# Page 3 | Avalara Reviews 2026. Verified Reviews, Pros & Cons | Capterra > Page 3 - Is Avalara the right Sales Tax solution for you? Explore 354 verified user reviews from people in industries like yours to make a confident choice. Source: https://www.capterra.com/p/75673/AvaTax/reviews --- Avalara 4 (354) Provider data verified by our Software Research team, and reviews moderated by our Reviews Verification team. [Learn more](https://www.capterra.com/our-story/) * * * Last updated April 9th, 2026 # Page 3 - Reviews of Avalara ## Showing most helpful reviews Showing 51-75 of 354 Reviews Sort by: Most Helpful Rating Company Size Reviewer's Role Length of Use Frequency of Use DS Diana S. Senior Division Controller E-Learning Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Review of Avalara AvaTax and Returns" June 27, 2024 5.0 Very good overall. We encounter very few issues with given the quantity and complexity of our transactions. Pros AvaTax and Returns is a must have given the quantity of our transactions and returns required. Additionally, Avalara stays on top of changes in the tax regulations so that we don't have to worry about that. Cons Their help desk is usually not very helpful unless it's a very basic question, like where is something located on the platform. Any questions regarding tax not being calculated correctly takes a long time to resolve with a lot of back-and-forth on tickets. Review Source Response from Avalara July 8, 2024 Diana, thanks for sharing your experience with us. We work hard to deliver a reliable product so you don't have to worry. We appreciate your feedback on our help desk and will share with our team so that we may continue to improve. TN Tam N. Accounting Manager Oil & Energy Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Efficient and Reliable Tax Compliance Solution" June 27, 2024 4.0 Overall, my experience with has been positive. The software provides reliable tax compliance solutions and significantly improves efficiency. Although the initial setup was complex, the automation and responsive customer support made it worthwhile. Pros What I liked most about is its seamless integration with various platforms and the automation of tax calculations, which significantly reduces manual effort and minimizes errors in tax compliance. Cons What I liked least about is the complexity of the initial setup and configuration, which can be time-consuming and may require technical support to ensure everything is correctly integrated and functioning. Review Source Response from Avalara July 8, 2024 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Avalara with us, Tam! We are glad the experience with our solutions has been overall positive. We are always working to improve our onboarding experience and we appreciate your feedback. lC lucy C. owner Apparel & Fashion Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "the worst customer service I've ever experienced, not an exaggeration" June 19, 2024 2.0 Super negative, on top of the terrible customer service, the sales reps are also not helpful. They don't make it clear that when you purchase the plan that the returns don't roll over, despite knowing what I needed (about 15 returns a year) they still let me go ahead with purchasing 50 returns which I assumed was a 1 time purchase in bulk but turns out it's per year. In fact, when I messaged them about it later, they also didn't seem to know it doesn't roll over. Did they only train them for a day? Pros when it works correctly for certain states, then it is nice. Cons It's impossible to talk to someone who knows how the software works. I'm honestly just guessing right now that it's working because no one seems to have answers. The customer support line is a joke, it's worse than quickbooks which is really saying something. They are not trained at all at what the system does and sometimes I have to explain what the system does to them because of how little they know. It's truly impressive. Review Source Response from Avalara July 2, 2024 Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience using Avalara. We strive to offer the best service possible and the frustrations you’ve described are not what we want. If you’re open to a conversation, we’d like to address your concerns by learning more about your specific experience and how we can improve. Please contact us at customercare@avalara.com. JW Junelle W. tax accountant Electrical/Electronic Manufacturing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "great product" June 27, 2024 5.0 Pros AVA TAX it can help business easily calculate muti-states' sales tax and generate tax report. Sales tax rate is up-to-date. Cons ECM Pro need to connect with state tax ID lookup system Review Source Response from Avalara July 8, 2024 Thank you for taking the time to share your experience using Avalara products. We work hard to deliver our customers a reliable solution, and we’re grateful to have the opportunity to serve you. LL Lexie L. Regional Finance Manager Construction Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Avalara Review" June 27, 2024 5.0 Pros Easy to Use: The platform is user-friendly and integrates well with other