Avalara NEXT 2026 to spotlight 'agentic' tax automation

Avalara has opened registration for Avalara NEXT 2026, a virtual conference focused on what it calls "agentic" approaches to tax and compliance automation. The event will be streamed live from Seattle and is aimed at software builders and technology partners.

The agenda includes executive keynotes, technical sessions, product announcements, and partner-led discussions. This year's theme is "Automation to Autonomy: Building Agentic, Always-On Tax Compliance".

Speakers and sessions are geared towards cloud architects, engineers, developers, independent software vendors, system integrators, and technology partners. Avalara positions the event as a forum for exploring how tax and compliance functions can be integrated into commerce and finance systems.

Keynote focus

Danny Fields, Chief Technology and Customer Operations Officer at Avalara, will deliver the opening keynote. He will discuss how compliance technology is moving beyond rules-based approaches towards architectures designed to respond to regulatory change, according to the company.

Fields is also expected to address how organisations manage compliance operations across jurisdictions as they grow. Avalara is emphasising systems that run continuously rather than relying on periodic manual interventions.

Builder sessions

The programme includes several implementation-focused sessions for developers and architects, including "Developer Deep Dive: Getting the Most from Avalara's New Developer Portal". The session will cover updated tools, documentation, and integration features intended to shorten development cycles.

Another session, "Always-On Tax Compliance: The Avalara Returns Agent", will introduce the Avalara Returns Agent, which Avalara describes as a component that supports filing and remittance workflows. The session will focus on how it fits into streamlined processes.

Avalara will also present "Next-Gen Compliance: AI-Infused Certification with Xero". The session will demonstrate workflows that Avalara says can streamline tax integrations and certification. Xero is widely used by small and mid-sized businesses and accounting practices across several markets, including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

The agenda also includes "Architecting for Global Mandates: The Power of Synergy with Chargebee". Chargebee provides subscription billing software. The discussion will cover approaches to building subscription and billing systems that can adapt to changing tax requirements across countries.

Avalara will also provide updates on partner integrations and enablement initiatives planned for 2026. The programme reflects a broader industry push to strengthen ecosystems around compliance technology, where software companies and integrators often manage multiple tax regimes through shared connectors and APIs.

Partner ecosystem

Sean Brown, Founder and CEO of Versori, will also speak at the event. Versori focuses on integration technology. Brown is expected to discuss the benefits of "agentic integration", a concept gaining traction as software vendors explore automated orchestration across systems.

After the main programme, Avalara plans a live Q&A on its Developer Portal, as well as a "Vibe Coding" session with direct access to technical experts.

Audience and context

Avalara is targeting developers who embed tax functions into applications, ISVs and SaaS providers that add compliance features to their products, and system integrators that build cross-border commerce platforms.

It is also pitching the event to product and technology leaders working on what it calls "agentic experiences" for customers. In practice, this often includes teams building automated decision-making into workflows, such as calculating taxes at checkout, determining filing requirements, or managing documentation linked to exemptions.

Tax compliance has become a growing focus for software vendors as digital commerce expands and regulators increase requirements for reporting, invoicing, and documentation. Many businesses must navigate a mix of national and local rules, alongside frequent updates that affect rates, thresholds, and filing processes.

Avalara says it supports more than 200,000 direct and indirect customers across more than 75 countries, and has developed a large library of tax content and integrations over more than two decades.

Fields framed the conference as a look at shifting approaches in the sector.

Sessions will cover updated developer tooling, product direction, and partner-led implementation discussions, with additional interactive segments planned after the main broadcast.