A platform built for fast-growing software companies

Having previously used Avalara at another company, Jessi was looking for a more user-friendly solution that could handle Hightouch's complex needs while requiring minimal time investment. After reviewing several options, including Vertex, Jessi chose Anrok to automate Hightouch's sales tax compliance. 

"Obviously the first requirement is reliability," Jessi says. "We need to trust that the system can calculate the return correctly. And then syncing with NetSuite is a big one for us."

Anrok's platform offered Hightouch seamless integration with both NetSuite and Rippling, providing real-time monitoring of economic and physical nexus across all jurisdictions. This integration was particularly valuable for Jessi, as she could see when Hightouch triggered new tax obligations due to employee locations.

"I really liked that Anrok connects with Rippling," Jessi says. "Having the notification when we hit both physical nexus and economic nexus has been so helpful for us to keep track of everything and not have to worry at all about missing a state."

Implementation was straightforward, taking just a week to get fully operational.

"It was really fast, about a week," Jessi says. "We essentially met with the team and I was like, 'Okay, let's connect NetSuite. Let's connect Rippling. And then we were done."

Peace of mind with minimal time investment

With Anrok, Hightouch has transformed sales tax compliance from a potential risk area into a streamlined, automated process that requires minimal attention from the finance team.

"I just don't really spend too much time on it," Jessi says. "Every time I have returns to review, I'll take a quick pass. And then if we ever have a customer who sends us an exemption certificate after the fact, I might spend five to ten minutes on it."

Jessi also appreciates Anrok's exposure modeling tool, which helped them determine which states required immediate action and whether historical filings were necessary.

"I like the exposure modeling tool—that was really helpful when we were looking at states and which ones we need to file in," Jessi says. "We didn't have to go into NetSuite and QuickBooks and combine data between the two systems to try to figure out our sales in every state from the beginning of time. The fact that it was all in one place made it very streamlined, and the reporting itself was super easy to pull."

Without Anrok, Jessi estimates that Hightouch would need to hire a dedicated person just to handle this work, or she would have to spend up to half of her time on sales tax alone.

Pro-tip: Avoid substantial risk by tackling sales tax sooner rather than later

By implementing Anrok early in their compliance journey, Hightouch has avoided the substantial risks and costs associated with sales tax non-compliance. 

"I would advise any startup to think about sales tax now. Anrok is not a huge financial burden," Jessi says. "You're just getting ahead of a future problem. And you don't want to be in a situation where you have to go through a VDA process with strict states like Arizona, New York, or Texas."

For Jessi, the peace of mind that comes with knowing Hightouch's sales tax obligations are being properly handled is invaluable.

"I'd rather worry about it when my liability is small and not have to think about it again," Jessi says. With Anrok, Hightouch can confidently focus on growth and innovation while leaving sales tax compliance on autopilot.