systems. Comprehensive: It handles various tax tasks like calculation, filing, and certificate management. Accurate: keeps up with tax laws to ensure accurate tax calculations. Scalable: It works well for businesses of all sizes. Cons Cost: can be expensive, especially for small businesses. Complex Setup: Initial setup and integration can be complex and time-consuming. Customer Support: Some users report that customer support can be slow or not as helpful as expected. Updates and Changes: Frequent updates and changes can sometimes disrupt workflows and require additional adjustments. Review Source Response from Avalara July 8, 2024 We appreciate your detailed feedback on Avalara, Lexie! We are proud deliver an easy-to-use and accurate solution, and we are constantly working to improve our customer support and communication for changes. Thanks for taking the time to share. FA Frida A. CEO Retail Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Good product but expensive, not trustworthy & not for international stores" May 31, 2024 4.0 I contacted well before launching my store; we were just commencing the development. I communicated this to the sales representative and all he focused on was about how this was ideal because I had no footprint and I would be properly set up from the beginning. However, at no point did it tell me clearly what were the things I needed to have in order before implementing Avalara, nor did he say at any point there was no reason to make the purchase until after the launch of the store since I had no sales and therefore no threshold would be surpassed. For this reason I went about 8 months without using the platform until we were getting closer to the launch at which point I realized there was no support for implementation outside of a manual, that by the way, is outdated, no videos to explain to new entrepreneurs not only how to navigate the waters is compliance but how to properly use their system. Then there were compatibility issues between avalara and our system, though they say they are compatible with WooCommerce, if your platform is using any other plugins or apps it will cause issues, such as long delays in the check out process. I communicated this to the tech team and they acknowledged that they knew of some issues (so we aren’t the only ones), but they never even replied about remotely addressing this issue. In addition, I was sold on an idea that Avalara was the best system for international stores. This is disingenuous, since it won’t calculate and send you automatic warning when you’re going to cross any NEXUS outside of the US. This wasn’t clearly explained on the sales meeting and it should have since we are a Canadian Corporation and it wasn’t going to serve even our own jurisdiction. In addition, it is not set up to configure locations of warehouses, so it calculates taxes according only to the location of the corporation, sending a warning to all clients outside of that country that they may have to pay duty charges upon receiving the goods. We were extremely careful of ensuring the most easy shopping experience for our clients, therefore we are working with warehouses in other countries like Mexico, to bring down shipping costs and take care of all duty charges so our clients don’t have to. But though we already paid the duties, Avalara was still posting a warning in our system during the check out process and though we explained our situation, they did nothing to accommodate this. We had technical issues with syncing our products with Avalara, and this was already at the point when we were finally ready to launch our store. It took Avalara 2.5 months to provide a solution, which caused a delay in our launch and they were not even communicating during the process, no timeline was provided, not even an email to ask us to be patient. Nothing. It is super expensive too, and though I never ended up actually using it (we did not launch our store with it) and due to all this frustrating issues met with indifference, we decided to cancel our contract and ask for a report nbirsement for the software that was never used, ensuring I mentioned that as a business owner, I was willing to negotiate a fair market value for the time spent with their engineer in the one meeting we had with him to explain our issues and the one meeting with the implementation specialist at the beginning, who sent us the manual to read, and took us through a general walkthrough of their platform, as well as all the HS codes we had received vs the ones we actually paid for. But they were unwavering due to their 60 day policy, which I sure went well o er since I purchased the service way before we were ready for launch, and all though I explained everything I stated above. Overall the worse experience in my life and I truly try to avoid saying any negative reviews unless I’ve exhausted every opportunity to make things right and the negative reviews are truly deserved. And I try to honour the good things they do have, which is what seems like a good product for more generic local companies within the US. Pros Seems like a good product (bit only truly good for the US), lots of services under one roof Cons 1\. Sales representative only concerned with making the sale and did not offer trustworthy advice in my circumstances. 