If you're reading this, you're probably frustrated with sales tax solution TaxJar. Maybe it's the slow support responses since Stripe acquired them in 2021. Maybe it's the confusing pricing that balloons as you grow. Or maybe you just need better international coverage, and TaxJar only handles U.S. sales tax.
Many businesses are searching for sales tax software alternatives that offer better support, clearer pricing, or the ability to handle both U.S. sales tax and international VAT/GST in one place.
This guide covers the 9 best TaxJar alternatives available today. We'll break down what each solution does well, where it falls short, and help you figure out which one makes sense for your business. Whether you're a SaaS company scaling globally or an e-commerce brand drowning in compliance headaches, there's a better option out there for you.
Why Businesses Seek TaxJar Alternatives
For years, TaxJar was the go-to solution for US-based online businesses that needed sales tax automation. But as businesses grow and scale beyond US borders, TaxJar’s functionality falls short. Here are the main reasons businesses look elsewhere:
Support Issues Post-Stripe Acquisition
Since Stripe acquired TaxJar in 2021, customer support has become a major pain point. Users frequently report waiting 24 hours or more for responses to urgent questions, and longer for other support. When dealing with a tax filing or payment delay, that kind of response can be not just frustrating but expensive.
Complex DIY Setup
TaxJar requires significant technical work to get up and running successfully. You’ll need to manually configure tax codes, set up integrations with your shopping carts (like Shopify), marketplaces (like Amazon), and billing systems, and constantly monitor whether everything is working correctly. For many businesses, this means dedicating developer time to the TaxJar API integration. And even afterward, TaxJar requires manual oversight to ensure accuracy, which defeats the purpose of sales tax automation.
Accuracy Risks & Overpayments
TaxJar users have reported instances of the system reporting incorrect tax rates, leading to overpayment (or underpayment). Overpaying means giving money to the state for free. Underpaying means penalties and interest. And correcting either mistake is an additional–and manual–administrative hassle.
Expensive at Scale
TaxJar’s pricing model becomes increasingly expensive as your business scales. The platform uses tier-based pricing that jumps significantly when you hit certain transaction volumes. For high-growth e-commerce and SaaS businesses, these costs can quickly spiral. Many companies find themselves paying thousands of dollars per month for a tool that still requires manual work and oversight. When you factor in the time spent managing the platform, the true cost of TaxJar is even higher than the monthly bill suggests.
Limited International Coverage
TaxJar is US-only, which means customers need to find a separate solution for VAT, GST, and other international indirect taxes as your business expands globally. This can create a fragmented, complicated tax setup that leaves you juggling multiple vendors or international advisors.
No Audit Protection
When you get audited (and many businesses eventually do), TaxJar doesn't provide audit defense or support. You're responsible for gathering documentation, responding to auditor requests, and potentially negotiating with tax authorities. For businesses without in-house tax expertise, this can be stressful and expensive. Some companies end up hiring tax professionals anyway, which adds another layer of cost on top of their TaxJar subscription.
9 Best TaxJar Alternatives
Let's look at the top alternatives to TaxJar, what makes each one stand out, and who should consider using them.
1. Sphere – Global AI-Powered Compliance
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What it does: Sphere is the first truly global tax compliance platform built for modern businesses. Unlike TaxJar and other legacy solutions, Sphere handles both US sales tax and international VAT/GST in a single native platform.
Key strengths: Sphere's biggest advantage is its proprietary AI model. Sphere continuously monitors global tax regulations in real-time and automatically applies the correct tax treatment to every transaction, whether your customer is in California, Germany, or Australia. There's no manual research required, no guessing, and no cobbling together multiple systems to cover all countries and tax types.
Limitations: Sphere is a newer solution compared to legacy providers, though they’re rapidly expanding coverage across jurisdictions. If you’re a large enterprise with extremely complex legacy systems, completely switching to a new platform will likely require some adjustment.
Best for: Businesses scaling internationally who want an all-in-one future-proof solution that won’t require switching platforms as they grow.
Pricing: $100/month per jurisdiction with no hidden fees or long-term contracts.
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2. Avalara – Enterprise-Grade Tax Automation
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What it does: Avalara is the largest and oldest player in the tax automation space. The platform offers extensive coverage across the US and, with advisors, the rest of the world.
Key strengths: Avalara's main strength is breadth. They've been around since 2004 and have built integrations with seemingly every ERP and e-commerce platform imaginable. They also offer robust exemption certificate management. For large enterprises with complex needs across multiple countries, Avalara offers comprehensive coverage.
Limitations: Avalara is expensive. Enterprise plans can run tens of thousands of dollars annually, and the pricing structure is notoriously complex with hidden fees. Setup is also complicated and time-consuming, often requiring months of implementation and onboarding work. Their customer support has a reputation for being slow and impersonal. Avalara's international coverage, while extensive, relies on a patchwork of acquired companies rather than a single unified platform.
Best for: Large enterprises with substantial budgets who need extensive global coverage and can dedicate resources to a lengthy implementation process.
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing, typically starting at $5,000+ per year.
3.TaxValet - White-Glove Compliance
What it does: Rather than providing software, TaxValet handles all aspects of US sales tax compliance with a white glove service.
Key strengths: If you never want to touch sales tax again, TaxValet delivers. They assign you a dedicated expert to manage the entire compliance process from state sales tax registration, to setting up collection, to reporting, to sales tax filing. They’ll also provide strategic business advice, including audit support.
Limitations: Full-service comes with a full-service price tag. TaxValet is one of the more expensive options available, and they only handle US sales tax. If you sell internationally, you'll need additional solutions.
Best for: Small to medium businesses that want to completely outsource sales tax compliance and have the budget to pay for white-glove service.
