Avalara Announces New Tax Compliance Automation Solutions Built for Accountants at All Levels of Practice

Rhea-AI Summary

Avalara, Inc. (NYSE: AVLR) has launched new tax compliance automation solutions specifically designed for accounting professionals. These offerings include automated sales tax return preparation, license management, and expert tax advice. The initiative aims to help accountants efficiently manage their practices amidst evolving compliance demands due to COVID-19 and regulatory changes. By leveraging Avalara's technology, firms can improve efficiency, reduce manual errors, and enhance client satisfaction while scaling their services effectively.

Positive

• Launch of Avalara for Accountants, enhancing tax compliance automation for firms.
• New tools streamline sales tax return preparation and license management.
• Empowers accountants to offer differentiated services and improve profitability.

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• None.

Avalara, Inc. (NYSE: AVLR), a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses of all sizes, today announced an array of new tax compliance automation products and services designed specifically for accountants.

Avalara for Accountants provides accounting professionals with the technology to simplify and streamline their tax compliance practice, including:

• Sales tax returns preparation and filing automation options
• License research, preparation, and management
• Sales tax expert advice

The new product and service offerings give accountants access to the same Avalara cloud technology used to process millions of sales tax returns and remit billions of dollars each year. This focus underscores Avalara’s commitment to providing accountants with up-to-date technology to scale their practice, meet the increasingly complex compliance needs of clients, and devote more resources to higher-value advisory work.

Address clients’ compliance issues, scale a niche practice

Avalara is unveiling new, growth-focused automation solutions for accountants on the heels of back-to-back historic disruptions. Both COVID-19 and ongoing, state-by-state regulatory changes resulting from South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., the 2018 Supreme Court decision, have forced professionals to look for new efficiencies and services to meet the urgent compliance needs of their clients, many of whom began selling online or increasing online sales during the pandemic.

Avalara for Accountants is engineered specifically for the workflow and processes unique to professional service providers. Firms can now use Avalara’s compliance automation solution to efficiently scale sales tax services required by clients, including:

Sales tax preparation and filing. Streamline the returns preparation and filing process through automation, with more accuracy and control. Avalara offers two distinct returns preparation and filing platforms, based on individual practice needs:

• Avalara Returns for Accountants is the choice of firms with a mature sales tax practice, providing the process flexibility to support the most demanding clients. These firms are growing their practice with Returns for Accountants using multiprocessor workflow management, data import, and filing automation.
• Avalara Managed Returns for Accountants appeals to practices wanting to outsource sales tax compliance, freeing up their valuable resources for higher-value work, while retaining visibility of status with the ability to sign off on final client returns.

Sales tax expert advice. Authoritatively respond to client inquiries on sales taxability, rates, and regulations, reducing time spent attempting to interpret government websites:

• TTR Tax Expert Access for Accountants includes 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 easy-to-understand comparison charts to support client advisory.

Business license management. Streamline the process of researching, obtaining, and renewing business licenses for clients, including government permits, tax registrations, workforce certifications, contracts, leases, and violations:

• Avalara License Management for Accountants provides built-in workflow management to support license research, acquisition, and renewal processes. A multiclient dashboard makes it easy to track license status and grow a business managing clients’ business licenses.

"Our decision to adopt the Avalara Returns for Accountants platform, in addition to TTR Tax Expert Access for Accountants, was based on multiple factors, with ROI high on the list — we can leverage Avalara’s filing automation technology and other expert tools to make our current service offerings more profitable, and drive future revenue with new client insights," said Jason Parr, CEO of Peisner Johnson, a state and local tax consulting firm. “Businesses, including a new generation of companies new to online commerce, will continue to be pushed by nonstop changes in state taxation policies, a wider net on taxability, and greater scrutiny on the filing practices of even the smallest clients. We’re ready to serve them with the right sales tax returns preparation and filing solution, and look forward to Avalara’s future offerings to continue addressing this changing tax landscape.”

With today’s announcement, accounting and tax practices of all sizes now have distinct options for charting a path forward with a leading cloud compliance provider, taking control of serving complex client needs, and planning for firm growth. Avalara for Accountants gives professionals the ability to:

Enable business scalability. Expand client base with less staff and attract new clients with differentiated services that were once low margin. Automation has changed the equation.

Drive efficiency. Reduce time spent on simple operational tasks; manage multiple clients and staff assignments for maximum productivity; and automate tedious tasks to focus staff on more profitable advisory services.

Reduce firm and client risk. Use the same proven technology used by Avalara; respond to client questions confidently based on authoritative tax and licensing content; and reduce manual errors by automating recurring processes.

Improve client satisfaction. Expand firm value for each client by providing more services; enable clients to focus on strategic projects by reducing their burden of compliance; and reduce client audit risk and exposure.

"Our accounting partners represent a critical part of Avalara's compliance ecosystem, delivering services to mutual customers ranging from consulting to enterprise implementation to preparing and filing returns," said Sanjay Parthasarathy,

FAQ

What is Avalara's new product for accountants?

Avalara has launched 'Avalara for Accountants,' a suite of tax compliance automation solutions tailored for accounting professionals.

How does Avalara for Accountants help improve tax compliance?

It streamlines sales tax return preparation, license management, and provides expert tax advice, enabling accountants to manage their practices more efficiently.

What benefits does Avalara for Accountants offer firms?

The product helps firms reduce manual errors, enhance client satisfaction, drive efficiency, and scale their services without increasing staff.

How has COVID-19 influenced Avalara's new offerings?

The pandemic has increased the demand for tax compliance solutions as many businesses shifted to online sales, necessitating more efficient compliance processes.

What technology does Avalara for Accountants utilize?

It leverages Avalara's cloud-based technology, which has been used to process millions of sales tax returns annually.