The Avalara integration connects your CoreBridge system to Avalara's tax engine, automatically calculating tax rates based on customer location and product type. Use this article to set up the integration, configure company defaults, and apply Avalara to individual Orders.
Note: CoreBridge can assist with integration setup and how the integration works within the system. Questions related to Avalara's platform should be directed to Avalara.
Table of Contents
Benefits of Integrating with Avalara
Connecting Avalara to CoreBridge streamlines tax compliance and reduces manual effort across your transactions.
- Accurate tax calculation. Automatically applies the correct tax rate based on customer location and product type, reducing manual errors.
- Streamlined compliance. Leverages Avalara's tax engine to handle complex tax rules across different regions.
- Flexible application. Avalara can be set as the default for a Company or applied to individual Orders, Estimates, and other transactions as needed.
How to Connect Avalara
Before you begin, make sure you have an active Avalara account with your Account Number, License Key, and Company ID available.
Navigate to Settings / Integrations Marketplace.
1. Click the Finance Category.
Note: You can also find Avalara using the Search bar or looking in All Categories.
2. Click on the Avalara card.
3. Click Install.
Note: This will automatically take you to the Avalara setup page. You can finished connecting now, or return here at anytime by navigating to System Settings / Integrations Marketplace / Finance / Avalara.
4. Enter your Account Details.
Note: These should have been provided to you when setting up your Avalara account.
5. Select your configuration options:
- Record Documents in Avalara - Automatically commits tax documents after calculation.
- Enable Logging - Logs the details of the tax calculation process to support troubleshooting.
- Use Sandbox - Tests the integration in a sandbox environment before going live.
6. Click Save.
a. Test Connection is available to confirm the integration is set up correctly.
Note: For reporting, Avalara's own reporting tools are recommended over CoreBridge reports.
Note: Before Avalara is available for use, it must be set to Active.
7. Click More Actions menu.
8. Select Set Active.
Once activated, you will see that Avalara is Online.
Setting Avalara as the Default Tax Option
Avalara can be set as the default Tax Group at the Company level so it applies automatically to new Orders and Estimates for that Company.
Navigate to Sales / Companies and select the appropriate Company.
1. Select Edit.
2. Under the Accounting Details section, use the Tax Group dropdown to select Online Tax Lookup.
3. Select Save.
Applying Avalara to an Individual Order
If Avalara is not set as the default, it can be applied directly to a specific Order, Estimate, Credit Memo, or Purchase Order. Note: This article will use Order as the example, but the functionality is the same regardless of the record type.
Navigate to Sales / Orders and select the appropriate Order.
1. In the Order Totals panel, select the Tax amount link.
2. In the Tax Settings window, use the Tax Group dropdown to select Online Tax Lookup.
3. Select Save.
Note: With Online Tax Lookup selected, the tax will display as To Be Determined while you are editing the Order. Once you finish making changes, the system saves automatically and triggers the Online Tax Lookup. The Order will then display the correct tax for the customer's location and product type.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can an Order have more than one tax amount when it ships to multiple Destinations?
Answer: Yes. If an Order includes multiple Destinations, Avalara can calculate separate tax amounts based on each Destination. These tax calculations are applied behind the scenes and are not currently displayed individually on the Order. Tax details may be available through tax reporting.
2. What address does Avalara use if an Order does not have a Destination or Billing Address?
Answer: If no Destination or Billing Address is associated with the Order, Avalara uses the sales location address to determine tax calculations.
3. Is there a hierarchy that determines which address Avalara uses for tax calculations?
Answer: Avalara evaluates the address information available on the Order to determine the correct tax calculation. If no applicable Destination or Billing Address is available, the sales location address is used. Refer to Avalara-specific documentation for complete details on address precedence and tax calculation rules.
4. What actions commit an Avalara transaction?
Answer: Creating an Avalara transaction and committing it are separate actions. An Avalara transaction is committed when:
- An Invoice is created for the Order.
- A Credit Memo is posted.
Until one of these actions occurs, the Avalara transaction remains uncommitted.
5. Where can I view the individual tax calculations for multiple Destinations?
Answer: Individual tax calculations for multiple Destinations are not currently displayed directly on the Order. Tax reporting may provide additional visibility into how taxes were calculated.