I believe the task you are referring to is actually an Avalara screen, called "Maintain Item Code Mapping". It is available under the Standard menu, in the Avalara module; you may have also added it under the Common Information module. In the Avalara module, there's a task called "Maintain Item Tax Codes", which is the task where you need to enter the tax code from Avalara's perspective, so it is aware of the code you added. You probably also have to add this code to the Avalara AvaTax website as a code, so that it matches what is in 500 and gets the tax behavior you want (taxable, non-taxable for example).

Darrick

Hi Darrick!  THANK YOU!   The Maintain Item Tax Code Mapping I am referring to is indeed in Sage under Common Information and now it makes sense that is the Avalara task but added to Sage.  The task may have been set up in Sage in order to map within Avalara to have the Avalara tax code mapped to the item before it gets to Avalara.  If I start using a new Avalara tax code, I can map it to the item in Avalara and it works, but I was hoping to be consistent and map within Sage 500.  But if it's a new (never used in my system before) Avalara tax code I am using, I can create it in Sage, add it to the inventory record in Sage, but it won't show as selectable in this mapping task in Sage.  I have attached a screen shot.  In this example, Item 20018 is mapped to tax code PB100000.  If I change it to something else, an Avalara tax code never used before, I can't get it to be in this database to select.  I then just go to Avalara and set it up there.  But, do you know how I can get the tax code into this search as an option even after I have set it up as a tax class already?Maintain item code tax mapping Sage screen shot.docx

Alison -

Darrick beat me to the answer.  However, I wanted to share with you some additional details.  We just posted a blog about this very topic on our website.  You can check it out here:

https://www.rklesolutions.com/blog/avatax-for-sage-500-erp-mapping-items-to-product-tax-codes

As you will see in the blog, I typically recommend to our clients to setup the mapping of items to product tax codes on the Avalara side, but also outline how you can do this within Sage 500 ERP.

Regards,

Russ

Alison -

I am trying to understand your comment "it won't show as selectable in this mapping task in Sage."  The screen shot you attached appears to show that you have mapped your item successfully to the product tax code.  Is this value not being passed to Avalara during the tax calculation?

I have seen cases where the Product Tax Codes assigned to items in Sage 500 ERP do not get consistently sent to Avalara.  This is one of the reasons that I recommend to customers to set it up on the Avalara side.

Russ

Hi Russ!  Thank you for the reply and the blog.  Loved it.  In the attachment I was just showing the screen I was referring to.  In that example, that item is successfully mapped.  That is because that tax code was already loaded into SAGE, probably when a few were added in the beginning as explained in your article.  However, I need to know how to add more Product Tax Codes, so that when I map a new item, I can click the search icon and the option of the tax code I want will be one I can select.  I created it in Maintain Tax Classes, which allowed it to be selected in Sage on the inventory item record.  However, it (tax code) is not an option to select in the Maintain Item Code Mapping (in Sage).  I have just been setting new items up directly into Avalara so maybe that's what I should keep doing.  For a while, we thought by simply assigning a tax code to the inventory item it would be sent to Avalara but those were going with the P000000 code because they were never mapped in SAGE or Avalara.  Since I couldn't get the tax code to be an option to selection within Sage mapping, I just mapped into Avalara and it works but wanted to be able to do either way.

Russ- on the blog there is a "lookup window", I am trying to get a new tax code here.

Alison -

You will need to add additional Product Tax Codes using this task.  This is another Avalara provided task.  If you need to know what the list of valid Product Tax Codes are you can follow the reference link at the end of the blog.  I have also included it here for your convenience.

Avalara Product Tax Codes: https://taxcode.avatax.avalara.com/

Russ

Thank you.  Russ, when you say "you will need to add additional product tax codes using this task" - what task do you  mean?  Are you saying to add the Product Tax Code to the SAGE lookup window?  I don't see a way to add it here.  See on this screen it lists all the tax codes currently loaded but I don't know how to load a new Product Tax Code here.  Am I crazy lol?  

Alison -

That lookup is launched from the task Maintain Item Tax Codes.  It is the screen immediately above the lookup in the blog.  You add them in this task.  I have included a screen capture of this here:

Once you add them here, they will be available to link to items in the task Maintain Item Tax Code Mapping.

Russ

AHHHH!!  Well, this is why I feel like I am losing my mind. I can't seem to find this task in my Sage 500.  It is either hidden or never added.  The Maintain Tax Classes is where all the Product Tax Codes are and I can add new product tax codes here but they do not flow to the maintain item tax codes mapping.

The Maintain Tax Codes are sales tax codes for local  and not related to the product tax codes at all.

Could it be that I just don't have this Maintain Item Tax Codes task within Sage 500?  I have 2013 version.