Avalara AvaTax vs VATCalc Calculator

Avalara AvaTax calculates tax in real time for sales and purchasing workflows. It covers sales tax, consumer use tax, VAT, communications tax, occupancy and lodging tax, and excise tax, and supports automated return filing and tax registration. Address validation uses geospatial technology to match transactions to tax regions rather than relying on ZIP codes. AvaTax connects with ecommerce, ERP, accounting, sales, and purchasing systems, and its REST API supports calculation, document modification, and address validation. Product taxability codes, AI-assisted item classification, custom rules, exemption certificate management, and jurisdiction-specific tax research support tax decisions. Reporting includes dashboards, natural-language search, and audit-ready trails. The service is available through web and API, with integrations including Shopify, NetSuite, QuickBooks, SAP, and Salesforce. Core Compliance costs $79 per month; Core Compliance + SST Services costs $69 per month for qualifying sellers. Qualified sellers may receive state-funded services in up to 25 states. Pricing also varies by plan and transaction volume.

VATCalc Calculator determines VAT and GST for domestic and cross-border transactions, either as transactions occur or in batches. It can connect to shopping carts, ERPs, ecommerce platforms, invoicing systems, and other applications through web access and an API. Calculations draw on codified national tax laws, including the EU VAT Directive, and can include legal references and suggested adjustments. Users can map goods and services themselves, use pre-mapped HS, TARIC, and CPA codes, or apply coding assumptions with VATScript. Customer-selected exchange-rate data can be incorporated.

The product supports REST API feeds, HTTP, FTP, and other exchange formats. Listed integrations include SAP S/4HANA and ECC, SAP Public Cloud, Oracle NetSuite, Oracle JD Edwards, Odoo, and Chargebee. Transactions can flow into VAT returns through the shared VAT Filer platform, and the calculator can also be incorporated into VATCalc’s e-invoicing service. VATCalc describes the service as built on Amazon Web Services to handle transaction volumes and daily peaks without latency planning. It states that it is ISO 27001 certified. Pricing is on request, and a free trial is available.