Pricing: Custom pricing based on your transaction volume and complexity, typically starting around $300/month.
4. Anrok- SaaS-Focused Tax Solution
What it does: Anrok is designed specifically to automate sales tax for SaaS businesses with subscription billing models.
Key strengths: Anrok understands the unique challenges SaaS companies face when it comes to billing, proration, and usage-based pricing, and is built to handle these scenarios out of the box. The user-interface is also modern, clean, and intuitive.
Limitations: Anrok only covers US-sales tax natively, so international expansion requires finding additional solutions or third-party advisors. The pricing model is based on a percentage of revenue, which can quickly become expensive as you grow.
Best for: Early-stage SaaS companies focused primarily on the US market who want a solution built for subscription business pain points.
Pricing: Percentage of revenue model, typically starting around 0.5% of taxable revenue.
5. Vertex - Legacy Enterprise Provider
What it does: Founded in 1978, Vertex is one of the oldest tax software solutions. They offer enterprise-grade tax compliance for businesses who operate globally.
Key strengths: Vertex provides truly global coverage with deep capabilities across multiple countries and tax types. They are well-established with major enterprises and are known for handling complex tax scenarios.
Limitations: Vertex is overkill for small to medium-sized businesses. The platform is complex, and built for Fortune 500 companies, not startups. Implementation takes months, requires significant developer resources, and the user experience can feel dated compared to modern solutions. Pricing is also custom and opaque.
Best for: Large multinational corporations with complex tax needs, dedicated tax teams, and enterprise budgets.
Pricing: Custom enterprise pricing, typically starting at $10,000+ per year.
6. Zamp - Modern E-Commerce Tool
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What it does: Zamp focuses on direct-to-consumer e-commerce businesses and offers both automated calculations and managed filing services.
Key strengths: Zamp combines modern automation with strong customer support, transparent pricing with no hidden fees or confusing tiers. Setup is straightforward, and the team is responsive when you need help. Zamp also offers economic nexus monitoring to alert you when you're approaching thresholds in new states.
Limitations: As a newer company, Zamp is still building out features and coverage. The platform currently focuses primarily on US sales tax, though international expansion is on their roadmap. Some advanced features available in more mature platforms aren't yet available in Zamp.
Best for: Mid-sized direct-to-consumer e-commerce brands that want modern automation with responsive support.
Pricing: Starts at $50/month for basic plans, with managed services available at higher tiers.
7. Numeral - Hands-Off Hybrid
What it does: Numeral combines automation technology with human tax experts to provide a hybrid compliance solution. The platform handles both calculations and filings with oversight from real tax professionals.
Key strengths: The hybrid model provides the best of both worlds: automation for speed and efficiency, but the peace of mind that humans are in the loop offering oversight for complex scenarios. The platform is built for modern tech stacks and integrates smoothly with common billing systems.
Limitations: Numeral is a newer player in the space. They are currently US-focused though international coverage is on their roadmap. The hybrid model means slightly higher costs compared to software-only solutions.
Best for: Growing SaaS and e-commerce businesses that want automation plus expert oversight without fully outsourcing.
Pricing: Custom pricing based on transaction volume, typically starting around $200/month.
8. Kintsugi - Fast- Moving Startup
What it does: Kintsugi is an agile tax compliance startup focused on providing modern automation for growing businesses. The platform emphasizes ease of use and quick implementation.
Key strengths: Kintsugi's development team moves quickly, regularly shipping new features and improvements based on customer feedback. The user interface is clean and modern, making it easy to understand your compliance status at a glance. Customer support is responsive and helpful, and the team genuinely seems to care about solving customer problems. Setup is straightforward for businesses using standard e-commerce platforms.
Limitations: intsugi currently only covers US sales tax, so international expansion requires additional solutions. As a younger company, they're still building out some advanced features that more mature platforms offer.
Best for: Small to medium businesses seeking a modern user interface and responsive support for US sales tax compliance.
Pricing: Starts at $50/month with tiered pricing based on transaction volume.
9. TaxCloud - Budget-Friendly Option
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What it does: TaxCloud offers free sales tax calculation services for small businesses paid for through the Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) program. The platform also provides basic tax automation.
Key strengths: TaxCloud is free for businesses participating in the SST program, making it the most affordable option available. For small businesses just starting with sales tax compliance, this removes the financial barrier to getting started.
Limitations: TaxCloud's free model comes with significant limitations. Features are basic compared to paid alternatives, customer support is minimal, and the platform only works in states participating in the SST program, which is less than half of US states. There's no international coverage, limited integrations, and you're largely on your own for filing and compliance strategy. As your business grows, you'll likely need to graduate to a more robust solution.
Best for: Very small U.S. businesses with basic needs in SST states who want to minimize costs while getting started with sales tax compliance.
Pricing: Free for SST program participants, with optional paid filing services.
Comparison Table: TaxJar Alternatives at a Glance
The Final Word: Stop Tax Headaches Before They Start
Tax compliance is a complex administrative hassle that shouldn’t consume your team’s time every month. The right solution should simply work: calculating the correct amount to charge, filing sales tax returns on time, and adapting automatically as regulations change. It should also scale with you from your first international sale to millions in global revenue without requiring a platform switch or massive price increases.
Most TaxJar alternatives solve one part of the problem: either U.S. sales tax or international compliance, but not both. You end up with the same fragmented approach that caused you to start searching for alternatives in the first place.
Sphere is different. It's the only platform built from day one to handle both US sales tax and international VAT/GST in a single native solution. The AI-powered platform continuously monitors global tax regulations so you don't have to. Setup takes minutes, pricing is transparent and predictable, and you get actual human support when you need it.
If you're planning to grow beyond US borders (or already have), Sphere is the only future-proof choice that won't require switching platforms as you scale.
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