AvaTax Use Tax Badge Requirements
View as markdown

Administration/Utilities Integration

NameTypeDescriptionComments
AvaTax Configuration Window
Required
The AvaTax Configuration Dialog Window must allow the user to specify the configuration/connection information:
Test Connection
Required
Test the connection to the AvaTax service and verify the AvaTax credentials. This is an important element to allow for successful troubleshooting of the AvaTax Service.
Control - Document Recording
Required
In order for this connector to be used in conjunction with other integrations to AvaTax, the user must be able to control which connector is used for recording documents to AvaTax. From a technical standpoint, simply use DocType: 'PurchaseOrder' on all calls and suppress any non-tax calculation calls (i.e. CommitTransaction, VoidTransaction).
Disable AvaTax Option
Required
The user must have an option to turn on or off the AvaTax Calculation service independent of any other Avalara product or service.
If your integration supports AvaTax for Sales Tax functionality in addition to Account Payable, separate controls for each function are required
Enable client side logging
Required
Enables detailed AvaTax transaction logging within the application including capture of round-trip processing time. We need the complete request/response for each call made to Avalara services. It does not need to run all the time as we understand the database will grow unnecessarily large - you are free to only log the last week, 30 days, custom, or have a control for the next N hours, etc. The spirit of the requirement is to assist customers and support in troubleshooting exercises, so it needs to be retrievable by an end user (or an administrator). It should be specifically Avalara service calls.
User Implementation Guide
Required
The User Implementation Guide should contain screenshots and information allowing the end user to configure for AvaTax including where the company code is entered, where the credentials are entered, where customer data is entered, and where tax codes can be mapped within the application. Click Here for a user guide template.
Address Validation Implemented
Required
An Address Validation utility is present in the application.

Vendor Record Integration

NameTypeDescriptionComments
Vendor Code
Required
Identify the vendor identifier field (typically the database key in the vendor master) to map to the “CustomerCode” field in Avalara.
Entity/Use Code
Required
This is a group of codes that indicate the type of exemption. See the standard codes, but be aware that users are able to create custom codes as well. It is best to manage this value in your application's Customer record and pass it to AvaTax as entityUseCode at either the document or line level, whichever is applicable.Trusted - Always pay the amount on the vendor invoice, no accruals expectedExempt - No tax expected from vendor, items will be used for resale, etc.Always Accrue - always accrue tax from this vendor

Items/Commodities Integration

NameTypeDescriptionComments
Item/Commodity Code
Required
Identify the itemCode value (number, ID) to pass to the AvaTax service.
Item/Commodity Description
Required
Identify item/commodity description to pass to the AvaTax service with a human-readable description or name.
AvaTax Tax Code mapping - Item Code/SKU
Required
Association of an item to an AvaTax Tax Code to describe the taxability (e.g. Clothing-Shirts – B-to-C)
AvaTax Tax Code mapping - Item Groups
Suggested
Association of a GROUP of items to an AvaTax Tax Code to describe the taxability of the group.
Tax Code Lookup
Suggested
Pull in and surface Avalara Tax Codes within application.
Non-Standard Items
Conditional
Association of Freight/Shipping and/or Handling charge to an AvaTax Tax Code to describe the taxability.
Required if your application's PO process supports the ability to include a freight line

Sales/Billing Documentation Integration

NameTypeDescriptionComments
Document Code
Required
Values that can come across to AvaTax as the docCode
Vendor Code
Required
Values that can come across to AvaTax as the customerCode
Document Date
Required
Value comes across to AvaTax as the docDate
Tax Calculation Date
Required
Value that comes across to AvaTax as the taxCalculationDate
Header Level - Destination Address
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for Destination Address at the header level. This is the address where goods are received
Header Level - Origin Address
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for Origin Address at the header level. This is the address of the vendor
Header Level - Point of Order Acceptance
Conditional
Required if Point of Order Acceptance address can be managed at the header level within the source application
Required if Point of Order Acceptance address can be managed at the header level within the source application
Header Level - Point of Order Origin
Conditional
Value that is sent to AvaTax for PoO at the header level.
Required if Point of Order Origin address can be managed at the header level within the source application
Reporting Location Code
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for locationCode at the header level
Line Number
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for the line number
Item/Commodity Code
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for the itemCode
Item/Commodity Description
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for the itemDescription
Quantity
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for the quantity
Amount (extended)
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for the amount
Tax Code
Required
Value that is sent to AvaTax for the Tax Code
Header Level - Tax Override Type
Required
Set the override type to Vendor Charged Tax
Header Level - Tax Override Amount
Required
Specify the override amount
Header Level - Tax Override Reason
Required
Specify the reason for the override
Line Level - Destination Address
Conditional
Value that is sent to AvaTax for Destination Address at the line level.
Required if destination (shipTo) address can be managed at the item line level
Line Level - Origin Address
Conditional
Value that is sent to AvaTax for Origin Address at the line level.
Required if origin (shipFrom) address can be managed at the item line level
Line Level - Point of Order Acceptance
Conditional
Value that is sent to AvaTax for PoA at the line level
Required if Point of Order Acceptance address can be managed at the item line level
Line Level - Point of Order Origin
Conditional
Value that is sent to AvaTax for PoO at the line level.
Required if Point of Order Origin address can be managed at the item line level
Verify Avalara Calculated Tax Amount is used in transaction
Required
Confirm that the integration is taking the Tax Amount value from the tax calculation response and using that to decorate the tax fields in the platform. Do NOT take our rate and use it to calculate the tax within the platform itself
Freight items must be transmitted separately
Required
Freight items must be sent to AvaTax as a separate line item with a configurable tax code
Tax Calculation - Document Type
Required
Ensure that invoices are processed through a logical document lifecycle (Sales Order - Purchase Order - Purchase Invoice)
Transaction Posting/Committing/In Review
Required
Ensure that invoices are committed/posted for reporting appropriately
Display Accounts Payable Status
Suggested
The integration should display the apStatusCode value returned by the API on invoices
Transaction Cancelation/Voiding
Conditional
When invoices are deleted/canceled, this information must be transmitted to AvaTax
If the source application supports void/delete, then the corresponding transaction on AvaTax must be updated with the current transaction status
Discounts
Conditional
Standard discounts included in line-level extended amount, manufacturer’s coupons and hostess credits transmitted as additional line items
If the platform supports the ability to handle vendor discounts, the integration must reflect this functionality in the discounts
Purchase Order Number
Required
Value sent to AvaTax as the purchaseOrderNo
Latitude/Longitude Support
Suggested
If host application captures GPS coordinates with Addresses; for US addresses, pass the Lat and Long along with address. This is especially useful in situations where a location or service site can only be pinpointed by geo location

Server Audit Clarity and Installation Requirements

NameTypeDescriptionComments
Pass connector identifier information via the X-Avalara-Client signature property
Required
Integrations must include information about the connector, such as name, version, and company name, as a signature to each transaction.
Example: X-Avalara-Client ='“Dynamics AX; 9.0; MyApp for AX by ACME INC; 1.0'
Reasonable errors on server-side analysis
Required
There should be no errors except those that would result from normal (but invalid) user input (e.g. invalid address data). Such errors must be logged/displayed appropriately to the application.
Reasonable ratio of tax calculation and address validation calls to committed documents
Required
In a normal workflow, we expect to see (on average, including abandoned carts) up to 10 tax calculations per finalized document. In a straight-forward order entry process, the number of calls should be about three to five.
Demonstrate and document installation of software – Install Shield or equivalent where applicable
Required
Customers should have an easy and trouble free installation of the software.