Avalara Simplifies Pricing as AI Changes Compliance Work

State-based plans and a newly available AI platform put software costs and accountants' oversight role in focus.By Seth FinebergFor CPA TrendlinesAvalara is making its sales tax pricing easier to see while expanding the work it says artificial intelligence can perform for accounting firms.Its published Avalara Select plans cover businesses with annual revenue below $50 million. Its Aviator AI platform became generally available Oct. 8. Together, the changes address two pressures Evan Wright, general manager of Avalara's global returns business, describes in an interview with CPA Trendlines: clients need predictable compliance costs, and accountants need to show their value as technology takes on more of the work.MORE Avalara: New Guide Shows How Firms Build New Sales Tax Service Lines |MORE A.I. | MORE CPA Trendlines Streaming Network“How do I ensure that my billable hours aren't getting, you know, absolutely eroded in this new world of AI?” Wright says, describing questions he hears from practitioners.The tension runs through Avalara's strategy. The company is trying to simplify buying and using compliance software while asking accountants to trust it with more complicated tasks.