | On the first day of every month, we perform a maintenance update to our service based on tax law changes. All changes are summarized in the AvaTax maintenance guide. Find the latest maintenance updates for taxing jurisdictions, rates, boundaries, reporting levels, and tax rules. |  |
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2. Resolve tax notices - manage tax notices |
A tax notice is a notification from a tax jurisdiction informing a tax account holder of a requirement, adjustment, or error involving their tax account. | |
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3. Manage exemption certificates - exempt customers from sales tax |
To remain sales tax compliant, you need to collect and store exemption certificates . There are a number of different ways to exempt customers from sales tax with AvaTax, but CertCapture is the only end-to-end system that limits your audit exposure. |
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4. Regular reconciliation - troubleshoot reconciliation discrepancies |
It's best to reconcile your transactional data each month to catch any discrepancies between your business application and AvaTax. |
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5. File returns - how to file |
It's important to file your returns and remit your tax liabilities according to each state's requirements. |
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