2. We needed more help in the implementation process. We would have been open to paying for an hour or two, or whatever was necessary with some one that would actually takes us through the process to do it right from the get go. We are not experts, and it would have been more effective than sending us to read stuff. Even step by step videos would have been better. 3. Disingenuous information; I made specific comments about how I needed a system that was international. I also communicated that my corporation was in Canada. It wasn’t until a year later that I realized that automatic NEXUS calculations are only available for the US in Avatax, and that I would have to manually keep track of all other countries. This should have really been explained by the sales rep, and explain the significance of this, especially as a Canadian corporation. 4. System compatibility. was making our system extremely slow. We communicated this to the tech team and it was never addressed. At no point in time were we asked what elements were we using as part of our platform to see potential compatibility issues. 5. Uncompromising client care; only cares about Avalara’s interests and does not care about clients. Reason for choosing Avalara The sales representative made a very appealing pitch for their products and woo commerce suggested it as a good alternative for tax calculations. Review Source Response from Avalara June 10, 2024 Hi Frida, we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us so we can learn and improve. We apologize for the frustration you've experienced and we've shared your feedback with our products team. AM Arnesia M. Owner Wholesale Used the software for: I used a free trial ### " Murphy's Review " June 27, 2024 5.0 I love Learning anything that has to do with business taxes, thank you! Pros is tax helpful for the legal requirements I have applied to my small business ♥️. Cons is a perfect tax information source, so I have no complaints! Review Source Response from Avalara July 8, 2024 Arnesia, we're so happy to hear that Avalara has successfully taken sales tax off your plate so that you can focus on running your business. Thanks for the review! VR Verified Reviewer Manager, Business Systems Wholesale Used the software for: 2+ years ### "CertCapture does what it is supposed to do, but doesn't make it easy" September 26, 2019 4.0 It would be impossible to correctly charge tax and file in the various states where we now have "economic nexus" without , so Avalara has been indespensible. However, they have completely ignored my suggestions for improvements for over 4 years. We need them, but I hope they get better at the certificate capture part of the business. Pros Certcapture provides the ability to create a campaign to email or fax customers for whom exempt certificates are required, and it makes it easy for them to supply the certificate(s). It is also simple to followup with those that did not initially respond. For daily use, the Walk me Through help feature, and the great wealth of help articles and FAQs, make it easy to find the answer to any questions. Cons CertCapture allows you to select an Exempt Reason that isn't valid for the state of the certificate. knows it isn't a valid reason, but it lets you select it anyway, and doesn't give you an error. After you finish validating the certificate and saving it, you can then look at a "History" tab and there you will see an API Call Failed error which if you research you'll find out the reason. But why set the user up for failure? Another issue: how is it useful to allow only the last PO number to be used for a single-use certificate, but at the same time allow multiple PO numbers to be saved? That’s also setting people up to fail! The Avalara University videos on Certcapture do not mention that only the last PO number saved is effective. The “Walk me through” feature doesn’t either. The field says “PO Numbers” and allows multiple PO Numbers to be saved, but it doesn’t actually work. The only way someone could learn that the field that says PO Numbers really means PO Number is by having orders they expected to be exempt be taxed, then have customers complain when they are not. Avatax should validate the selected Exempt Reason, and check all the PO numbers listed for a certificate and exempt orders with PO numbers that match any of them. I've told them this, but instead of “That’s a good idea, I’m going to forward your idea to our product development team and see if we can get it implemented.” they say “the software is working as designed.” Reason for choosing Avalara There are no alternatives that I am aware of for use with Epicor Eclipse. Review Source Response from Avalara October 2, 2019 Thank you for sharing about your experience using CertCapture. From what you wrote, we recognize that there are things that have gone well and areas that need improvement. We would appreciate an opportunity to learn more about your experience. If you're open to a conversation, please contact customercare@avalara.com. VR Verified Reviewer Engineer