Avalara has launched a suite of new tax compliance automation tools built specifically for accountants. Avalara for Accountants is aimed at practices of all sizes.
The platform offers functions including preparation of sales tax returns and filing automation; license research, preparation and management; and advice from sales tax experts. Accountants who use the software will have access to the same Avalara cloud technology that powers the sales tax automation software used by industry customers.
Avalara has been experiencing astronomical growth over the past few years, and successfully went public in 2018. Much of its growth can be attributed to the effects of the Supreme Court's South Dakota v. Wayfair decision, which allowed states to collect taxes on online purchases made from out-of-state companies. While this has created fertile ground for tax automation providers like Avalara to thrive, accountants are still constantly navigating an ever-changing tax and regulatory landscape.
"Wayfair and the pandemic has put the fast forward button on a lot of dig information, and forced accountants to get out of their confort zone and provide more services to clients," said Sona Akmakjian, global head of strategic accounting partnerships for Avalara. "Avalara for Accountants is about giving accountants the technology to wrangle this increasingly complex tax landscape. Approximately 50% of firms don’t offer sales and use tax filing services — this has been a low-margin service for years. Lots of firms are still relying on spreadsheets. We believe the next wave of change will be sudden.”
“Clients today are demanding more from their accounting professionals — their advisors — as the rise of e-commerce continues at a breathtaking pace,” added Liz Ambruester, senior vice president of global compliance. “More and more clients have e-commerce sales tax needs, and all the changes brought on by the pandemic and regulatory change have forced accountants to look for ways to drive efficiency. We’re almost at the three-year point for Wayfair. We can view this as a landmark. States are looking for more ways to increase their tax take. It feels like a treadmill of change, and there’s no sign of it slowing down.”
Avalara for Accountants was specifically built for workflows and processes unique to professional service providers. Here are some detailed offerings provided by the platform:
Sales tax preparation and filing
- Avalara Returns for Accountants: Built for firms with a mature sales tax practice, the software offers multiprocessor workflow management, data import and filing automation.
- Avalara Managed Returns for Accountants: For practices that want to outsource sales tax compliance while retaining visibility of return status, with the ability to sign off on final client returns.
Sales tax expert advice
- TTR Tax Expert Access for Accountants: Includes a DIY sales tax research tools plus plain-language explanations, historical information, rooftop-level tax rates, and yes/no responses to share with clients. Accountants can use the TTR service to model complex scenarios and develop comparison charts to support client advisory services.
Business license management
- Avalara License Management for Accountants: Provides built-in workflow management to support the license research, acquisition,and renewal processes. A multi-client dashboard allows accountants to track license status and help grow a business managing clients’ business licenses.
Avalara plans to continue to add new capabilities, functionality and features to the Avalara for Accountants solution. For more information, click
