Technology Applications Including Online Tax Calendars, Databases and Middleware

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Sales and use taxes are different than direct taxes in that they touch every transaction your organization makes and are constantly interacting with your ERP.  These differences create different system requirements as well.  Proper usage of software applications and tools can greatly improve your indirect tax efficiency and accuracy.  Investing in upfront tools can reduce recurring data manipulation chores, implement stronger procedural controls, and open up tax calculation and reporting possibilities that you had not previously considered. 

Join our experts, Chris Pounds and Scott Billadeau, in exploring the different offerings within tax technology and how to select the right application for your needs.

Your benefits for attending:

  • Discover the benefits of tax technology.
  • Explore the different types of applications: tax engine connectors, hosted connectors, batch formatting, and more.
  • Understand how to proceed: identifying pain points, reviewing your technology platform, cultivating requirements, and choosing a trusted partner.
Level: Basic
Format: Live Webcast
Instructional Method: QAS Self-Study (Traditional)
NASBA Field of Study: Computer Software & App (2 hours)
Program Prerequisites: None
Advance Preparation: No
  1. Introduction
  2. Agenda 00:02:03
  3. Introduction - Benefits of Tax Technology 00:02:10
  4. Introduction - DSTax 00:03:04
  5. Introduction - Our Team - Scott Billadeau 00:03:06
  6. Introduction - Our Team - Chris Pounds 00:04:07
  7. Tax Engines and Connectors 00:04:10
  8. Tax Engines and Connectors: Project Lifecycle - Business and Technical Requirements 00:14:15
  9. Tax Engines and Connectors: Project Lifecycle - Design and Development 00:16:52
  10. Tax Engines and Connectors: Project Lifecycle - Testing and Post-Production Support 00:18:45
  11. Tax Engines and Connectors: Connectors v. Batch 00:21:35
  12. Tax Engines and Connectors: Connectors v. Batch - Nonexistent Connectors 00:22:52
  13. Tax Engines and Connectors: Connectors v. Batch - Image of DSTax’s DevPortal - Company 00:25:21
  14. Tax Engines and Connectors: Connectors v. Batch - Image of DSTax’s DevPortal -  File Upload 00:28:46
  15. Data Conversion Applications 00:29:47
  16. Data Conversion Applications: Case Study 1 Financial Service Company 00:32:18
  17. Data Conversion Applications: Case Study 2 Exemption Certificate Management 00:35:13
  18. Data Conversion Applications: Case Study 3 Exemption Certificate Management 00:37:54
  19. Hosted Tax Calendar 00:38:02
  20. Hosted Tax Calendar - Unique Applications 00:48:26
  21. How to Proceed? 00:49:04
  22. Conclusion - Resources  00:52:30
  23. Conclusion - DSTax Offers 00:54:32
  24. Presentation Closing 00:57:46
  • Chris Pounds

    Chris Pounds

    Chris Pounds is the Vice-President of DSTax.Chris co-founded DSTax in 2011 with Scott and worked with him to build DSTax into what it is today. Chris is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day delivery of consulting projects and compliance activities.Chris has spent most of his career working with [...]

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  • Audit 00:16:46, 00:48:19
  • Commodity 00:18:25
  • Exempt 00:05:26, 00:17:58, 00:35:26
  • Exemption Certificate Manager (ECM) 00:35:25
  • Nexus 00:14:15
  • Taxability Decision Matrix 00:
  • Tax Engine 00:04:29, 00:11:08, 00:15:34, 00:18:26, 00:19:32, 00:21:46, 00:27:06, 00:33:29, 00:35:31
  • Transaction 00:07:11, 00:08:42, 00:19:58
  • Vendor 00:07:12, 00:09:43, 00:12:50, 00:14:40

Audit: A formal examination of an organization's or individual's accounts or financial situation

Commodity: A basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other goods of the same type.

Exempt : Exempt employee is a term that refers to a category of employees set out in the Fair Labor Standards Act. They do not receive overtime pay, nor do they qualify for the minimum wage

Exemption Certificate Manager (ECM): An exemption certificate manager, or an “ECM,” is a platform that enables businesses to collect, validate, and renew resale and sales tax exemption certificates.

Nexus: The term nexus is used in tax law to describe a situation in which a business has a "nexus" or tax presence in a particular state or states. A nexus is basically a connection between a taxing jurisdiction, like a state, and an entity like a business that must collect or pay the tax.

Tax Engine: Tax Engines are third party software providers that track every U.S. tax rate and taxability treatment and allow for these rates and rules to be applied to your transactions.

Taxability Decision Matrix: The Taxability Matrix identifies each of the definitions and tax administration practices adopted by the Governing Board and which each state must follow. The state indicates the tax treatment of each of the items identified in the matrix along with a reference to its applicable law, rule, regulation or written policy.

Transaction: In QuickBooks, a transaction type identifies what kind of transaction occurred, such as a customer transaction, bill payment or a bank transfer. When you submit a transaction, you type in a transaction code to represent it.

