In February, tax professionals from across the country gathered in Seattle for the TEI Tax Technology Seminar—an event that trained a bold spotlight on automation in tax. Among the most dynamic sessions was the automation competition, where ten participating teams showcased real-world tax automation solutions built on modern platforms. The automation competition was co-presented and moderated by Sara Mendiola and Ramon Solis of LyondellBasell and Alex Gilbert and me of RGP. We led a three-session case study building out a global cash tax tracking tool, using the Microsoft Power platform as our foundation. The first two sessions provided the participants with a step-by-step guide to complete a series of tasks and challenges. After the first two sessions, four finalists were identified, and at the third and final session, the four finalists had to present in front of 200-plus seminar attendees, share their global cash tax tracking tool, and summarize their lessons learned and observations made during the competition.
But beyond the tools and techniques on display, the competition offered valuable insight into where we in the tax profession stand today in our automation journey—and where we’re heading next.
The Premise: Building to Solve, Not Just Showcase
The challenge was to create a tool to help a centralized tax team collect and document global cash taxes paid by different subsidiary locations. Most global companies pay significant taxes worldwide, and it can be very burdensome to collect this data in one place. The automation competition wasn’t about theoretical models or wish-list prototypes. It was a roll-up-your-sleeves challenge to build a tangible, end-to-end solution to a real tax problem: tracking and modeling global cash taxes across jurisdictions. It’s a problem many multinational companies face.
The case study solution instructed the participating teams to use several Microsoft platforms and services to build out the global cash tracking tool:
- Power BI to visualize real-time cash tax positions by entity and jurisdiction;
- Power Automate to automate data collection and workflow management;
- SharePoint lists as a scalable, centralized data repository; and
- Power Apps to collect input from tax teams and local controllers via a web-hosted user interface.
In just three sessions, we demonstrated how tax departments can deploy these low-code tools to improve transparency, accuracy, and collaboration—without waiting for a full enterprise resource planning (ERP) upgrade or a multimillion-dollar software implementation.
Where Tax Automation Stands Today
The energy and engagement at the event clearly signaled that tax automation is no longer aspirational—it’s happening now. But the playing field is uneven, for several reasons.
Tax Has Embraced the “Automate or Fall Behind” Mindset
Most tax departments today recognize that automation is a necessity—not a luxury. Teams are under growing pressure to deliver faster close cycles, real-time reporting, and enhanced audit readiness. Manual spreadsheets, email-based workflows, and static data no longer cut it.
The Technology Is Ready—but the Adoption Curve Varies
Although enterprise tools like Alteryx, Power BI, and low-code platforms are widely available, adoption within tax functions remains inconsistent. Some organizations have embedded automation into daily workflows, whereas others are still in pilot phases or struggling with resource constraints, data governance, or change management. In many cases, the learning curve associated with using these tools effectively—particularly for professionals without a technical background—can be a barrier to broader adoption. Bridging that skills gap through training, hands-on experience, and peer collaboration is critical to realizing the full value of these platforms.
Cross-Functional Collaboration Is Critical—but Often Missing
A recurring theme throughout the seminar was the need for stronger alignment among tax, information technology (IT), and finance. Many tax departments are now tech-aware but not yet tech-enabled. They need partners who understand both tax and technology to bridge that gap.
Tax Professionals—Not Developers—Often Lead Automation
One of the most exciting trends is the rise of citizen developers within tax teams—analytically minded professionals using low-code tools to build automation themselves. This shift empowers tax to move faster and to tailor solutions to its exact needs, without relying solely on enterprise IT road maps.
Key Takeaways From the Automation Competition
Four takeaways emerged from the competition itself and the broader seminar:
1. Practicality Beats Perfection
The most effective solutions weren’t necessarily the flashiest. Instead, they solved real tax problems—like data collection from local controllers, version control, or audit tracking. The emphasis was on incremental automation: using tools tax professionals already have access to and building on small wins. A recurring lesson was that meaningful automation starts with strong foundations—clean data, clear processes, and reliable inputs. It’s hard to build something effective or innovative on top of disorganized, unreliable systems. Getting the basics right sets the stage for more advanced, high-impact automation down the road.
2. Governance Matters—but Shouldn’t Block Innovation
Participants discussed how automation needs to align with enterprise data standards, cybersecurity, and audit protocols. But governance shouldn’t be a barrier to progress. Instead, organizations should create guardrails that empower tax teams to experiment safely—especially with tools like the Microsoft Power Platform that can be centrally managed.
3. Visualization Drives Adoption
When you can show leadership or controllers a dashboard that replaces hours of Excel wrangling, you get immediate buy-in. Power BI, in particular, stood out for its ability to make data clear, interactive, and actionable—driving better conversations between tax and the business.
4. Automating Inputs Is Just as Important as Automating Outputs
Many tax tech projects focus on reporting or analytics. But automation should also target the upstream process—how data is collected, reviewed, and approved. The global cash tax tracking tool’s use of Power Apps for input and Power Automate for workflow highlighted the importance of streamlining from the source.
Where Tax Technology Is Heading
Based on the discussions and innovations showcased at the TEI Tax Technology Seminar, a few trends are becoming clear.
Low-Code Is the Future of Tax Enablement
Tools like the Microsoft Power Platform and Alteryx are democratizing development. Rather than waiting on IT for every solution, tax professionals are becoming builders themselves. This trend will accelerate as tax becomes more data-centric.
Tax Is Getting Serious About Operational Design
It’s no longer just about automation for automation’s sake. Tax leaders are starting to think about end-to-end process architecture—from data ingestion to compliance reporting to strategic forecasting. This “systems thinking” will help tax departments scale automation sustainably.
AI Is Entering the Conversation—but Needs Structure
Although the excitement around generative AI is palpable, most tax teams are still figuring out how to apply it responsibly. The consensus: AI can be powerful when built on top of clean, structured data and defined processes—which makes current automation and data transformation efforts even more critical.
Talent and Mindset Will Drive Success
The most valuable tax technologists are not just coders—they’re communicators, collaborators, and problem solvers. Future tax teams will need professionals who can blend tax knowledge with data fluency and change leadership.
Final Thoughts
The TEI automation competition proved that tax automation is no longer a future state—it’s a present-day imperative. Whether through dashboards that deliver real-time visibility or automated workflows that reduce manual effort, the tools are here and ready. What’s needed now is leadership, vision, and continued collaboration among tax, finance, and IT.
At its best, automation doesn’t just improve tax processes—it also elevates the role of tax as a strategic business partner. For those still on the sidelines, the message is clear: the time to build is now.
Elon Friedman is vice president of tax and treasury services at RGP.