Wholesale Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Horrible Software with even worse Customer Service" August 16, 2022 1.0 Awful, support staff has very clearly never used the software, some have never seen it. Software does not provide the basic functionality that is advertised. Our account manager is incredibly rude and ignores emails. So phenomenally frustrating. The few helpful people I have worked with that actually understands how the software is supposed to work have made it clear that the issue we are experiencing are back-end programming problems that need to be resolved by their back-end support team. Despite following up multiple times I have yet to receive any resolution. After putting in countess hours and way too much in subscription costs into getting this software setup I can honestly say it is more time and cost effective to manually calculate tax on each order than it is to use . Pros After over a year of use, nothing. there is nothing redeemable about this software. Cons On an entirely basic level, the software does not function. It is advertised as integrating with QuickBooks Desktop but I have yet to see it function properly for an entire day. It has created such a phenomenal mess of our QuickBooks file and is completely unreliable to calculate taxes correctly to the point that each transaction has to be manually checked to ensure tax filings are correct. I have been told by numerous support staff that this is not normal but after spending literal hours working to try and rectify the issues, have come to realize that the software does not function as advertised and likely never has. Absolutely atrocious that this was ever advertised to work with QuickBooks Desktop. DO NOT USE THIS SOFTWARE. Alternatives considered [TaxJar](https://www.capterra.com/p/163419/TaxJar/) Reason for choosing Avalara It was recommended by QuickBooks sales. Review Source Response from Avalara August 23, 2022 Thank you for taking the time to write about your experience, though it's not the type we aim to deliver. We're sorry to read you've experienced challenges with the QuickBooks integration. We understand it's been frustrating and we'd like to help. Please contact us at customercare@avalara.com so we can work to address the issue. DS David S. CFO Computer Software Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Better than nothing, but many areas that need a lot of improvement" August 31, 2023 2.0 Nightmarish! Had to hire an expensive CPA firm to assist in "fixing" issues and aid with training on . Pros IF you figure out how to code everything correctly, it does calculate sales tax and will file the returns. Cons Lack of support, virtually no communication from key support staff that are critical for most anything in , software is NOT intuitive and figuring it out is a nightmare AND if you don't code everything properly it will do as much harm as good. Person to person communication is extremely hard to get in sufficient quantities to be effective. Review Source Response from Avalara September 5, 2023 David, thank you for sharing about your experience with Avalara. We're sorry to read you've experienced challenges, we understand it's been frustrating, and we'd like to address your concerns. Please contact us at customercare@avalara.com so we can work to address the issues you've described. SD Sherri D. General Manager Sporting Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Avalara is a nightmare " June 16, 2023 2.0 We have spent a great deal of money having outside people help us with issues that customer support does not know how to fix. Pros It was available in the hosting environment we had Cons Their customer service is awful. They close claim tickets without even working with you to fix the problem. When you do get a zoom meeting you never talk with the same person twice so you have to start over. They point the blame to other platforms you use as the source of your problem. Some of our issue have gotten worse by the fixes that their customer service reps have implemented to fix other issues. Reason for choosing Avalara We had to choose from what our hosting environment offered Review Source Response from Avalara June 26, 2023 Sherri, thank you for taking the time to write about your experience using Avalara. We strive to offer the best service possible and the frustrations you've described are not what we want. If you're open to a conversation, we'd like to address your concerns by learning more about your specific experience and how we can improve. Please contact us at custoemrcare@avalara.com VC VICTOR C. TAX DIRECTOR Information Technology and Services Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Great Product & Well Worth the Money" March 25, 2021 5.0 Overall experience has been great and I'm very happy we selected 5 years ago. The product has only improved in my opinion since then and as mentioned before, it's a huge benefit to us in saving us time and resources as well as helping to reduce our risk around sales tax obligations. Pros 's sales tax management solution has been fantastic for our company. Before we implemented Avalara 5 years ago, everything we did was manual and left us to risk of miscalculations of tax. It's