Avalara in Agreement with Microsoft to Offer Free Sales Tax Data for Microsoft Dynamics AX

Sales tax automation solution provider Avalara announced this week a new promotion, endorsed by Microsoft, that offers new Dynamics AX and AX for Retail customers  a free one-time download of sales tax rates for all of their locations through AvaTax.  The offer is for Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics AX for Retail customers, according to the company. 

The new offer, which is aimed at increasing visibility of AvaTax and facilitating its use in the AX and AX for Retail customer bases, does not build AvaTax into the Dynamics AX product or include it on Microsoft's price list.  Delivery details are still being finalized (an automated solution is almost complete), but for now customers or their partners can contact Avalara to request the files.

Given the competitiveness of ERP deals in the retail space and other industries that require managing complex sales tax and exemption rules, Microsoft's endorsement such an offer from Avalara makes sense, according to Cindy Jutras, ERP analyst and president of at Mint Jutras.  "Sales and use tax is a real problem for companies. Most everyone has to deal with it, there are compliance implications you just can't ignore, rates change... it is pure overhead that adds no competitive value, but is not optional and a lot of companies don't necessarily have tax experts on staff," she says.  "And they might even overlook it in the search for a solution. But ignoring it can come back and bite them. So [for Microsoft to] put it in front of a prospect, along with a solution, is a good, smart ...