Worried about VAT submission errors?
Manual spreadsheets and outdated systems make it easy for costly mistakes to slip through, putting your business at risk of penalties.
The pressure is immense. A single clerical error can trigger an audit, creating a massive administrative headache you simply don’t have time for.
What’s worse, these manual processes tie up your skilled finance team. They’re stuck with tedious data entry instead of strategic work that grows the business.
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The right automation is the answer. This article will help you find software that streamlines your entire VAT process from start to finish.
In this guide, I’ll review the best VAT software available. I’m focusing on solutions that ensure MTD compliance and integrate with your existing systems.
You’ll learn how to choose a platform that eliminates manual errors and saves time, giving you back peace of mind during submission season.
Let’s get started.
Quick Summary:
| # | Software | Rating | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avalara → | Finance teams, all business sizes | |
| 2 | Vertex Inc. → | Midsize and enterprise firms | |
| 3 | TaxJar → | SMEs and digital-first companies | |
| 4 | Sovos → | Global enterprises, complex compliance | |
| 5 | Thomson Reuters → | Growing SMEs, digital-first firms |
1. Avalara
Are manual VAT processes causing your business compliance headaches?
Avalara automates VAT determination, e-invoicing, and reporting, streamlining your submissions significantly. This means you can easily manage returns and stay compliant.
Their solutions support every aspect of your business by simplifying VAT returns and reporting, making it easier to maintain accuracy and reduce costs. This leads to greater efficiency.
So, how does Avalara solve your VAT compliance challenges?
Avalara’s platform handles various tax types, including VAT, ensuring accurate calculations for your business size, whether small, midsize, or enterprise. They help businesses increase efficiency and accuracy by automating tax compliance.
Avalara AvaTax calculates sales and use tax, VAT, GST, and customs duties, helping you maintain tax compliance wherever you operate. Their E-Invoicing and Live Reporting capability manages international e-invoicing compliance effortlessly.
Additionally, with over 1,400 partner integrations, Avalara works with systems you already use, including popular ERPs, e-commerce platforms like Shopify and BigCommerce, and accounting software like QuickBooks and NetSuite. This means seamless data flow, simplifying your VAT processes.
The result is increased tax research and audit preparation efficiency.
Key features:
- Automated VAT Returns & Reporting: Streamlines VAT determination, return preparation, and filing, significantly reducing manual effort and potential errors for your accounting team.
- Global E-Invoicing & Live Reporting: Manages international e-invoicing requirements and provides real-time compliance updates, supporting cross-border sales and global business expansion.
- Extensive Integrations: Connects with over 1,400 business systems, including ERPs and e-commerce platforms, ensuring seamless data exchange for accurate tax calculations and reporting.
Avalara features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re seeking the best VAT software to overcome compliance complexities and decision fatigue, Avalara delivers with its automation and extensive integrations. Their solutions are proven to increase tax research and audit preparation efficiency by 90% and 85% respectively, making it ideal for finance managers and operations leads aiming to free staff from manual entries.
2. Vertex Inc.
Are you drowning in manual VAT spreadsheets?
Vertex Inc. offers powerful automation and deep expertise to keep your transactions aligned, adaptive, and audit-ready. This means you can maintain global compliance and reduce friction in your tax function.
Your team can drive accurate and compliant transactions in real time, ensuring tax accuracy across jurisdictions for online sales, invoicing, and procurement without slowing down.
Here’s how Vertex helps you.
Vertex TaxCalc improves indirect tax accuracy, while Vertex TaxCompliance enhances operational efficiency for streamlined filings and cross-border commerce. Additionally, Vertex TaxInsight provides tax-specific data tools to proactively handle risk and build stronger control over your tax position.
You can automatically generate and validate tax-compliant invoices and returns tailored to local regulations, then submit them directly to tax authorities, all while managing real-time status tracking and automating return generation across multiple jurisdictions. This simplifies compliance and reporting for your business, helping you stay compliant with evolving regulatory demands and minimize audit exposure.
