Keeping it simple
The other main misconception is believing self-built solutions are the only viable option when far easier and cheaper alternatives are available. In part, this often stems from the assumption that the business’ tax affairs are so complex only a bespoke solution will do. Limited knowledge of the tech and vendor landscape also means tax leaders may not know what other options are available.
In reality, you rarely have to incur the effort and expense of self-built solutions. In my experience, many manual tax processes can be streamlined in a matter of weeks with the use of simple and readily available automation tools, and existing platforms.
ERP systems have been advancing rapidly in recent years. This includes the introduction of a new, improved and increasingly versatile range of dedicated tax tools – Oracle EPM Tax Reporting or SAP Tax Compliance, for example. In turn, business systems can easily be adapted and configured for tax. For example, our Indirect Tax Edge solution automatically extracts, collates and configures data from group-wide sales and finance systems and then prepares local country filings and payments.
You’re also potentially sitting on a range of hyper-automation tools included within existing enterprise licences that are not being fully utilised - such as the Microsoft Power Query, Power BI, Power Platform, Alteryx, RPA platforms. There are minimal incremental licensing costs and Internal approval is already in place, making the process fast and inexpensive.
In terms of third party solutions, the advantages of off-the-shelf platforms don’t just include speed of configuration and implementation, but also regular updates. If there are changes in VAT or corporate tax, the third party supplier will modify the software so you don’t have to.
Another attractive alternative is tax managed services, which provide you with both qualified people and new systems to help you manage your tax requirements during transformation, when staff are otherwise committed. Tax managed services can also provide an agile and scalable longer term solution to operational demands, taking care of core demands such as computation and filings and keeping you up to date with regulatory changes, while ensuring that the supporting systems are best in class.
You might ask if there is still a place for enterprise self-built applications. The answer is yes; but given the inevitable time and expense involved they should be the last resort. Typically we find that only a small percentage need us to build in-house custom Enterprise applications.