all automated now based on the shipping address, nature of our revenue, and their tax engine calculates the tax and includes on our invoices. We also use CertCapture and have Avalara filed our returns - franky, it's very cheap relative to the value it provides our business in savings of time/resources and improving our controls around sales tax obligations. Cons I don't have many complaints about the software - it's been very intuitive to use and was pretty easy to implement. The only small complaint I have is when the liability worksheet locks down the 10th of the following month, you can't make any more changes to a given state without them unlocking it for you and incurring a fee. I think a few of these requests should be included in your subscription as they are bound to happen. Reason for choosing Avalara Price and ease of implementation and integration with NetSuite were main factors that led us to choose . Review Source Response from Avalara March 26, 2021 Victor, thank you for taking the time to write about your experience with Avalara. We're committed to offering a reliable and easy-to-use solution, so we're happy to hear your feedback and we look forward to continuing to serve you. CK Christopher K. Accountant Computer Software Used the software for: 2+ years ### "MISC Comments" September 27, 2019 5.0 Big improve, make that massive improvement over Vertex. In fairness, the move to Netsuite solidified the move. Pros \*Interface with Netsuite \*Management reports available for month REC \*Driven by strong Tax knowledge and customer awareness. Cons \*Website is still not what it should be regarding ease of use. \*Resent changes in how support is handled may produce cost saving however it may be at the expense of customer need for timely response. In the past I suspect customers contacted support only after giving up on attempts to gain intel from the website.... may not be pleased having to wait longer. does not file at all on exception bases amended returns when clients want to recover over payment of tax. Stop giving orange colored glasses at workshop. Do not thing many tax nerds will wear them but grand child did. Orange unbrella's were pretty bold, Orange water bottles were a hit. It appears that Vertex still does much more advertising when logging into Netsuite than Vertex. Baseball game, Stadium walk troughs were big hits and provided a clear time frame in which to cover material. Golfing may have been exciting to those who tried, I saw more than a handful leaving as soon as presentation was over. I sensed a strong desire to finish material ASAP,which may have limited good discussions. Given above, I remain one of your best cheerleaders, Mo should be able to confirm this. Thanks for the opportunity to provide feedback. Reason for choosing Avalara See above Review Source Response from Avalara October 7, 2019 Christopher, thank you for taking the time to share your experience using Avalara. We work hard to deliver our customers a reliable and easy-to-use solution, and we're grateful to have the opportunity to serve you. CP Connor P. Controller Printing Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Service is Nonexistent - Broken Software" February 16, 2022 1.0 Since they charged me over $7,000 dollars for a product that never worked - zero benefits. I would never recommend this company. has had a history of terrible customer service but from recent reviews, that had seemed to change. It hasn't. If you encounter issues, be prepared to suffer through basic IT troubleshooting multiple times before your issue isn't resolved. Pros could never get the connector to work to use the software. But the online interface seemed like it would have been useful had Avalara gotten their software to work with QuickBooks. Cons The implementation process was miserable. From day one, I received a nondescript error that was simply a large red question mark in a dialogue box from the QuickBooks Connector. The application would also attempt to open a hundred windows while using QuickBooks. Three separate engineers walked me through the exact same troubleshooting - uninstall, reinstall, change permissions, restart computer, etc. All concluded "huh, that's weird!" It took nearly five months of effort to get that response continuously and escalated to development. Then the whole team fell silent about the issue. So I cancelled the implementation. Then, decides to bill me almost $5,000 for tax returns filing and support services when they couldn't even get their own products and services to work. It is even against their terms of service but the billing department doesn't care. It is extremely unscrupulous to even bill for services that were never rendered and could never have been rendered. Alternatives considered [Sovos](https://www.capterra.com/p/163421/Sovos-Sales-Tax/)[TaxJar](https://www.capterra.com/p/163419/TaxJar/) Reason for choosing Avalara I went against my better judgement knowing that has a history of poor service. But they are supposed to be an industry leader in compliance and I needed a good solution. I was proven correct on one account and wrong on the other. Review Source Response from Avalara February 17, 2022 