The result is continuous compliance at every stage of the tax lifecycle.
To ensure your systems work seamlessly, understanding application integration tools is crucial for holistic efficiency.
Key features:
- Automated Tax Determination: Accurately calculates taxes across products, jurisdictions, and systems in real time, whether for e-commerce, invoicing, or procurement.
- Streamlined Compliance & Reporting: Automatically generates and validates tax-compliant invoices and returns, handling direct submission and real-time status tracking for multiple jurisdictions.
- Robust Integration Capabilities: Connects with leading ERP, e-commerce, and procurement systems, embedding tax automation directly into your existing operational workflows for continuous compliance.
Vertex Inc. features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Vertex Inc. is a strong contender for the best VAT software, offering robust solutions for midsize, enterprise, and e-commerce businesses. Its focus on automating tax determination, compliance, and audit readiness helps you reduce risk and gain control over your tax position.
3. TaxJar
Tired of manual VAT submissions and costly errors?
TaxJar offers a cloud-based platform automating the entire sales tax lifecycle, from real-time calculations to filing. This means your growing SME or digital-first company can confidently manage VAT.
You can reduce the risk of errors and missed deadlines, as the platform ensures you collect the right rates and submit filings on time. This alleviates a significant pain point for finance teams.
Here’s how TaxJar simplifies compliance.
TaxJar helps streamline your VAT compliance by automating sales tax calculations across 11,000 jurisdictions, ensuring accuracy. This removes the administrative burden often associated with managing indirect taxes.
It’s easy for you to expand into new markets with less effort, as the cloud-based platform enables your business to scale with features like AI-driven product categorization and a flexible API. You’ll also get detailed, up-to-date reports on sales and sales tax collected or due, all at your fingertips.
Additionally, getting started is simple with a wide range of built-in integrations for platforms like Stripe, Shopify, or NetSuite, and a flexible API for custom solutions. Behind the platform, you’ll find a knowledgeable customer service team, offering award-winning support and educational resources to ensure your VAT experience runs smoothly.
Simplify your VAT compliance and grow with ease.
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Key features:
- Automated Filing & Remittance: Save time and reduce errors by automatically submitting returns and remittance to each jurisdiction, ensuring you never miss a deadline.
- Real-Time Calculations: Instantly calculate accurate sales tax at checkout using up-to-date rates and address validation, even during peak demand periods.
- Comprehensive Reporting: Gain detailed, up-to-date reports on sales and sales tax collected or due by state and jurisdiction, all easily accessible for your team.
TaxJar features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: TaxJar is ideal as the best VAT software for SMEs and digital-first companies seeking to escape manual processes. It reduces compliance errors through automation, provides real-time insights, and offers essential integrations, like with Stripe, helping finance teams reclaim time and focus on strategic growth without the need to hire a full-time sales tax person, as noted by customer Vu Nguyen.
4. Sovos
Struggling with complex VAT submissions and compliance?
Sovos offers a unified platform to process e-invoices, determine indirect taxes, and fulfill global reporting, easing your VAT burden.
This means you can say goodbye to the anxiety of manual spreadsheets and the risk of penalties, as Sovos provides the backbone for global tax compliance.
Discover streamlined VAT processing.
The Sovos Compliance Cloud helps you navigate the ever-changing tax landscape with powerful solutions. It includes an Indirect Tax Suite covering e-invoicing, tax determination, and filing, ensuring your submissions are accurate and on time. You’ll find this platform easily embeds into your existing finance and IT environments, reducing integration headaches. Additionally, Sovos supports information reporting, withholding, and even specialty products like unclaimed property, making it a comprehensive solution. This breadth of coverage means your team can focus on growth, not compliance worries.
Your tax compliance advantage awaits.
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Key features:
- Comprehensive Indirect Tax Suite: Process e-invoices, accurately determine indirect taxes, and fulfill global filing and reporting obligations from one unified platform.
