As more commerce has moved to the web, the subscription-based model has encompassed emerging technology as well. See how Avalara and Zuora outline what every company needs to know about avoiding sales tax compliance risk when dealing with recurring billing.
4. Slide 4 − Zuora Confidential, not for distribution beyond intended recipient
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Zuora
A Brief Introduction
Challenges of Sales Tax in Subscription
Economy
Avalara Solution
Zuora Tax Solution
Avalara Integration
Agenda
5. Six+ Years of Incredible Growth
Zuora founded
Series A; First
product launched
Series B, Zuora
featured in WSJ
Series C; Zuora
announces 1B in
contracted revenue
Series D,
Trademarks
Subscription
Economy; EMEA
expansion
Zuora wins
AlwaysOn Company
of the Year Award;
expands to Asia
TheLeaderinCommerce,BillingandFinance
SolutionsfortheSubscriptionEconomy
$20Bn contracted
invoice volume;
Series E funding;
50th product release
2013201220112010200920082007
Offices: Silicon Valley, London, Sydney, Beijing, Chicago, Atlanta
500+
Customers
300+
Employees
95%
Customer Sat
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6. Our customers span 500+ Subscription Economy
businesses from multiple industries
High Tech SaaS
Cloud
Infrastructure
TelecomDevices
Media
Education Healthcare
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Zuora has been building this system for 6 years
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• Billing & Rating
• Invoice Delivery
• Taxation
• Payment Automation
• 14+ Gateways/Processors
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Zuora Tax Engine
Input
• Customer Tax Exemption Status
• Customer Sold-To Address
• Product Tax Code
• Charge Amount
Output
• Tax rates and tax amount for
each line item/ jurisdiction
Zuora Tax Engine
Our customers
upload and maintain
tax tables for each
product/service type.
10. Slide 10 − Zuora Confidential, not for distribution beyond intended recipient
Tax becomes complicated as your business grows
• Keep up with complicated Tax Rules
• Maintain Tax rates that change frequently
• Remittance the correct tax payment to multiple
jurisdictions using proper forms and procedures
11. Slide 11 − Zuora Confidential, not for distribution beyond intended recipient
Solution: Embedded Avalara Integration
12. What makes Avalara unique?
• Chosen by thousands of businesses to file and remit
sales tax on their behalf
• Processes billions of transactions annually
• Recommended by software application
resellers, CPAs, and business consultants
• SSAE16 Certified and a SST service provider
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14. Constantly Changing
Rates, Rules, & Boundaries
Accurate from
Quote-to-Cash
Nexus
(Physical Presence)
Product Taxability
Sales Tax Challenges for Recurring Revenue Models
Sourcing
Rules
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• What’s taxable, and what’s
not? And where?
• Physical vs. digital goods?
• Calculating and
filing/remittance
• Exempt purchases
• Web-based services can
change the nexus dynamic
Sales Tax: Different for subscription models?
16. Understanding Nexus
Knowing where you are required to collect
“Nexus” describes the connection between a state
and a business that permits a taxing authority to
require a seller to register, collect and remit sales and
use taxes
Nexus allows a state to compel an out-of-state
company to register and collect sales or use tax
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17. States finding more sales tax revenue
by broadening definitions of nexus
Remote sellers can no longer assume that Quill v. North
Dakota means they don’t have to collect sales tax
Nexus in a digital world
Where is the item sourced?
What is the method of delivery?
“Amazon Laws”
̶ Cyber Monday, 2013: SCOTUS leaves NY click-through
affiliate law in place
̶ 11 States have already passed Amazon Laws
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18. Nexus-creating activities: a growing list
Multi-state locations
Maintenance/service/repairs
Own/lease real property
Hosted Data Centers
Field sales/service staff
Charge Licenses/royalty/fees
Direct and/or online sales
Maintains inventory
Affiliates
Tradeshows
Commissions to resellers
(1099s)
Investors/board members
Marketing/Web advertising
Drop shipments
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19. Slide 19 − Zuora Confidential, not for distribution beyond intended recipient
Single Point of Storage/Access
vs. Distributed Storage
(ASP Model)
In the Cloud
(No Delivery)
Off-the-Shelf Canned Software vs. Custom
Evolution of Technology Taxation
Tangible vs. Electronic Delivery
20. Product Taxability of Digital Goods
How is a digital good defined?
How is a digital good taxed?
When is a digital good exempt from tax?
How is taxability different if it’s a one-time purchase
vs. by subscription?
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21. Download Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro
Extended
https://www.adobe.com/downloads/
Packaged Software Digital Download
Product Taxability Confusion
CALIFORNIA
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23. Product Taxability of Tangible Goods
Purchased by subscription…
Is it any different than a one-time purchase?
When is it exempt from tax?
– $$ threshold
– Sales tax holidays
– Length/type of subscription?
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24. <6 months, sent
second class mail
>=6 months, sent
second class mail
Product Taxability Confusion
TEXAS
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25. Understanding product & service taxability
exceptions
Rules and rates vary between states
The following industries have varying taxability rules:
̶ Software / hardware
̶ Digital goods
̶ Services
̶ Medical device / equipment
̶ Food / beverage
̶ Clothing / apparel
̶ Dietary supplements
̶ And many other industries / products
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26. Constantly Changing Sales Tax Compliance
11,000+ taxing jurisdictions
Thousands of changes to tax laws, including:
̶ Jurisdictional rate changes
̶ Tax holidays
̶ Jurisdictions that levy new taxes or eliminate taxes
̶ Jurisdictions that expand geographic boundaries
Accuracy is everything!
̶ For customers, auditors, your business
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27. ZIP Codes: wrong tool for the job
Taxing jurisdictions don’t always follow ZIP Codes!
Individual counties and municipalities levy sales taxes
in addition to state rates
Tax rates can vary significantly within a ZIP code
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7450 Leyden Street
Total Sales Tax: 0.0925
COLORADO: 0.0290
ADAMS: 0.0075
COMMERCE CITY: 0.0450
SCIENTIFIC & CULTURAL: 0.0010
DENVER AREA TR: 0.0100
7495 Locust Street
Total Sales Tax: 0.0475
COLORADO: 0.0290
ADAMS: 0.0075
SCIENTIFIC & CULTURAL:
0.0010
DENVER AREA TR: 0.0100
29. The state of our States
States are still recovering from the Recession
In 2013, 31 states projected budget deficits totaling $55 billion
NRF estimates $24 billion in sales taxes goes uncollected on
the Internet
Therefore
As tax-collecting agents of the State(s), they are looking to your
business to find more money
This increased focus creates compliance risk for you
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30. States finding more sales tax revenue
by hiring auditors
California announces hiring 100 auditors over the next
three years
Idaho hires 48 auditors that stay on as full time staff
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Billing engine supports multiple
taxengines
Get Subscriptions Reads Usage
Data
Processes
Charges
Processes
Taxes
Generates
Invoices
Billing Engine
Zuora Tax
Engine
Avalara
Tax Engine
Each Rate Plan Charge can use
a different Tax Engine
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Setup 1: Create company and nexus in Avalara
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Setup 2: Set up Avalara tax engine in Zuora
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Setup 3: Create your tax codes
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Setup 4: Assign a tax code to rate plan charge
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Calculate tax on invoices – via Bill Run or API
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Display tax on quotes
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Collect the right tax when order is submitted
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Tax Docs created in Avalara ready for remittance
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Delivered in May Release
If you’re interested, please contact
Zuora Support