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Avalara for QuickBooks
Avalara for QuickBooks

QuickBooks Desktop, with enterprise tax compliance built in

Avalara integrates natively with QuickBooks Desktop — so real-time tax calculation, exemption management, accounts payable and use tax automation, cross-border compliance, and 1099 and W-9 support all run inside the workflow your team already depends on. No new systems. No manual work-arounds. Compliance is handled automatically. 
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2.8T+

transactions handled annually

51M+

exemption certificates managed

$0 

compliance in up to 25 states through SST

9,000+

QuickBooks businesses trust Avalara

PRODUCT STORY

Native inside QuickBooks Desktop — not a plug-in, not a work-around

Avalara connects to QuickBooks Desktop through an integration built and maintained by Avalara. When you save a transaction in Desktop, Avalara calculates tax in real time and provides the result instantly — no manual exports, no separate tab, no data reconciliation. Your team stays in QuickBooks. Avalara handles compliance in the background. 

Accurate across every state, automatically

Tax rules differ by state, county, city, and product type — and they change constantly. The Avalara compliance content engine keeps every rate, rule, and jurisdiction boundary current so every Desktop invoice is up to date.

Scales from one state to many without adding head count

Crossing an economic nexus threshold can trigger new tax obligations in states you’re not currently registered in. Avalara tracks where you’re obligated to register and calculates the right amount on every Desktop transaction, so compliance grows with your sales volume, not your team size. 

Every compliance workflow, connected inside QuickBooks Desktop

Tax calculation, exemption certificate management, use tax automation, and cross-border compliance all run natively inside your Desktop workflow — no separate systems, no manual hand-offs between tools. Avalara Capital adds flexible financing for compliance investments, so your business has everything it needs to scale without the operational overhead. 

HOW IT WORKS

Tax automation inside your QuickBooks Desktop workflow 

Step 1

Connect 

Install the Avalara connector for QuickBooks Desktop. The prebuilt integration requires no custom code and no middleware.

Step 2

Configure 

Set where you collect tax, map your QuickBooks items to Avalara tax codes, and configure exemption rules for your customers. AI-assisted setup handles the complex part — your team reviews and approves it.

Step 3

Calculate 

Every time you save a supported Desktop transaction, Avalara calculates the correct tax in real time — by address, product type, and customer status — and provides the result automatically.

Step 4

File 

Transaction data flows from Desktop into Avalara Returns. Avalara prepares, files, and remits returns in every state where you have an obligation — on time, without manual work.

STREAMLINED SALES TAX

You may qualify for $0 compliance in up to 25 states

Avalara is one of the few Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) Certified Service Providers. Qualifying businesses can access state-funded sales tax compliance in up to 25 states — including calculation, filing, and remittance — at no cost.

 

If your QuickBooks business sells into SST member states and the state of Pennsylvania, you may already qualify.
Find out if you qualify

CUSTOMERS

See what our customers have to say

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logo-brany

The QuickBooks integration was very, very easy.

Joanne Nicholson

Executive Vice President and CFO

BRANY
Customer story
✓ G2: 4/5 (700+ reviews) ✓ TrustRadius: 8.8/10 ✓ Forrester TEI: $150K avg. annual savings
✓ G2: 4/5 (700+ reviews) ✓ TrustRadius: 8.8/10 ✓ Forrester TEI: $150K avg. annual savings

Partnering with Avalara has been a great experience. AvaTax is so simple to use and makes it easy for us to manage our tax compliance.

Dirk Grobelaar

Finance Manager

Orbus Software
Customer story
✓ G2: 4/5 (700+ reviews) ✓ TrustRadius: 8.8/10 ✓ Forrester TEI: $150K avg. annual savings
✓ G2: 4/5 (700+ reviews) ✓ TrustRadius: 8.8/10 ✓ Forrester TEI: $150K avg. annual savings

I’d have to hire at least three people with tax experience to do the work that Avalara is doing for us.

Jason Macatangay

CFO

Threadless
Customer story
✓ G2: 4/5 (700+ reviews) ✓ TrustRadius: 8.8/10 ✓ Forrester TEI: $150K avg. annual savings
✓ G2: 4/5 (700+ reviews) ✓ TrustRadius: 8.8/10 ✓ Forrester TEI: $150K avg. annual savings

ONE PLATFORM

Everything your QuickBooks Desktop business needs 

Integrate one product or the full suite 
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FAQ

Avalara supports QuickBooks Desktop 2024 through its actively developed 100+ series connector — the recommended path for Desktop users on a current, supported version. For businesses that haven’t yet migrated, the legacy 95-series connector continues to cover Desktop back to 2022. 

Most modern tax platforms are built for cloud-based accounting systems and don’t maintain native desktop integrations. Avalara has invested in full Desktop connector support because the majority of our QuickBooks customers have built their businesses on Desktop — and they deserve the same compliance capability as QuickBooks Online users. 

The configuration experience and Avalara dashboard are identical for Online and Desktop users. The Desktop connector installs locally rather than connecting via the cloud, but setup follows the same AI-guided process: connect, configure, validate sample transactions, go live. 

Avalara moves with you. Your tax configuration, exemption certificates, transaction history, and Avalara account all carry forward. There’s no new implementation project and no compliance gap during the transition. 

Yes — and Avalara is the only SST Certified Service Provider with full native Desktop support. Qualifying Desktop businesses can access state-funded compliance in up to 25 states at no cost, with Avalara handling SST registration across all participating states through a single form. 

Avalara pulls contractor data directly from QuickBooks Desktop, automates W-9 collection, validates information before submission, and e-files Forms 1099 and other required returns with the IRS and states — all without leaving your existing workflow. As contractor workforces grow and IRS reporting requirements tighten, automating this process reduces the risk of penalties for late, missing, or incorrect filings. 

Running QuickBooks Desktop? Let’s talk about what Avalara can do.

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