Everest and Avalara ISPI Announce Two Software Tools to Automate Sales Tax
Constantly changing rates and boundaries make sales tax management a minefield.

Dulles, VA – July 29, 2008 – Everest® Software, the award-winning provider of a fully-integrated business management software for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), has announced the availability of its TaxBridge and LaserBridge+ services via a partnership with Avalara ISPI, Inc. (www.taxrates.com). TaxBridge provides fast and easy updates to sales tax rate tables on a monthly basis, while LaserBridge+ streamlines the forms and reporting process. Both services are now integrated into Everest, automating the previously tedious and complex sales tax calculation and compliance tasks.

Failing to accurately collect and report sales tax to the more than 9,000 taxing authorities in the U.S. increases the risk of penalties and interest from an audit. With growing pressures from budget shortfalls, states are getting more aggressive about capturing previously lost sales tax revenue from sales originating both inside and outside of state boundaries. In order to collect more accurately from purchasers, the sales and use tax calculation and reporting burden continues to increase for businesses. This is becoming a particularly onerous challenge for the smaller companies serving customers both regionally and nationwide.

TaxBridge and LaserBridge+ allow companies to be sales tax compliant with the least amount of effort. Using TaxBridge, monthly and quarterly sales tax jurisdiction and rate updates are available for all levels of sales tax, anywhere in the U.S. LaserBridge+ prepares “state-approved” sales tax return forms in PDF format to display tax data exported from Everest. Detailed reporting is easily understood by auditors.

To provide these new services Everest Software has partnered with experts in the field. “Having access to the most up-to-date sales tax jurisdiction updates and forms is critical for minimizing the risk of errors that can be discovered by an audit. Everest and Avalara ISPI can now provide more value to Everest customers by helping them achieve compliance, while minimizing the time and effort spent on a non-revenue generating activity,” stated Jack Osman, president of Avalara ISPI, Inc. Avalara ISPI has more than thirty years of experience helping businesses expedite the management of sales tax calculation and reporting. Their database is continually maintained and exhaustively reviewed.

Comments Ali Jani, Everest CTO, “We’re constantly introducing new services to our business management system by leveraging branded partner integrations. Everest develops what we do best, then we fast-track other solutions that make sense for our entire customer community.”

TaxBridge and LaserBridge+ are priced to be very affordable for the price-sensitive small business. License subscriptions are based on the number of states covered, so companies only pay for what they need. The ROI is obvious for any business that knows how time-consuming the sales tax requirement can be, and how this time can be better spent on more productive business tasks.

About Everest
Everest® Software enables companies to manage every function of their business more effectively. This all-in-one, fully-integrated business management software application addresses the challenges of growing small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), primarily in retail and wholesale. Customers can dramatically increase their efficiency and profitability with a solution that provides a remarkably rapid return on investment. Everest Software was a finalist for a 2006 American Business Award in the category “Best New Computer Software Product” and is the proud winner of numerous awards including the SIIA Codie Award for “Best Business Software Product.” For more information, please visit www.everestsoftwareinc.com, e-mail us at info@everestsoftwareinc.com or call us at 1.800.382.0725.

About Avalara ISPI, Inc.
Avalara ISPI, Inc. (previously Independent Systems) is a leading provider of software and databases designed to help businesses manage sales and use tax compliance. Since the company’s founding in 1977, ISPI has provided a broad range of tax data solutions, maintaining lines of communication with over 9,000 taxing authorities and covering over 45,000 cities across the country. Avalara ISPI, Inc. solutions, TaxBridge and LaserBridge+ seamlessly integrate with Everest to eliminate the tedious work and complexity associated with calculating, reporting and remitting sales tax. For more information, please visit www.taxrates.com, email marketing@avalara.com or call 630-879-6550.

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© 2008 Everest Software, Inc. Everest is a registered trademark, and the Everest logo and tagline “Your Business Operating System” are trademarks of Everest Software, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.