Connor, thank you for sharing your experience using Avalara. We're committed to offering our customers a reliable and easy-to-use solution, and we're sorry if we missed the mark in your case. We'd like to learn more about your specific experience with QuickBooks and how we can improve. Please contact us at customercare@avalara.com if you're open to a conversation. AJ Antonio J. managing Partner Hospitality Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Horrible Customer service and Lack of Communication! " November 1, 2022 1.0 I paid upfront and never got set up with their service. I sent over all the information and I got the email that we were all set. One month later an email from My Tax Lodge is sent and it goes to my junk folder about my LLC not being recognized. I only received one email! No Phone call of any other form of Communication! I find out in September 2022 that I was not set up! I call and ask why was I not notified? After No one knowing what was going on I find out that the account was never set up due to a comptroller error and could not set up the account to pay my tax! I get very upset because I was not called since this was very important since I did not even know about this error. I got one email and the representative response was that was the only form of response Avalara sends out! I explained that for what I paid I would have expected a phone call! I fired Avalara and got a refund. However, they still keep charging me the monthly fee and they are refusing to refund me in full! Stay Away from Avalara! Pros Horrible integration and no support! No Pros on my part stay away! Cons Do not Hire This company Horrible customer service and they will take your money and not refund it in full! Reason for choosing Avalara I was recommended to them from Evolve my hosting site. Review Source Response from Avalara November 14, 2022 Hi Antonio, thanks for bringing this to our attention again. As we responded on your other review, we are sorry for the frustration and would like to help resolve these issues. Please contact us at customercare@avalara.com. BH Blake H. Controller Consumer Electronics Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Avalara overpromises & Under-delivers" August 23, 2019 3.0 TERRIBLE! There are a lot of configuration issues that we had discussed in the pre-sales cycle (like CertCapture integration, configuring marketplace facilitatort exceptions, etc.) these were all ignored and never were addressed by when we went live. Tons of issues, then their customer service doesn't respond to cases for weeks at a time. Just a really horrible customer experience. AVOID AVOID AVOID! Pros I liked that it integrated with all of our platforms (i.e. NetSuite, Magento and future state Shopify+) and the quoted price came in much lower than other comparative software solutions. Cons The setup is not intuitive. There are tons of issues where it doesn't calculate sales tax correctly or at all for some states or on returns. There are multiple different logins for different services/features (i.e. AvaTax, CertCapture, General account) which are frustrating. Also had a number of issues with our NetSuite integrations. CertCapture required us to manually upload each state certificate for each customer, then manually review and validate each one all over again. You select a state, then it doesn't select a Country and errors out, but never asks you to enter a country.... There's are just a whole lot of things not to like about Avalara. There are a lot of configuration issues that we discussed in the pre-sales cycle, then were ignored and never addressed once we went to implement. Implementation shhTheir customer service is Alternatives considered [Sovos](https://www.capterra.com/p/163421/Sovos-Sales-Tax/) Review Source Response from Avalara August 27, 2019 Blake, thank you for sharing about your experience using Avalara. We are sorry to read you've experienced challenges, we understand it's been frustrating, and we'd like to address your concerns. Please contact our VP of Customer Excellence Bobby Sands at customercare@avalara.com so we can learn more and work to assist. JL Jeff L. Controller Publishing Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Avalara saves my staff time!" June 15, 2021 5.0 Our experience with has been a good one. Though no-one really likes dealing with Sales tax, this software has allowed us to manage it without having to add any staff - and that is a HUGE plus in my book. We have had some issues, but once we addressed them with the support staff - they were eventually corrected. Avalara also had a connection to the software we are currently using - Sage 300. Pros The amount of time my staff is saved by using to calculate and maintain Sales tax is enormous. This software accurately calculates tax and we also use it to file the taxes. The software has worked very well for us. Cons There were a few bumps in the road when we started, but we worked through them. Some of that required that we stay on top of the issue - because the support staff was overloaded due to the enormous increase of customers that had. But now that things are moving along, IF we do run into an issue, their support