Case Study - AccelOne’s Custom Sales Tax Software

Business requirement

The client needed comprehensive sales tax software that would automate the process of validating, reconciling, and filing tax returns while minimizing errors and reducing manual intervention.

Traditional software solutions are complex, do not cover all the tax filing process aspects, and lack interstate capabilities. Configuration and integration with the invoicing software is usually a long process requiring help from IT specialists and several days of trying to get it to work properly.

Business solution

AccelOne developed a custom software solution that enabled users to test invoice transactions, file returns in minutes, and generate on-screen notifications for errors, credit amounts, and rate variances.

The validation procedure is fast. Unlike other solutions, this software generates on-screen notifications to pinpoint jurisdictional errors, net credit amounts, and rate variances down to the local level. You can correct the client’s front-end data issues without dumping the data or engaging the override feature to make pre- and post-dated adjustments. You can use the adjustment library to handle those unique items necessary for complete tax return filing.

The software validates, reconciles, and simplifies the filing process.

This software gives complete control over the backend. The product includes a Rate Lookup tool as well, showing historical rates and tax codes specific to a collection period, and an integrated tax calendar that tracks all clients’ filing obligations in a single view, which is a must-have tool for customers during the filing process.

The challenge

The challenge was creating a system that could handle high volumes of tax data while providing real-time notifications and seamless integration with invoicing software.

The technical solution

The software was built as a web application using ASPX with jQuery AJAX extensions, and the database was designed using SQL Server 2008 R2.

The application supported the scalable processing of millions of transactions.

Approach

AccelOne applied a modular development approach, allowing for incremental updates based on user feedback. The solution was delivered on time and on-budget.

The nearshore team was created with the following resources:

Project Director
Architect / PM / Team Leader / DB Expert
Senior Business Analyst
Senior Net / ASPX Developer
SemiSenior Net / ASPX Developer
Senior Web designer / UX Expert
QA BlackBox Tester

The first version was released six months after the project started, and certified in the state of North Carolina, with the purpose of performing QA on real data.

After a year, a fully functional version was released, prompting customers to immediately start using it.

Based on customer' day-to-day work and their requirements, a third version of the product was released two years after the project started.

After that period and until today we are improving the software with new functionalities and better performance, scaling it for more processing and data storage with a server DB cluster version and refacing it completely to improve the UX.

The technology

The product was developed as a web application, supporting all the commercial HTML5 / CSS3 most popular browsers in the market (Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Internet Explorer). The whole application is based on ASPX with jQuery AJAX extensions.

The database engine is SQL Server 2008 R2, and extensive usage of store procedures was done to keep performance optimal. The application has logic to maintain automatic table partitioning on demand, and it is prepared to work with one or more DBs to scale and manage millions of transactions. The Net Framework version is 4, and the product runs on both 32 and 64-bit OS.

Results

The software simplified the tax filing process, reduced errors, and increased operational efficiency. It quickly gained adoption in the tax technology market and is being continuously improved.

The project was a success and the deliverables were completed on time and within budget; the customer also contracted AccelOne to continue the development of a new complete line of products for the tax filing industry.

AccelOne’s custom sales tax software transformed the industry by offering a simplified, efficient solution for tax filing, delivering significant value to businesses.