Tax Pros should use AI to simplify and elevate their work

Working in tax requires nuance. Week in and week out, professionals are asked to deliver reliable and timely interpretations of laws, regulations, and guidance. And, of course, details and accuracy are paramount. 

So, I think it’s fair for tax pros to wonder: Can I trust AI to support my work? 

We recently streamed a Bloomberg Tax panel discussion that focuses on this question. To address it, I sat down with Sharad Jha, managing director at Deloitte with more than 20 years of experience advising tax departments on technology and process transformation, and Chris Little, a lead product manager at Bloomberg Tax. 

It makes sense that some tax professionals have concerns about the risks of hallucinations and inaccuracies associated with this rapidly growing technology, while others worry they’ll be viewed as expendable if AI becomes widely adopted in the workplace. 

On the flipside, I’m hearing many more people engage in conversations about how they can use AI practically at work – and not in a passing sense. During our panel conversion, I shared that some of our clients are beginning to dip their toes in, while others are going as far as developing their own in-house AI solutions. 

A global trend toward AI use

As Sharad told us, large companies are “definitely” doing experimentation – and the industry at large is “being more deliberate” in figuring out how they can best leverage this groundbreaking technology.

If you’re still skeptical about AI, I’ve also got to tell you this: It isn’t a job killer in the sense that the technology will replace all human insights and expertise. But soon professionals will need to leverage AI in their day-to-day work to stay ahead of, or at least on par with, their peers. To this point, according to a report from the International Monetary Fund, nearly 40% of global teams are already exposed to AI, a number that jumps to about 60% in advanced economies.

The IRS and other tax authorities also are increasingly using artificial intelligence to capture tax revenue. Plus – and this is the kicker for tax professionals – nearly one-third (29%) of tax functions already are deploying generative AI, with another 26% of tax functions currently exploring its uses, according to the 2024 KPMG Chief Tax Officer outlook survey.

Tax professionals are harnessing AI in the workplace to simplify daily tasks, avoid manual errors, skip those long-standing but tedious Excel sheets, and get lightning-fast answers to industry questions instead of poring through volumes of text. So, while concerns are fair, I do think it’s also important to grasp the incredible benefits of AI, and to understand that you can use a vetted AI program to help you simplify and elevate your work as a tax professional – as long as the right processes and guardrails are in place. 

Using this technology safely and responsibly starts with choosing the right tool and learning how to use it. My advice is to select a trustworthy and quality product that’s grounded in your professional domain and supported by expert human oversight as well as the appropriate industry guardrails. 

My team has been developing AI-powered tools for over a decade, and we know that the “who” behind the tech really matters. Our engineers and data scientists work closely with subject matter experts to allow them to develop deep domain expertise. We also continually seek feedback from users through our Innovation Studio and other avenues. This ensures we build solutions that actually solve the challenges of tax professionals and easily integrate into their workflows. 

The writing is on the wall, and the potential benefits of AI are astounding. So, it’s important for tax professionals to talk about generative AI – and to use it at work. 

AI for tax department growth

There are 340,000 fewer certified public accountants working today versus five years ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. So, many tax professionals are facing staffing shortages while managing mounting workloads in an already challenging industry. For today and tomorrow, AI can be a difference maker – a win-win for individuals and a stressed industry. 

Businesses that adopt trustworthy AI can lift the burden on overworked teams, providing efficiency-boosting support while potentially freeing up more time for strategic, high-value or growth-focused activities. And as new generations enter the workplace, a business’s embrace of new technology could help attract talent to fill vacancies. 

I encourage tax professionals to be open to learning about how trusted and quality AI products can save time, save money, and give you a competitive advantage.