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Tax Compliance
All About Tax Compliance
Sales tax is much less of a burden on consumers than it used to be. Modern tax laws have shifted that burden to sellers. Learn about the history of sales tax and a bit about what businesses have to take into consideration when charging sales tax.
Confused about all these different types of transactional taxes? Learn the difference between sales tax, seller's use tax, and consumer's use tax.
Depending on where you fit in the sales tax compliance cycle, you have certain roles and responsibilities. Learn the difference between what's expected of the taxing jurisdiction, the seller, and the buyer.
Each state, and sometimes each jurisdiction within a state, has different standards for when a company is required to collect and remit sales tax. The legal term for this requirement is called nexus. Learn the basic concepts behind nexus and your company's relationship with taxing jurisdictions.
Determining where your company has nexus can be tricky. Learn what you need to consider, and who you need to talk to, when determining where your company has nexus.
You're not required to collect sales tax from all of your customers. A few of them may have an exemption certificate. Learn how exemptions from sales tax work, including single-use and blanket exemption certificates.
When you exempt customers, it's important to collect the proper documentation, otherwise you may not be in compliance with sales tax laws. Learn how to ensure you're protected from exposures to compliance risks.
Sales tax rates on some products vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Learn the basic concepts behind product taxability and how AvaTax uses tax codes to help you manage the taxability of your company's products and services.
The taxability of many products and services varies from state to state, and even from local jurisdiction to local jurisdiction. Learn how AvaTax determines the sales tax rate of products and services you sell.
Before you collect and remit sales tax, you need to register in the appropriate jurisdictions. Learn what goes into this process.
Reconciling means making sure the totals in your accounting software match the totals in AvaTax. Learn the basic concepts behind reconciliation and a few tricks to ensure your returns are accurate.
After you've collected sales tax, prepare to remit by reconciling your accounting software. Then, file your returns. Learn about the final two phases of sales tax compliance.
This video describes how to use location codes in AvaTax for location-based filing.
AvaTax and Returns operate on a schedule designed to keep you compliant. Learn about when you need to have your data reconciled, when Avalara draws money from your company's bank account to fund sales tax liabilities, and when you're able to view returns information after filing.
Your tax profile exposes you to specific risks when collecting and remitting sales tax. Learn about common risks you face when keeping in compliance with state and local tax collection laws.
Identify when your company might be exposed to compliance risks by watching out for specific events that trigger those risks. Learn about the most common triggers of sales tax compliance risks.
How does AvaTax communicate with your accounting software? Learn what information AvaTax uses to provide an accurate sales tax calculation.
Take a dive into an invoice from AvaTax and see how our tax calculation engine uses information you send to AvaTax to provide you with the most accurate sales tax calculation possible.
States have several ways of deciding whether to use the location of the buyer or the seller when determining which jurisdiction's tax rules to apply. Learn how sourcing for tax rates works.
Each Avalara tax code has associated tax rules that define the taxability for that code in states and local jurisdictions. Learn how these codes provide a more accurate tax calculation when using Avalara products and services.
AvaTax
Types of Taxes
Confused about all these different types of transactional taxes? Learn the difference between sales tax, seller's use tax, and consumer's use tax.
Sales tax is much less of a burden on consumers than it used to be. Modern tax laws have shifted that burden to sellers. Learn about the history of sales tax and a bit about what businesses have to take into consideration when charging sales tax.
Sales Tax Compliance
Your tax profile exposes you to specific risks when collecting and remitting sales tax. Learn about common risks you face when keeping in compliance with state and local tax collection laws.
Identify when your company might be exposed to compliance risks by watching out for specific events that trigger those risks. Learn about the most common triggers of sales tax compliance risks.
Depending on where you fit in the sales tax compliance cycle, you have certain roles and responsibilities. Learn the difference between what's expected of the taxing jurisdiction, the seller, and the buyer.
Before you collect and remit sales tax, you need to register in the appropriate jurisdictions. Learn what goes into this process.
How AvaTax Works
How does AvaTax communicate with your accounting software? Learn what information AvaTax uses to provide an accurate sales tax calculation.
Take a dive into an invoice from AvaTax and see how our tax calculation engine uses information you send to AvaTax to provide you with the most accurate sales tax calculation possible.
Get Started with AvaTax
Each state, and sometimes each jurisdiction within a state, has different standards for when a company is required to collect and remit sales tax. The legal term for this requirement is called nexus. Learn the basic concepts behind nexus and your company's relationship with taxing jurisdictions.
This video shows you how to add nexus jurisdictions in the Admin Console.
Sales tax rates on some products vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Learn the basic concepts behind product taxability and how AvaTax uses tax codes to help you manage the taxability of your company's products and services.
