Ever since COVID-19 emerged and shook up the global status quo, we’ve heard a lot about the ‘new normal’, a term usually associated with a line-break between how things were before and how they are now, or indeed, how they might be one day.
If some experts are to be believed, the digitalisation of tax is fast becoming this industry’s ‘new normal’, both in terms of the technology itself and those who apply it. Tax technologists are in increasingly high demand, while companies are grappling with emerging technologies like blockchain. All in all, it’s an exciting time.
What’s easily forgotten during any new change is that, in most cases, it’s human beings who make the magic happen. That’s why companies are scrambling to find tax technologists, as they are known, to help them realise the benefits on offer. But here lies the problem – in some countries, these specialists are just not that easy to find. What’s more, the tools on offer can be less than satisfactory.
We can expect plenty of change in the next few years as technology and technologists become a core part of the tax world. It’s why we’ve dedicated the cover story of this PDF to these issues, providing deep analysis with the help of tax directors and advisers in a number of regions. It is also my first PDF as editor-in-chief, so I’d like to say what a pleasure it is to be here and to join a new industry.
Elsewhere, you can find a host of content in this issue of ITR, including analysis from our journalists, reports from conferences we have attended, sponsored content including local insights, and the market insight section. As always, we hope you enjoy reading what’s on offer, and we look forward to seeing you next time.