- Effortless System Integration: The platform easily embeds into your existing finance and IT environments, minimizing disruption and ensuring seamless data flow for tax compliance.
- Global Tax Compliance Coverage: Access powerful solutions trusted by over 100,000 companies across approximately 200 countries, backed by 150+ tax experts.
Sovos features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Sovos emerges as a strong contender for the best VAT software, offering a unified, global platform that tackles complex compliance challenges. With capabilities like reduced tech maintenance costs (Philips) and fewer penalty notices (Nationwide), it proves its value by providing a seamless, reliable solution for your VAT needs.
5. Thomson Reuters
Struggling with complex VAT compliance?
Thomson Reuters offers ONESOURCE Indirect Tax, designed to automate your sales and use tax, GST, and VAT compliance. This means you can consolidate multiple country-specific spreadsheets into a single, customizable solution, significantly improving tax filing and return accuracy. You’ll gain crucial confidence in your VAT submissions.
How can you simplify your tax duties?
ONESOURCE Indirect Tax helps you improve tax filing and return accuracy. This solution is built to empower your business with technology that not only ensures compliance but also enhances your competitive edge in a global marketplace. You can stop worrying about manual errors and missed deadlines. Additionally, tools like CoCounsel, their generative AI assistant, further accelerate how you find answers, helping you spend less time on mundane tasks and more on high-value work, ultimately boosting efficiency and saving costs. The result is seamless VAT submissions and accurate reporting, freeing your staff from manual entries.
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Key features:
- Automated Indirect Tax Compliance: Streamlines sales and use tax, GST, and VAT compliance by consolidating data from multiple country-specific spreadsheets into one solution.
- Enhanced Reporting Accuracy: Improves the accuracy of tax filings and returns, reducing the risk of errors and penalties while providing clear, accurate reporting.
- Generative AI Assistance: Utilizes CoCounsel and Practical Law’s AI capabilities to accelerate information gathering and automate repetitive tasks, enhancing overall productivity.
Thomson Reuters features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: If you’re a finance manager at a growing SME or digital-first company seeking to replace manual VAT spreadsheets, Thomson Reuters is an excellent choice for best VAT software. Its ONESOURCE Indirect Tax automates compliance and consolidates data, offering impressive efficiency gains and helping you dodge costly errors in complex global tax environments.
6. Wolters Kluwer
Tired of manual VAT spreadsheets and missed deadlines?
Wolters Kluwer delivers robust tax and accounting software solutions. This means you can streamline your VAT submissions and ensure compliance with confidence.
Their platforms empower professionals to drive productivity and navigate regulatory changes, ensuring accurate reporting.
Here’s how they solve your challenges.
Wolters Kluwer provides cloud-based tax preparation and compliance solutions like CCH Axcess™ Suite. This helps you optimize workflows for effortless data flow.
You can also leverage their CCH® ProSystem fx® for integrated tax, accounting, and audit software tools, promoting faster processes. This supports a more efficient tax return preparation process, freeing your team from manual burdens. Additionally, their AI-powered research solutions, like CCH AnswerConnect, offer quick access to trusted answers, elevating your advisory services. This comprehensive approach ensures you gain real-time business intelligence, simplifying complex VAT processes.
The result: empowered, confident financial operations.
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Key features:
- Optimized tax workflows: Cloud or on-premise solutions for faster processes, effortless data flow, and powerful API capabilities for a more connected firm.
- Integrated accounting and audit: Best-in-class audit software with a risk-based approach streamlines preparation and enhances auditor judgment.
- AI-powered research solutions: Access trusted answers to tax and audit questions faster, seamlessly integrated into your workflow for elevated advisory services.
Wolters Kluwer features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: For finance managers and accounting heads grappling with complex VAT compliance and seeking efficiency, Wolters Kluwer stands out as a leading best VAT software. Its integrated platforms, including cloud-based tax preparation and AI-powered research, automate tasks, ensure accuracy, and unify financial data, reducing errors and providing comprehensive oversight.
