In our recent webinar, How to Future-Proof Your Sales Tax Setup in 2026, we introduced attendees to TaxValet's Sales Tax Maturity Model. It's a simple guide that helps you see when an automated tool is useful, when it’s not enough, and when you need expert help.
Use the infographic below to see exactly when your current sales tax process needs adjustment.
💡Click on the image to view the full version.
Why Software Alone Is Not Enough
There's a common misconception in our industry that sales tax is just a math problem, so if you buy the right software, the problem disappears. The truth is, software is only a tool, not an expert or a responsible decision-maker. It's great at calculating rates on a checkout page, but it's bad at handling the details that actually result in audits.
Here are a few ways that relying on sales tax software alone can let you down:
- Software can't manage state notices: You'll eventually get a scary letter from a state, and your software won't open it, read it, or tell you how to fix it.
- Garbage in, garbage out: If you don’t configure your product taxability rules perfectly or update them when states change their laws, the software will calculate the wrong tax 100% of the time.
- No audit defense: When an auditor knocks on your door, they want to talk to a human who knows the law, and your software isn't going to help you answer their questions or negotiate a lower penalty.
- Nexus Nuance: Software often misses physical nexus triggers like inventory placement or trade show attendance.
The Best Approach to Sales Tax
The best approach (especially for businesses in Stages 2 to 5 in the infographic above) is to follow the hybrid approach to sales tax, where you leverage the speed and scale of software tools, but with the expertise and hands-on support of professionals.
When you work with TaxValet, you have experts who handle your sales tax compliance, while the software does the calculations.
- Technology handles the volume: We use software to process the thousands of transactions you generate because that's what computers are good at.
- Humans handle the nuance: We step in to handle the things tech fails at, like accurately determining your nexus footprint, interpreting confusing product taxability laws, and physically handling those state notices so you don’t have to.
- Strategic oversight: Our team monitors your risk profile as you grow (like if you move from Stage 3 to 4) and adjusts recommendations based on your strategy preferences. We walk with you through these complex decisions.
- Expert setup: Our team configures the software correctly so you can trust the data it produces.
- Proactive monitoring: We monitor your account to catch variances and errors that software might ignore.
- Strategic timing: Our experts advise you on the best time to register for permits or when to use a Voluntary Disclosure Agreement.
- Audit defense: You have a real person representing you and answering questions if the state investigates your business.
- And so much more.
Get Sales Tax Help
Want a roadmap for building a compliance strategy that actually scales with you? Watch the full replay of How to Future-Proof Your Sales Tax Setup in 2026.
Ready to have a conversation with the professionals? Reach out now and let’s chat.
