{
 "categories": [
  "finance",
  "enterprise"
 ],
 "deployment": "saas",
 "evidence": [
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "homepage",
   "note": "Avalara presents the Managed Returns API as the developer surface for embedding tax-return preparation, filing, and remittance.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "license",
   "note": "Avalara provisions a Firm Account and issues API credentials before a partner can call the Managed Returns API. No public free tier was stated.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "deployment",
   "note": "The product page describes a hosted API that partners call so returns preparation and filing run inside Avalara rather than in a local application.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "platforms",
   "note": "The opened surface is a hosted HTTP API and developer portal. No desktop client was described.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.api.exists",
   "note": "Avalara documents the Managed Returns API for U.S. and Canada. The sandbox GraphQL endpoint is https://returns-api.sbx.avalara.com/graphql.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.api.kinds[0]",
   "note": "The connect guide gives a GraphQL endpoint and describes firm and client operations against that API.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.api.auth[0]",
   "note": "Authentication is a JWT from POST https://ai-sbx.avlr.sh/connect/token with grant_type=client_credentials. client_id is the account id and client_secret is the license key. Later calls use Authorization Bearer.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.api.coverage",
   "note": "The opened guide is the U.S. and Canada Managed Returns flow: firm provisioning, client linkage, companies, filing calendars, filings, and notices. It is one Returns domain, and Avalara must provision the firm account first.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.api.docs",
   "note": "Opened as the current connect guide for the Avalara Managed Returns API.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.first_party",
   "note": "Avalara hosts the Returns MCP server at https://mcp.avalara.com/returns and documents JWT bearer auth, a mandatory domain header, and tools for filings, calendars, approvals, MyLodge, property tax, VAT, and Excise.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/mcp-servers/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.mcp.verdict",
   "note": "The avadev/mcp README says Avalara creates and maintains that repository and lists Returns as an Avalara-supported MCP server.",
   "source": "https://github.com/avadev/mcp",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.data_access.export[0]",
   "note": "get_liability_reports_returns and get_filing_attachments_returns return liability reports and filing attachments as ZIP bytes.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/mcp-servers/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "modalities.agent_docs.llms_txt",
   "note": "https://developer.avalara.com/llms.txt links Avalara Managed Returns API, the Returns MCP server, and the U.S. and Canada and EMEA Managed Returns integration guides.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/llms.txt",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.api",
   "note": "The GraphQL API is a documented filing contract with JWT client credentials and a firm-versus-client credential split. Avalara must provision the firm account first, and the opened guide is the U.S. and Canada surface, so the path is useful with those gates.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "verdict.scores.mcp",
   "note": "The official Returns MCP exposes filing, approval, funding, MyLodge, property-tax, VAT, and Excise tools. It requires a license-key JWT and one domain per connection, and it does not use the OAuth2 flow described for other Avalara MCP servers.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/mcp-servers/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[0].url",
   "note": "Opened the Returns MCP page. Production URL is https://mcp.avalara.com/returns. JWT bearer auth and the domain header are still required.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/mcp-servers/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[1].url",
   "note": "Opened the U.S. and Canada connect guide. Sandbox GraphQL and the client-credentials token URL match the record.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[2].url",
   "note": "Opened the Managed Returns API product page. It still describes embedded preparation, filing, and remittance.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/",
   "tier": "declared"
  },
  {
   "date": "2026-10-01",
   "fact": "freshness.watch[3].url",
   "note": "Opened the Avalara developer llms.txt index. Managed Returns and the Returns MCP server remain listed.",
   "source": "https://developer.avalara.com/llms.txt",
   "tier": "declared"
  }
 ],
 "freshness": {
  "last_verified": "2026-10-01",
  "volatility": "high",
  "watch": [
   {
    "type": "mcp",
    "url": "https://developer.avalara.com/mcp-servers/returns/"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/"
   },
   {
    "type": "docs",
    "url": "https://developer.avalara.com/llms.txt"
   }
  ]
 },
 "homepage": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/",
 "id": "avalara-returns",
 "license": "commercial",
 "modalities": {
  "agent_docs": {
   "llms_txt": true
  },
  "api": {
   "auth": [
    "oauth2-client-credentials"
   ],
   "coverage": "partial",
   "docs": "https://developer.avalara.com/products/returns/integration-guides/managed-returns/tvm4716382896853.md",
   "exists": true,
   "kinds": [
    "graphql"
   ]
  },
  "cli": {
   "exists": "unknown"
  },
  "computer_use": {
   "issues": [],
   "viability": "unknown"
  },
  "data_access": {
   "export": [
    "zip"
   ],
   "import": []
  },
  "extensibility": {
   "scripting": [],
   "webhooks": "unknown"
  },
  "integrations": {
   "make": "unknown",
   "n8n": "unknown",
   "power_automate": "unknown",
   "zapier": "unknown"
  },
  "mcp": {
   "first_party": true,
   "third_party": [],
   "verdict": "official"
  },
  "rpa": {
   "drivability": "unknown",
   "notes": "No repeatable UI probe was run. The Managed Returns GraphQL API and the hosted Returns MCP cover filing calendars, filings, and domain-specific returns work without browser control.\n",
   "ui_stack": [
    "web-dom"
   ],
   "vendor_support": []
  },
  "sdk": {
   "exists": "unknown",
   "languages": [],
   "official": "unknown"
  }
 },
 "name": "Avalara Returns",
 "platforms": [
  "web"
 ],
 "related": {
  "alternatives": [
   "avalara-avatax"
  ],
  "our_products": []
 },
 "schema_version": 1,
 "score_version": 1,
 "status": "active",
 "vendor": "Avalara",
 "verdict": {
  "best_path": "api",
  "scores": {
   "api": 7,
   "cli": null,
   "computer_use": null,
   "integrations": null,
   "mcp": 7,
   "overall": 7,
   "rpa": null
  },
  "summary": "Avalara Returns is automatable today through the Managed Returns GraphQL API and a first-party hosted MCP server. This record is Avalara Returns filing and remittance, including the Managed Returns, VAT, Excise, MyLodge, and property-tax domains exposed by the Returns MCP. Avalara AvaTax and E-Invoicing and Live Reporting are separate products. The opened U.S. and Canada guide uses the sandbox GraphQL endpoint https://returns-api.sbx.avalara.com/graphql. Callers exchange an account id and license key for a JWT at https://ai-sbx.avlr.sh/connect/token with grant_type=client_credentials, then send Authorization Bearer. Firm credentials provision and link client accounts. Client credentials manage companies, filing calendars, filings, and notices. Avalara provisions the firm account before integration starts. The hosted MCP server at https://mcp.avalara.com/returns does not use the OAuth2 flow. It requires that JWT in an Authorization bearer header and a mandatory business domain on every request, using X-Returns-Tools or the tools query parameter. Named domains include us-returns, vat-returns, propertytax, mylodge, and excise. Omitting the domain blocks tool calls. The opened tool table includes filing calendars, filings, liability reports, filing attachments, approve_filings_returns, and funding power-of-attorney calls, plus MyLodge, property-tax, VAT, and Excise tools. A separate Returns SDK and a first-party CLI were not established. iPaaS connector catalogs were not opened. Computer-use viability is unassessed. API and MCP both score 7. API is the best path because it is the documented filing contract and does not add the MCP domain header on top of the same license-key JWT.\n"
 }
}