Each week, Yesway provides a complete list of product SKUs. Avalara then determines the taxability of each item in every state with a Yesway location. The updated matrix comes back within a few days, and Lisa’s team validates it.
“We send them the report on Monday, and they upload the updated matrix by Friday,” she explains. “Once we make the change, all the stores have to do is update their registers, which takes less than five minutes.” Lisa adds that the initial setup was smooth and easy, with the initial matrix of more than 50,000 SKUs returned from MatrixMaster within a month.
Yesway also uses MatrixMaster to determine the eligibility of individual SKUs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP (formerly known as food stamps). This can be a bit tricky, as Yesway offers both grocery items, which are eligible, and foods for immediate consumption, which are not.
With MatrixMaster, Lisa feels confident about Yesway’s sales tax compliance even as the complexity accelerates with growth. “The peace of mind is very beneficial,” she says. “We haven’t had any issues, but I like knowing that Avalara will stand behind their work if it ever becomes necessary.”
