Stay compliant
Sales tax that calculates itself.
Avalara-powered estimation with nexus-aware fallbacks, snapshotted on every order.
Define where your business has tax obligations, connect Avalara AvaTax for building-level accuracy, and let checkout estimate tax automatically, with a sensible nexus-state fallback so a tax-API hiccup never blocks a sale.
Live
AvaTax estimates at checkout
Per-order
Tax rate snapshots for audits
Fallback
Nexus-based rates if the API is down
Nexus locations do double duty.
Each nexus is a real business location with a full address and geo coordinates. Active nexuses feed both tax estimation (where you owe tax) and shipping (where packages ship from). One record, two jobs.
- Unlimited nexus locations with full addresses
- Active/inactive toggles as your footprint changes
- Same locations power carrier rate origins
Avalara accuracy, graceful degradation.
With Avalara connected, checkout sends line items, the ship-to address, and shipping cost for a precise, non-committing estimate. If Avalara is unavailable or not configured, a nexus-state fallback keeps checkout moving instead of erroring out.
- AvaTax SalesOrder estimates with per-line breakdowns
- Sandbox and production modes
- Automatic fallback rate when the API is unreachable
- Tax-exempt flag on orders for B2B scenarios
An audit trail you'll be glad you have.
Every order stores the exact tax rate and amounts charged as a JSON snapshot. When the accountant asks what was collected in a given state last quarter, the data is in your database, not behind a platform export.
- Tax rate snapshot stored on every order
- Direct database access for reporting
- Configuration changes audit-logged
Everything included.
Building-level accuracy
Avalara resolves rates to the rooftop, not just the ZIP code.
Estimate before charge
Customers see tax in the cart before payment ever starts.
Multi-location ready
Add nexus records as you expand into new states.
Sandbox testing
Verify your tax setup without touching production data.
Shipping taxability
Shipping amounts are included in the AvaTax calculation.
No extra subscription
Tax integration is part of the payments plugin. Bring your own Avalara account.
How it compares.
Hosted platforms bundle basic tax, then upsell accuracy. Shepherd integrates the same engine the big platforms use, on your own account.
| Capability | Shepherd.Commerce | Shopify | BigCommerce | WooCommerce |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automated tax calculation | Avalara integration included | Built in; advanced tax costs extra | Built-in basic + paid Avalara tie-in | Paid extensions or services |
| Tax data access | Snapshots in your database | Platform reports/exports | Platform reports | Your database |
| Failure behavior | Nexus fallback keeps checkout alive | Platform-managed | Platform-managed | Depends on plugin |
Competitor details compiled from public sources for general comparison; verify current terms with each provider. Third-party names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Works with the tools you already use.
Avalara
AvaTax sales tax estimation
Shepherd.Commerce is not affiliated with the providers above. We integrate with their services using your own accounts and credentials.
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Tax handled, checkout unblocked.
Connect Avalara once and let every checkout estimate itself.