A wholesale portal should let a signed-in buyer upload a resale or exemption certificate, give your team a clear approve or reject path, and only then treat the account as tax-exempt on routine orders. Week one on Parcel Build is that first working version for known accounts. Flat $5,000/mo. You own the code. See custom software for wholesalers. If that certificate path is the gap, start a free 30-day build.
Why email PDFs and shared drives fail audits and delay first orders
Certificates land in inboxes. Someone saves a copy to a shared folder. Someone else cannot find the current file when the first order is ready. Audit questions then pull people into old threads instead of a clear approve or reject record.
The delay is not drama. It is missing status. The buyer does not know if the file was accepted. Inside sales does not know if tax should still apply. Finance cannot show who signed off.
What week one can cover
Upload for a signed-in account. A review queue with approve or reject. An account flag that turns tax-exempt treatment on after approval. Buyer-visible status so the account is not guessing in email.
On Parcel Build, week one is a first working version of that path. Flat $5,000/mo. You own the code.
What stays out of month one
Defer a full Avalara replacement. Defer every state form generator. Defer automated legal validation claims. Month one is certificate intake, human review, and a clear account flag before orders run tax-exempt.
FAQ
Does a custom portal replace Avalara or every state tax engine in month one?
No. Month one is upload, review, and an account flag for known accounts. Broader tax engines can stay where they already earn their place.
Can expired certificates block ordering until a human reviews a new upload?
Yes. That is a common week-one design when the gap is certificate control. The hold waits for a human decision on the new file.
Next step
If resale and tax exemption in the portal is what feels hardest, start a free 30-day build. Name that gap on the form. We scope a free 30-day build on that problem: first working version in week one, flat $5,000/mo after if you want to continue.