7. Ryan
Are you burdened by complex VAT compliance?
Ryan Software is designed to transform your tax function, improving profitability and managing resources effectively. This means you can streamline operations and eliminate manual processes.
It helps you minimize overpayments and substantially reduce risk, providing strategic advantages unmatched by ordinary accounting firms. Ryan functions as an extension of your tax department.
Here’s how Ryan delivers value.
Ryan’s technology provides solutions rooted in extensive experience solving complex issues for large global corporations. This allows you to improve overall tax performance and achieve greater profitability.
The software transforms your tax function, delivering significant savings and improved efficiency. It helps you measure and improve your efficiency, develop a more strategic approach to tax, and deliver outstanding value.
Additionally, Ryan offers services like recovery and consulting, which help clients regain substantial tax savings and improve overall tax performance, alongside advocacy and legal services for end-to-end support in tax challenges.
The result is increased profitability and cash flow.
Key features:
- Integrated Tax Solutions: Ryan offers end-to-end tax services, streamlining operations and eliminating manual processes to improve your overall tax performance and efficiency.
- Risk Reduction & Compliance: The software minimizes overpayments and substantially reduces compliance risk, acting as an extension of your tax department to ensure accuracy.
- Strategic Advisory Services: Ryan’s consulting and technology solutions improve profitability and cash flow, delivering substantial value through innovative approaches to complex tax issues.
Ryan features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Ryan is an excellent choice for best VAT software, providing integrated end-to-end tax solutions that liberate your business from being overtaxed. It streamlines operations, minimizes overpayments, and enhances profitability, making it ideal for finance managers seeking to optimize tax performance.
8. Liberty Tax Service
Are you tired of complex VAT submissions?
Liberty Tax Service offers robust solutions for filing your taxes, whether online or in person. This means you can choose the method that best suits your comfort and complexity needs.
It directly addresses the headache of manual spreadsheets and legacy systems, helping you dodge costly compliance errors and streamline your submission process effectively.
So, how can this help you?
Liberty Tax Service simplifies the entire tax process, offering various resources to keep your financial operations smooth. This includes helpful tax resources and calculators, allowing you to quickly estimate and plan for your VAT obligations.
Additionally, if your business requires ongoing financial management, Liberty Tax also provides small business bookkeeping services, ensuring your records are always precise and ready for submission. The result is reduced stress and more time to focus on business growth.
Key features:
- Flexible Filing Options: File your taxes in-person with expert assistance or conveniently online, adapting to your schedule and preference.
- Comprehensive Tax Resources: Access a range of helpful tools, including calculators and informational blogs, to guide your tax preparation process.
- Small Business Bookkeeping: Utilize dedicated bookkeeping services to maintain accurate financial records, supporting seamless VAT compliance.
Liberty Tax Service features, pricing, & alternatives →
Verdict: Liberty Tax Service stands out as a strong candidate for the best VAT software, especially for SMEs seeking flexibility and comprehensive support. Its blend of online and in-person filing, coupled with bookkeeping services, directly addresses the need for accurate, compliant, and stress-free VAT submissions.
Conclusion
Ready to end VAT compliance stress?
Choosing the right software from dozens of options is tough. You’re balancing complex requirements, integration needs, and budget pressures all at once.
Manual entry is a huge risk. Recent cases show automated systems help avoid penalties from IT submission errors. This small investment now prevents massive headaches and fines later.
Here is my top recommendation.
After reviewing them all, I recommend Avalara. It’s built to handle complex tax rules automatically, removing the risk of human error.
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With over 1,400 partner integrations, it connects to the tools you already use. I believe it’s the best VAT software for achieving seamless, MTD-compliant submissions.
I strongly encourage you to book a free demo of Avalara. You can see exactly how it simplifies your entire tax process.
Finally, gain total business peace of mind.
