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By Sales and use taxBeverage Alcohol

AvaTax for Beverage Alcohol FAQs

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Are these APIs available in both Sandbox and Production environments?

Yes.

How are volume metrics affected when I include both positive and negative values on a transaction?

The Shipping Verification APIs support both SalesInvoice and ReturnInvoice document types. If either type is registered, positive amounts will increase tracked volume metrics and negative amounts will decrease them. In addition, edits to previously registered transactions of any type will need to be re-registered to pick up any changes and adjust volume metrics appropriately.

How do I handle returns for beverage alcohol transactions?

Creating returns for beverage alcohol transactions is similar to creating a new sale. Use the CreateTransaction API with a document type of ReturnInvoice instead of SalesInvoice, and use a negative value for the dollar amount. After the return is created, you can call VerifyShipment and RegisterShipment, or call RegisterShipmentIfCompliant. You will still need to register return invoices so that volume metrics are adjusted.

Refer to the Refund purchase section to see an example.

If I register a transaction and then change the transaction, do I need to register it again?

Yes. It’s important to re-register updated transactions so that volume metrics are adjusted accurately.

Where can I see a list of all parameters that can be specified in a ParameterModel?

Run the ListParameters API to see a list of all available parameters.

Why do my beverage alcohol transactions come back with “UnsupportedTaxCode” in the verification response?

Only the following tax codes are checked for compliance:

  • PA2020100: Packaged alcohol - spirits
  • PA2020300: Packaged alcohol - wine
  • PA2020301: Packaged alcohol - sparkling wine
  • PA2020302: Packaged alcohol - fortified wine
  • PA2020400: Packaged alcohol - hard cider and other flavored beverages
  • PA2020500: Packaged alcohol - mixed alcoholic beverages

Any other tax code that you include in a transaction (regardless of whether that tax code is for an alcoholic beverage) will result in an “Unsupported tax code” message. In addition, because these tax codes are not checked for compliance, they will automatically be treated as compliant.

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Part of the Beverage Alcohol integration guide. Open the full “AvaTax for Beverage Alcohol FAQs” milestone on Avalara to see every page in this section.