The taxability of many products and services varies from state to state, and even from local jurisdiction to local jurisdiction. Learn how AvaTax determines the sales tax rate of products and services you sell.
Learn how to map items to tax codes in the Admin Console.
If you've already set up your initial company during your account activation, watch this video to learn how to set up an additional company.
Collect and Calculate with AvaTax
Determining where your company has nexus can be tricky. Learn what you need to consider, and who you need to talk to, when determining where your company has nexus.
Confused about all these different types of transactional taxes? Learn the difference between sales tax, seller's use tax, and consumer's use tax.
This video explains the difference in the selection options in the Tax Type column when selecting nexus jurisdictions.
States have several ways of deciding whether to use the location of the buyer or the seller when determining which jurisdiction's tax rules to apply. Learn how sourcing for tax rates works.
Setting up your nexus selections doesn't stop at the state level. Watch this video to learn about setting up local and special taxing jurisdictions.
This video describes how to use location codes in Avalara AvaTax for location-based filing.
Each Avalara tax code has associated tax rules that define the taxability for that code in states and local jurisdictions. Learn how these codes provide a more accurate tax calculation when using Avalara products and services.
Watch this video to learn how to search for specific Avalara tax codes. Applying Avalara tax codes to your products and services with varying taxability will ensure you're charging the correct rate for all your customers, no matter where they are!
Watch this video to learn when to map your goods and services in your accounting system or in the Admin Console.
Learn how to map many items at once using a template.
CertCapture
Get Started with CertCapture
You're not required to collect sales tax from all of your customers. A few of them may have an exemption certificate. Learn how exemptions from sales tax work, including single-use and blanket exemption certificates.
Take a tour of CertCapture so you know what to expect when you start using it.
A company hierarchy organizes customer records and documents for reporting purposes. See how to make sure your company hierarchy works for your business.
Company details include the company's name, contact information, tax ID number, and logo. See how to add details for each company in your company hierarchy.
See how to tell CertCapture where you're collecting and managing exemption certificates to make sure you cover every exempt customer transaction.
Each company in your CertCapture account has an exemption matrix which recommends exemption certificate templates and expiration timelines. See the exemption matrix and how it contributes to the way CertCapture works.
Working with Your Customers
See how to add customers so you can link compliance documents to them. Add customers one at a time or use a template to add a batch of customers.
See how to find customers in CertCapture.
Watch this video to learn how to unlink a ship-to state from a customer record.
Watch this video to learn how to unlink a certificate from a customer record.
Working with Compliance Documents
See how to upload and process your customers' compliance documents to make sure your customer records are complete.
See how to find documents in CertCapture.
Request Compliance Documents
When you exempt customers, it's important to collect the proper documentation, otherwise you may not be in compliance with sales tax laws. Learn how to ensure you're protected from exposures to compliance risks.
It's a good idea to include a cover letter with your requests so your customers understand what you're asking for. See how to create cover letters.
See how to request a certificate from a customer.
See how to request certificates from a bunch of customers for the first time.
Watch this video to learn how to track the progress of a campaign after it's begun in CertCapture.
Reports and Analysis
Watch this video to learn how to run various reports on your customers in CertCapture.
Watch this video to learn how to run various reports on your certificates in CertCapture.
User Management
Watch this video to learn how to add a user to your CertCapture account.
Returns
Working with Returns
Reconciling means making sure the totals in your accounting software match the totals in AvaTax. Learn the basic concepts behind reconciliation and a few tricks to ensure your returns are accurate.
After you've collected sales tax, prepare to remit by reconciling your accounting software. Then, file your returns. Learn about the final two phases of sales tax compliance.
AvaTax and Returns operate on a schedule designed to keep you compliant. Learn about when you need to have your data reconciled, when Avalara draws money from your company's bank account to fund sales tax liabilities, and when you're able to view returns information after filing.
This video describes how to use location codes in AvaTax for location-based filing.
Adjustments
Your liability worksheet Amount Due is based on the committed transactions in your Admin Console, pre and prior payments, vendor - or timely filing - discounts, and other adjustments. Watch this video to learn their differences.
File
AvaTax and Returns operate on a schedule designed to keep you compliant. Learn about when you need to have your data reconciled, when Avalara draws money from your company's bank account to fund sales tax liabilities, and when you're able to view returns information after filing.
AvaTax integrations
3dcart
Watch this video to learn how to configure your 3dcart integration with AvaTax.
Bigcommerce
This video walks you through the steps to configure Bigcommerce to use with AvaTax.
Watch this video to learn how to map your products to tax codes in AvaTax for Bigcommerce via a bulk import template.
Watch this video to learn how to send a test transaction in AvaTax for Bigcommerce in order to verify that it is installed and configured correctly.