Vendor: A vendor is a person or business that supplies goods or services to a company. Another term for the vendor is the supplier. In many situations, a company presents the vendor with a purchase order stating the goods or services needed, the price, delivery date, and other terms.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Tax engine connectors are software integrations that link a company's ERP or accounting system to a third-party tax calculation engine, enabling real-time tax determination on every transaction. Unlike manual tax rate tables—which quickly become outdated across thousands of jurisdictions—tax engines continuously maintain current rates, rules, and taxability logic for all U.S. states and localities. When a transaction is processed in the ERP, the connector passes transaction details to the tax engine, which returns the correct tax amount in milliseconds before the transaction completes. This eliminates manual lookup errors, reduces over- and under-collection, and creates a complete audit trail of every tax calculation. Connectors can be native (built directly into the ERP) or custom-built using APIs when a pre-built integration doesn't exist. The project lifecycle for implementing a tax engine connector includes business and technical requirements gathering, design and development, testing, and post-production support. Aurora Training Advantage's accounting webinar with DSTax experts Chris Pounds and Scott Billadeau provides a practical overview of tax engine connector options, implementation considerations, and how to select the right solution for your organization's technology platform.
Tax engine connectors and batch processing represent two different approaches to applying tax calculation to business transactions, each suited to different organizational scenarios. A connector integrates directly with an ERP or point-of-sale system to calculate tax in real time at the moment of transaction—ensuring the correct tax is applied before the invoice is generated or the order is confirmed. This approach is ideal for high-volume transactional environments where accuracy at point of sale is critical. Batch processing, by contrast, involves extracting transaction data in bulk and running it through a tax calculation tool in a scheduled batch job—typically after transactions have been recorded. Batch is often used when real-time integration isn't technically feasible, when a legacy system lacks API connectivity, or as an interim solution during a larger technology transition. While batch processing is less precise in timing, it can still significantly improve accuracy over manual methods. Understanding when to use each approach depends on your ERP's connectivity capabilities, transaction volume, and compliance risk profile. Aurora Training Advantage's tax technology webinar compares connectors and batch solutions with real-world case study examples to help organizations choose the right approach.
An exemption certificate management (ECM) system is a technology platform that collects, validates, stores, and tracks sales tax exemption certificates provided by customers claiming tax-exempt status. Businesses that sell to tax-exempt buyers—nonprofits, government agencies, resellers, manufacturers—must obtain and retain valid exemption certificates to support their decision not to collect sales tax on those transactions. Without a centralized ECM, organizations often store certificates in file cabinets, email folders, or disconnected spreadsheets—making validation, retrieval during audits, and renewal tracking extremely difficult. ECM systems automate certificate requests at the time of sale, validate certificate completeness and jurisdictional validity, store documents digitally, and alert staff when certificates are expiring. In a sales tax audit, auditors often scrutinize exemption certificate compliance as a primary focus area—missing or invalid certificates can result in significant back-tax assessments plus interest and penalties. Aurora Training Advantage's accounting webinar with DSTax presents ECM case studies demonstrating how centralized certificate management reduces audit exposure and administrative burden for businesses with large exempt customer portfolios.
Hosted tax calendars are cloud-based tools that track and display sales and use tax filing and payment deadlines across all registered jurisdictions, providing a centralized compliance timeline for tax departments. Managing indirect tax filing obligations manually across dozens or hundreds of states, counties, and municipalities is error-prone—deadlines vary by jurisdiction, tax type, and filing frequency (monthly, quarterly, annually), and missing even one filing can trigger penalties and interest. Hosted tax calendars aggregate these obligations into a single interface, alerting tax teams of upcoming due dates, automating reminders, and integrating with internal workflow systems to assign responsibility and track completion. Advanced platforms connect directly to tax return preparation tools, reducing data re-entry. The calendar provides audit documentation showing that due dates were tracked and met. For businesses expanding into new nexus jurisdictions or those experiencing changes in filing frequency thresholds, hosted calendars provide immediate visibility into new compliance obligations. Aurora Training Advantage's tax technology webinar explores how hosted tax calendars integrate with broader indirect tax technology ecosystems to improve compliance reliability and reduce administrative workload.
Selecting the right sales tax technology requires a structured evaluation process that aligns tool capabilities with organizational needs. Begin by identifying pain points: Are errors concentrated in tax calculation, exemption certificate management, return filing, or audit defense? Understanding where your current process breaks down directs the evaluation to the highest-impact solution. Next, review your technology platform—what ERP, e-commerce, or billing system is in use, and what integration options exist? Native connectors may be available; custom development may be required for legacy systems. Document business and technical requirements including transaction volume, number of jurisdictions, exemption certificate volume, and reporting needs. Engage shortlisted vendors with specific use cases and request demonstrations using your actual transaction scenarios, not vendor demos. Evaluate implementation timeline, total cost of ownership (licensing, implementation, ongoing support), and the vendor's track record with similar clients. Choose a trusted implementation partner with deep experience in both tax and your technology platform. Aurora Training Advantage's accounting webinar with DSTax experts provides a practical roadmap for identifying requirements, evaluating options, and executing a successful tax technology implementation.