people are always available to help out. Alternatives considered [TaxJar](https://www.capterra.com/p/163419/TaxJar/) Reason for choosing Avalara The main reason was the existing connection to Sage 300. seemed to have a lot more than we needed at the time - and as it turns out, we are glad we went with them as our monthly reconciling is very smooth! Review Source Response from Avalara June 16, 2021 Hi Jeff, thank you for taking the time to write about your experience getting started with Avalara. We're committed to offering a reliable and easy-to-use solution, so we're happy to hear your connection issues have been resolved and the software is now working well for your team. Please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team with ways we can make your experience even better. Shu S. CEO Retail Used the software for: Less than 6 months ### "Customer support almost non existent, got screwed the very first month, nightmare transition" February 24, 2021 4.0 Terrible. Customer support is non-existent. Pros Technology and software seems pretty solid so far. Cons I don't trust people at . We went live on 1/1/2021 and they processed returns for non-SST states for the month of January but they did NOT process returns for SST states for the month of January. Wait. What? How does it make any sense? They said my SST service starts on 2/1/2021 and not on 1/1/2021 (but somehow non-SST state service starts on 1//1/2021?!). How does it make any sense when we went live on 1/1/2021. The sales reps rushed to sign me up in December so I can start my service at the beginning of the year. They never mentioned anything about my service not starting until 2/1/2021. When I contacted them about why they haven't filed returns for SST states, they were extremely slow in their response. Customer support is terrible. I don't recommend it. They said they can still back file January returns but they would charge me $250 per state. That's $6,000 for 24 states. If you aren't willing to pay this extra fee in the first month of service, don't bother going with Avalara. I don't recommend it. Switched from [TaxCloud](https://www.capterra.com/p/119968/TaxCloud/) Technological issues with the software Review Source Response from Avalara March 2, 2021 Shu, thank you for taking the time to write about your experience using Avalara. We strive to offer the best service possible and the frustrations you've described with SST are not what we want. If you're open to a conversation, we'd like to learn more about your specific experience and work to assist. You can reach us at customercare@avalara.com, and we're following up with your account manager as well. VR Verified Reviewer CFO Retail Used the software for: 2+ years ### "A great resource for sales tax calculations" November 27, 2018 5.0 Overall, I am very satisfied with . It has connectors to the software and eCommerce sites that I need, and with those, setup is quite painless. Pros The software works great. Once you have it set up, it runs in the background and involves almost no review. I know we are always charging the correct tax rate and with the tax return processing, I know my returns are being submitted correctly and on time. With exposure in most US states, staying up to date on all tax changes and filing individual returns would require a small team to keep accurate. With , we set up the states and localities we are in and the software takes care of the rest. Cons When questions do come up, customer service could do a better job. I have also had our individual customer rep changed on us multiple times in the last year, which is frustrating. I have also experienced billing issues around the time of renewal each year, which can take up to 4 or 5 months to get resolved. Review Source Sabine D. Finance Manager Sporting Goods Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Watched this company go from great to terrible" April 3, 2018 4.0 Multi district/state tax calculation made easy. Pros Platform is flexible and mapping is intuitive, even for complex tax situations. Easy integration with Magento Enterprise. Cons Reports are difficult to run. Its more complex than it should be to add manual transactions and the UI needs a considerable update. But my biggest complaint has been in the lack of customer service. It has regularly taken WEEKS for our customer service rep to respond to my emails. And when I showed the "Customer Experience Manager" at the chain of emails that shows it has regularly taken weeks, I get no apology and refuse to honor my request for a new customer service rep to take over my account. They are forcing me to work with a rep who has failed to perform. That is simply unacceptable. I have recommended and installed Avalara, Ava Tax, Ava Reports for several organizations over the past 10 years and initially they were amazing to work with. I feel saddened that I can no longer recommend them due to the decline in their customer service. Review Source KC Katie C. Procurement Analyst Chemicals Used the software for: 2+ years ### "needs some work" October 13, 2020 4.0 We use currently, even though it is not perfect. Pros I like that it calculates the tax for our customers on our web