How it works
Offload the hassle of manual returns, reduce audit risk, and ensure greater accuracy
Save time, reduce costs, and boost efficiency with automated solutions for businesses of any size in any industry.
Trusted by companies in every industry
Explainer video
Have a dedicated preparer handle your complex filing requirements
BENEFITS
Embrace the efficiency of returns automation
Save time
Eliminate manual data collection, aggregation, and preparation by automating the process. According to the Forrester TEI study, businesses who use Avalara could boost efficiency by 85% annually and save 34 hours of preparation time per audit.
Reduce costs
Use automation to file more accurately, save time, and reduce liabilities. According to the Forrester TEI study, businesses who use Avalara could save over $210,000 on audit-related costs and $83,000 on tax return preparation expenses over a three-year period.
Mitigate risk
Streamline the tax filing process and keep more accurate and up-to-date digital records in a central location so you can quickly prepare for audits and avoid costly fines and penalties — all without hiring third-party resources.
Ensure data security
Protect the security, availability, and confidentiality of customer data. Avalara Returns has achieved SOC 2 certification and follows strict protocols to safeguard sensitive information from cyberthreats and security breaches.
Get industry-specific solutions
Simplify complex tax rates and rules with a return solution tailored to your industry — including sales and use, consumer use, VAT, hospitality, excise, energy, communications, tobacco and vape, lodging, and beverage alcohol.
Scale for growth
Meet evolving tax filing needs as your business expands across borders. Avalara helps you stay compliant by alerting you when your business may be required to collect and remit sales and use tax.
Avalara Returns
Connect your transaction data to Avalara, add registration details for each location where you file, and give us authority to file the returns on your behalf.
Avalara Returns automatically ingests data from your business systems, prepares your returns, and files your returns and remittances per the schedule you set.
Add or remove filing locations, the service scales up or down to meet your needs. Upload your tax notices through the Avalara Portal, and we’ll take it from there.
Sales tax preparation and filing for businesses of all sizes
Avalara Managed Returns
Ideal for midsize businesses that want to outsource sales and use tax preparation, filing, and remittance.
Offload part of the returns process and reduce costs.
Receive regularly updated data through native integration with Avalara AvaTax.
Let Avalara handle notice management and remittance in addition to sales tax preparation and filing.
Avalara Managed Returns Premium
Ideal for large and enterprise-level businesses that need dedicated support for sales and use tax returns.
Work with a dedicated preparer for your custom filing needs.
Give your business flexibility to deal with special requirements.
Minimize your compliance risk with comprehensive reporting.
Avalara VAT Reporting and Managed VAT Reporting
Ideal for companies doing business internationally. Avalara helps you manage global VAT reporting from a single platform to stay compliant with U.K. and EU rules.
Identify where you have VAT obligations and register to report VAT.
Streamline global operations with centralized VAT management.
Generate more accurate, submission-ready returns.
Integrations
AvaTax works with many of the business systems you already use
Product comparison chart
Choose the solution that’s right for your business
|
Product features |
Managed Returns |
Managed Returns Premium |
|---|---|---|
|
Automated extract of sales data from marketplaces, ecommerce, and accounting platforms |
X |
X |
|
Sales and sellers use tax forms for every state and local jurisdiction |
X |
X |
|
Consumer use tax filing |
X |
X |
|
Support for free SST returns |
X |
X |
|
Avalara prepares and files customer returns |
X |
X |
|
Automatic approval every filing |
X |
X |
|
Single source of payment (Avalara Treasury) |
X |
X |
|
Notice management |
X |
X |
|
Prepayments calculation and filing |
X |
X |
|
Multilocation-based returns |
X |
X |
|
Advanced return adjustments (e.g., FL Enterprise Zone tax incentive) |
X |
X |
|
Advanced return schedules (e.g., CO Public Improvement Fee, CA Schedule H) |
X |
X |
|
Canadian returns |
X |
X |
|
Credit carry-over support |
X |
X |
|
Multi-user account access |
X |
X |
|
Automated syncing with multiple sales and accounting channels |
X |
X |
|
CSV transaction upload and error alerting |
X |
X |
|
Transaction creation and editing within the UI |
X |
X |
|
State liability detail reports |
X |
X |
|
Access to historical returns and confirmations |
X |
X |
|
Management of filing entities and users in a single account |
X |
X |
|
Direct point of contact and tax preparer |
|
X |
|
Special handling of returns |
|
X |
|
White glove service for high-volume, high-revenue, complex returns |
|
X |
CUSTOMER STORIES
See what our customers have to say
“Avalara Returns is just so simple ... it takes so much time and puts it back into my active month that I can spend doing a lot more high-quality work than just filling out forms.”
