Meller: From Chaos to Compliance

Working with Yonda was a remarkable experience. They have exceptional domain expertise – both in the world of e-commerce and technical sales tax topics. Everyone we worked with was knowledgeable, practical, and communicated very clearly. They were proactive in informing us of our exposure, and then guided us expertly to full compliance. We are very grateful for their support.

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Introduction

Sales Tax Compliance

This case study explores the journey of Meller, a Spain-based sunglasses brand, and their challenges with Sales Tax compliance in the United States. Encountering difficulties with their previous provider, Avalara, Meller turned to Yonda for a solution. This document outlines the challenges faced, the solutions implemented by Yonda, and the key results achieved.

• ✅ 20 states under management
• ⏱ <30 minutes per month spent on Sales Tax
• 💰 10% annual cost savings on filing and compliance
• 🛒 17% reduction in tax calculation costs at checkout
• 🎯 99.8% accuracy between collected and paid tax

Customer Intro & Sales Tax Problem

Meller is a fast-growing sunglasses brand based in Spain, with a strong and expanding footprint in the U.S. market. As the brand scaled, they began fulfilling orders through warehouses in two U.S. states and surpassed economic nexus thresholds in several others—triggering the need for full U.S. sales tax compliance.

To manage this, Meller initially partnered with Avalara. However, the experience quickly became problematic:

• Onboarding was slow and unclear
• Fees were inconsistent and difficult to predict
• Customer support was poor to non-existent

Most critically, there were major discrepancies between the sales tax amounts being collected at checkout on their Shopify store and what Avalara was actually filing. This meant Meller was overpaying tax in some cases, leading to confusion and financial inefficiencies.

Things got worse when Meller triggered nexus in three additional states. Despite requesting new registrations, Avalara failed to deliver sales tax IDs even after three to four months—leaving the business exposed to non-compliance and potential penalties.

Yonda’s Solution: Fast, Accurate, and Fully Managed Sales Tax Compliance

When Meller switched to Yonda, they were immediately supported with a comprehensive onboarding plan. Yonda carefully considered Meller’s existing obligations with Avalara and ensured a smooth transition—taking over tax filing and compliance without disrupting operations.

The migration to Yonda was completed in under seven days.

Yonda also implemented Shopify’s native tax settings to improve the accuracy of tax collection and reduce unnecessary costs. The result was a leaner, more reliable, and more cost-effective approach to sales tax compliance.

Key Results & Benefits : Efficient, Accurate, and Cost-Saving Tax Management

With Yonda in place, Meller now benefits from automated sales tax management across 20+ U.S. states—while spending less than 30 minutes per month on tax admin.

The measurable benefits include:

• 💰 10% reduction in annual compliance costs compared to Avalara
• 🛍️ 17% savings on tax calculation fees thanks to Shopify integration
• 🎯 99.8% accuracy between tax collected and tax filed

This partnership has given Meller full peace of mind when it comes to U.S. sales tax—allowing them to focus on growth without worrying about compliance risks.

Conclusion

Yonda's strategic approach and expertise not only helped MellerCo regain US sales tax compliance but also saved them from significant financial penalties. This successful partnership underscores Yonda's commitment to ensuring smooth operations for businesses in the complex landscape of sales tax compliance.