store automatically. It integrates with our WooCommerce site. Cons The accuracy of the tax rates is questionable to the point of us having to double check rates on state websites to verify that the correct tax rate is being charged. We were also unable to successfully integrate with QuickBooks. Switched from [TaxJar](https://www.capterra.com/p/163419/TaxJar/) We were having trouble with TaxJar providing the incorrect tax rate on our web store. Review Source Response from Avalara October 16, 2020 Katie, thank you for taking the time to share your experience using Avalara. We work hard to deliver our customers the best service possible, and we're grateful for the opportunity to work with you. Regarding your feedback about tax rates, we'd appreciate an opportunity to learn more about what's going well and improvements you'd like to see. If you're open to continuing the conversation, please contact customercare@avalara.com so we can share your insights with our team. pM patrick M. Sales Operations Manager Textiles Used the software for: 2+ years ### "3.5 out of 5" March 19, 2026 3.0 Pros Works great, until it doesn't. When it doesn't, it is very hard to get help. Most of the time, is great! Cons You can't get help, your account executive forwards you elsewhere and you have to send multiple emails for a reply. Review Source BG Bonnie G. Tax Accountant Plastics Used the software for: 2+ years ### "Tax Accountant" December 14, 2022 5.0 Pros reporting tools such as Credit Carry forward balance and liability worksheet. The reports are very detailed and would help in an audit situation. Cons I don't have any issues with the software It's the customer service that is lacking. Reason for choosing Avalara We were currently on Vertex L servies and it didn't meet the demands of our growing company Switched from [Vertex](https://www.capterra.com/p/160387/Vertex-SMB/) Looking for a better tax calculating and reporting tool Review Source Response from Avalara December 20, 2022 Bonnie, thanks for sharing your feedback with us. We work hard to deliver a reliable product, and so we're happy to read your team has benefited from our services. MR Melissa R. Controller Hospitality Used the software for: 6-12 months ### "Using the DAVO Feature of Avalara" February 27, 2024 5.0 Pros The company, as a whole, was founded on making a tedious and oftentimes overwhelming regular process, as seamless as possible. I implemented , many years ago, in another company and could not have been more pleased with the service. DAVO integrates very simply into the POS of our restaurants and helps hold the sales tax liabilities outside of our operating accounts so that the monthly sales tax payments don't cut our reserves, like they used to. Cons The contact that I had with , in the past, featured amazing customer service. I worry that with DAVO they have taken on another "leg" of business that is not as customer service focused. I very much miss the interaction that I believe other customers get when using the Avalara product. Review Source Response from Avalara March 4, 2024 Melissa, thanks for taking the time to share about your experience with Avalara and DAVO. We work hard to deliver a seamless product, and we're glad to read it's working well for you! BK Bella K. CEO Retail Used the software for: 1-2 years ### "Absolute fraud of a service, costed us thousands in tax penalties " January 3, 2024 1.0 I can't even begin to explain how upset I am with and the position they put my company in. The program I was enrolled in called Returns for Small Business apparently shut down sometime in November, and our business was never notified. I was completely locked out of my account without any notice. I could not see any data on past returns filled and what was due. I attempted to reach out to multiple people to figure out what had happened and got no clarity. After going through all my account to make sure everything was in order, I discovered that all my returns for the last three quarters of 2023 had been filed with a $0 sales tax liability. The had deducted ALL of my sales as non-taxable. Not only did I have to go back and amend over 50 tax returns, I owed thousands in penalties and late fees. I am disputing all my Avalara invoices during that time as I was paying for a complete fraud of a service. I will also be reporting this as paid tax preparer fraud. Pros Nothing, they are way better options out there. Cons Horrible customer service, and I would not trust them to file returns for you. Review Source Response from Avalara January 12, 2024 Bella, thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. We anticipated the discontinuation of RSB to be a big transition for users, and so our team worked hard to properly communicate and offer alternatives to our customers. We'd like the opportunity to look into your account so that we can help resolve any issues that arose with this change. Please reach out to us at customercare@avalara.com. ## Send me user reviews about this product ### Fill out the form and we'll send a list of the top-rated software based on real user reviews directly to your inbox. Talk to a Capterra advisor for free and get results within 15 minutes.