Need recommendations for business tax software that plays nice with Netsuite and BigCommerce
I've been using Avalara for our business tax compliance with our Netsuite ERP and BigCommerce store, and I'm at my wits' end. They charge us an arm and a leg while being the biggest pain to deal with among all our vendors. Their customer service is basically non-existent, and every little thing requires endless back-and-forth. We're a mid-sized retailer with operations in about 15 states, so we need something that can handle multi-state tax calculations and filing. Avalara technically "works" but their integration is clunky at best, and I waste hours every month troubleshooting issues that shouldn't exist. Has anyone switched from Avalara to something else that works well with Netsuite and BigCommerce? What tax software would you recommend for a business in our situation? I'm especially interested in hearing about real experiences with implementation and ongoing support.
20 comments


Ava Rodriguez
I've implemented tax solutions for several mid-sized businesses using Netsuite, and you have a few solid options beyond Avalara. Vertex is probably your best bet for a seamless integration with both Netsuite and BigCommerce. They have native connectors for both platforms, and their tax determination engine handles multi-state calculations really well. Their customer support is also significantly better than Avalara's in my experience. TaxJar (now owned by Stripe) is another option worth considering. They're more user-friendly and typically less expensive than Avalara, though their Netsuite integration isn't quite as robust as Vertex. For BigCommerce, their API connection works smoothly. Sovos might also be worth a look - they've improved their Netsuite integration significantly in the last year and have good multi-state capabilities.
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Dmitry Popov
•Thanks for these recommendations! Have you personally worked with Vertex's customer support? That's my biggest pain point with Avalara - I can never get a straight answer when something goes wrong. Also, any ballpark on pricing comparison between Vertex and Avalara?
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Ava Rodriguez
•I have worked directly with Vertex support on several implementations, and they're much more responsive than Avalara. They assign dedicated implementation specialists who actually understand both the tax requirements and the technical aspects of the integration. Price-wise, Vertex is generally in the same ballpark as Avalara, though it depends on your transaction volume and how many states you're filing in. Some clients have reported saving about 15-20% with Vertex, but the bigger savings come from reduced time spent troubleshooting issues. Their system just works more reliably.
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Miguel Ortiz
After struggling with Avalara for years with our Netsuite setup, I found https://taxr.ai and it was a game-changer for our business. They have a special integration toolkit for Netsuite that was super easy to set up, and their BigCommerce connector works like a charm. What really stood out was how their AI analyzes your historical transaction patterns to improve accuracy. We were getting tons of calculation errors with Avalara that we had to manually fix, but taxr.ai has cut those down by like 90%. Their dashboard also makes it way easier to see exactly what's happening with your tax calculations.
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Zainab Khalil
•Does taxr.ai handle the actual filing of returns too? Or is it just for calculating the taxes? We need something that does both since our accounting team is pretty small.
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QuantumQuest
•I'm a bit skeptical about switching tax platforms... how long did the implementation take? With Avalara it took us like 3 months and was a complete nightmare. Did you have any downtime during the switch?
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Miguel Ortiz
•They do handle the actual filing in all states, which was a huge relief for our accounting team. The returns are prepared automatically based on the transaction data, and you just need to review before they submit everything. They even handle notice management if you get any questions from state agencies. Implementation took about 3 weeks from start to finish, which was way faster than what we experienced with Avalara. We did a phased approach where we ran both systems in parallel for the first month to make sure everything was working correctly. No downtime at all during the switch, and their implementation team was super responsive whenever we had questions.
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QuantumQuest
I was really skeptical about switching tax platforms after our Avalara nightmare, but I finally tried https://taxr.ai after reading about them here. Holy crap, what a difference! Implementation that took 3 months with Avalara was done in less than 4 weeks, and their Netsuite integration actually works properly. The best part is that their system caught several calculation errors in our old setup that were costing us thousands. Their AI-based review flagged inconsistencies in how we were handling drop shipments across different states. Support team is responsive and actually knowledgeable about both the tax rules AND the technical side. For anyone else using Netsuite and BigCommerce - don't hesitate like I did. The switch was painless and now I spend about 75% less time dealing with tax compliance issues.