— Alex Morris-Bouza,
General Accountant, LSI Solutions
“Avalara has made my job so much easier and faster, saving me hours every day. It takes compliance off your shoulders.”
— Courtney Sullivan
Tax Accountant, Bottomline Technologies
“With Avalara, I can reconcile everything for 39 states in about four hours. … It used to take me three to five days, and that was for far fewer states.”
— Becky Wade
Accountant, Equipment Corporation of America
“We needed a much higher degree of accuracy and confidence, and a much lower degree of effort and worry. Now it’s pressing a button. It really makes our collection process run much more smoothly.”
— Gary Bennett
CFO, Atlas Sign Industries
Related products
Simplify sales and use tax compliance when selling into multiple SST member states without a physical presence.
Register in all the states where you have sales tax obligations using just one registration form.
Generate more accurate returns with 150+ data checks to help ensure error-free reporting.
Solve common accounting challenges and meet clients’ sales tax compliance needs without overburdening staff.
Process, collect, and access exemption documents.
Satisfy your business license and tax registration requirements with solutions tailored to your business.
Dive deeper
Learn more about tax obligations, requirements, trends, and more.
EXPLORE
IMPLEMENT
USE
Awards
Frequently asked questions
What is Avalara Managed Returns?
Managed Returns is a cloud-based, automated compliance solution designed to help businesses save time, reduce costs, and boost efficiency by streamlining the preparation, filing, remittance, and notice management for sales and use tax, excise tax, and industry-specific tax types.
What is the difference between Avalara Managed Returns and Avalara Managed Returns Premium?
Managed Returns Premium delivers all the advantages of Managed Returns while addressing the unique and complex needs of your business. Managed Returns Premium offers a dedicated compliance contact familiar with your company’s operations and tax needs. It also supports early prepayments, nonstandard returns, and assistance with location management.
Does the Avalara Managed Returns service include handling state notices?
Yes, you can submit notices via the Avalara Portal and our compliance team will review all notices for returns for which we have filed.
What timeline should I be aware of for Avalara Managed Returns?
Avalara starts filing your returns to jurisdictions when you approve your returns.
Before the 21st of the previous month: Avalara customers need to add any new filings (e.g., a return for April that needs to be filed in May should be added by April 20).
Before the 1st: Avalara customers need to make any changes to their scheduled filings, including changing frequencies or forms, before the end of the period for which they need to be filed (e.g., a quarterly return that needs to start filing monthly in October should be changed by October 31).
1st to 10th: Avalara customers reconcile their transactions for the previous month, review their liabilities and remittances, and approve their returns to be filed.
10th at 5:00 p.m. PT: Any returns that haven’t already been approved to be filed by customers are automatically approved so Avalara Compliance can file them in a timely manner.
11th to 14th (depending on weekends/holidays): Avalara pulls funds from customers’ bank accounts to be able to remit payment on returns.
11th to end of month: Avalara Compliance files all returns in time for both the returns and payments to process before their respective due dates.
After the 5th of the next month: Avalara customers will be able to download and view their return confirmations in Avalara AvaTax.
Does Avalara handle amended returns?
Yes, you can initiate a request to amend or backfile your returns by contacting your account manager or by creating a support ticket with Avalara.
Does Avalara offer liability reporting?
Yes, liability worksheet reports are available in Avalara AvaTax to Avalara Managed Returns users.
Does Avalara file local returns for home rule states?
Avalara files all state and local level sales and use tax and sellers use tax returns.
