AvaTax Module is Now Available!

[Brennan]

The new AvaTax integration has been released and is now available on the App Store:

https://apps.miva.com/avatax.html

This new integration features:

• Real Time Rates During Checkout
• Shipping and Charges Tax Codes
• Product Level Tax Codes (Import/Export Capabilities)
• Customer Tax Exemptions
• Sync of new Tax Codes and Entity Use Codes
• Calculate Taxes in Admin for Manual Orders
• Manually Insert, Adjust, Void and Refund Taxes via Miva Admin
• JSON API Support via provision_store + XML
• AvaTax Sales Tax Certified!

Full Docs and How to Video can be found here:

https://docs.miva.com/integration-guides/avatax-avalara

[SNAGuy]

Brennan,

We have the old AvaTax module currently installed on our site. Is moving to the new Miva developed module easy to do?

Thanks,

Carl

[Brennan]

Yes and no.

Its easy in the sense we've made as many of the product and customer settings importable and exportable as possible.

What makes it difficult, is that currently you can only have a single tax module installed in a store. So the process would looks like this:

1. Setup the new module in a dev environment.
2. Import all your product tax codes and customer exemptions to the dev environment
3. Test and verify things are working as expected in dev
4. Pick a time to make the change over when you remove the old module from the live store , add the new module and import the settings from the dev store.

#4 is the hard part here. That process could take 15 minutes or it could take several hours and will impact orders unless you're able to put the site in maintenance mode during the transition.

However, I would strongly recommend having a plan to migrate to the new module st some point. Its going to be better supported and long term is the right integration to be be on. I wouldn't necessarily do it now during the holidays, but schedule some time if you have a slower season to get this completed.

[oliverands]

The old module relied on a directory of php files, AvaTax4PHP, that are installed in the http directory on the server. What should be done with these files at migration?

And is it possible to actually remove the old module from the store when transactions have been created that rely on it? Or is this unlike payment modules in that way?

[SNAGuy]

Yes and no.

Its easy in the sense we've made as many of the product and customer settings importable and exportable as possible.

What makes it difficult, is that currently you can only have a single tax module installed in a store. So the process would looks like this:

1. Setup the new module in a dev environment.
2. Import all your product tax codes and customer exemptions to the dev environment
3. Test and verify things are working as expected in dev
4. Pick a time to make the change over when you remove the old module from the live store , add the new module and import the settings from the dev store.

#4 is the hard part here. That process could take 15 minutes or it could take several hours and will impact orders unless you're able to put the site in maintenance mode during the transition.

However, I would strongly recommend having a plan to migrate to the new module st some point. Its going to be better supported and long term is the right integration to be be on. I wouldn't necessarily do it now during the holidays, but schedule some time if you have a slower season to get this completed.

Brennan,

Thanks for the clarifications on what is needed for migrating to the new module, I think I missed that part when quickly looking at the Miva docs link you provided earlier.

Explaining step #4 further in the docs might be helpful too which might cause less inquiries here on the forum.

For step #4 we have under 300 SKUs in our store, so I would imagine that the import should be fairly quick for us then?

Carl

[Brennan]

oliverands The new integration does not use those php files at all, so after the migration is complete, you'll want to remove those files for the server to clean things up.

Miva will let you remove a tax module even though past transactions have used it. It does not function like payment modules in that way.

[lesliekirk]

Yes and no.




1. Setup the new module in a dev environment.

What if your dev site has the old module? Can it be deactivated or does it have to be completely removed?

[lesliekirk]

oliverands The new integration does not use those php files at all, so after the migration is complete, you'll want to remove those files for the server to clean things up.

Miva will let you remove a tax module even though past transactions have used it. It does not function like payment modules in that way.

Can the entire AvaTax4PHP directory be deleted?

[Brennan]

Yes once you have transitioned off the old module. That directory and all its contents can and should be deleted. Its only used by the old module.

[lesliekirk]

Yes once you have transitioned off the old module. That directory and all its contents can and should be deleted. Its only used by the old module.

Ahhh, so if they haven't made the full transition it should remain? Seems the store owner didn't do something right, has only the new module but it not getting the data his should be getting. I have suggested that they contact Support for help.