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Connor Murphy
If you're having trouble getting through to Avalara's support team, you might want to try https://claimyr.com - they helped me get an actual person on the phone when I was trying to resolve some integration issues. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was stuck in an endless email loop with Avalara trying to fix our Netsuite integration, but after using Claimyr I got connected to a senior support specialist in less than 20 minutes. Turns out there was a simple configuration issue that their tier 1 support didn't understand, but once I got to the right person, it was fixed in a single call. Might be worth trying before you completely switch platforms, especially if you're in the middle of a tax period.
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Yara Haddad
•Wait, how does this actually work? Do they just call Avalara for you? I'm confused how a third-party service can get you better support access.
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Keisha Robinson
•This sounds too good to be true. I've literally spent DAYS trying to get through to capable support at Avalara. If this actually works I'll be shocked.
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Connor Murphy
•They don't just call for you - they use an automated system that navigates phone trees and holds your place in line. When an agent picks up, you get a call connecting you directly. It saves you from having to sit on hold for hours. It works because they have technology that stays on the line through all the transfers and wait times. I was skeptical too, but it saved me from having to constantly redial and start over. The key difference is you get to speak directly with support yourself, so you can explain your technical issues properly instead of relying on someone else to relay information.
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Keisha Robinson
I owe you all an apology for being skeptical. I tried https://claimyr.com yesterday after reading this thread, and I'm honestly blown away. After 2 weeks of getting nowhere with Avalara's email support, I got through to their advanced technical team in under 30 minutes. The Avalara agent actually told me they prioritize phone support over tickets (which explains a lot). She walked me through fixing our BigCommerce integration issues and even sent me documentation I couldn't find on their portal. I'm still considering switching platforms based on all the recommendations here, but at least now I can get my immediate issues resolved. For anyone else struggling with vendor support hell, this service is worth every penny.
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Paolo Conti
We've been using Thomson Reuters ONESOURCE for about two years with Netsuite, and while it wasn't the easiest implementation, it's been solid ever since. We don't use BigCommerce, but I know they have an API that connects to most ecommerce platforms. The biggest advantage is their research team - they update tax rates and rules faster than Avalara in our experience. The reporting is also much more detailed, which our finance team loves.
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Dmitry Popov
•I've heard ONESOURCE is pretty complex to set up. Did you need consultants to help with the implementation? And how's their customer support when you run into issues?
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Paolo Conti
•We did use a consultant for the implementation, which I'd definitely recommend. It's not something you want to DIY unless you have in-house tax experts who also understand the technical side. Customer support is generally good - not amazing, but much better than Avalara. They have a tiered system, and we can usually get to someone knowledgeable within a day. For urgent issues, they have a priority line that actually works. One thing to note - the initial cost is higher than some alternatives, but we've found the total cost of ownership to be lower because we spend so much less time troubleshooting and fixing errors.
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Amina Sow
Has anyone tried Avalara's competitor program? When we were looking to switch, they offered us a pretty significant discount and assigned us to their "strategic accounts" team, which provided much better service. Might be worth threatening to leave before going through a full migration. We ended up staying with them after they fixed most of our issues.
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GalaxyGazer
•I did try this approach but the discount they offered was only good for the first year. Service improved for about 3 months then went right back to being terrible. Now we're stuck in another 2-year contract. Just my experience, but I'd proceed with caution.
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Jibriel Kohn
We switched from Avalara to TaxJar about 8 months ago and it's been a huge improvement. The BigCommerce integration was plug-and-play, and while the Netsuite setup required some custom mapping, their implementation team walked us through everything step by step. What really sold us was their transparent pricing - no hidden fees for API calls or extra charges for multiple jurisdictions like Avalara used to hit us with. We're saving about $300/month and getting better service. Their support team actually responds to emails within a few hours instead of days. One thing to note: if you have complex product categorization requirements, make sure to test their tax code mapping thoroughly during the trial period. We had to adjust a few things for our specific industry, but once configured, it's been rock solid. The reporting dashboard is also much cleaner than Avalara's - our accountant can actually understand what's happening without needing a PhD in tax software.
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Nathaniel Mikhaylov
•This is really helpful! I'm curious about the transition period - did you run both systems in parallel for a while to make sure everything was calculating correctly? Also, when you mention "custom mapping" for Netsuite, roughly how long did that take to set up? We have a pretty complex product catalog with different tax treatments for various items, so I want to make sure I budget enough time for implementation.
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