Case Study: Northern Tool + Equipment achieves centralized exemption certificate management and reduced audit risk with Avalara CertCapture

Northern Tool + Equipment - Customer Case Study

Northern Tool + Equipment, a multi-channel retailer selling through stores, catalogs and online, faced a growing tax-compliance problem: by 2010 it was managing about 44,000 customer sales tax exemption certificates and adding roughly 50 new ones daily. Their entirely manual, store-by-store certificate collection left headquarters with limited access, created significant audit exposure, and was increasingly time-consuming and risky.

The company implemented Avalara CertCapture (with the Avalara AvaTax wizard), imported existing certificates, and used training guides and "train the trainer" sessions so store staff could help customers complete certificates on the sales-floor computer. The centralized system eliminated file-drawer searches, faxes and calls, made certificates available upfront, sped audit support, and substantially reduced compliance burden—so much so that management wished they had adopted the solution sooner.

Northern Tool + Equipment

James Palmer

Tax Manager, Northern Tool + Equipment