Maria Scott, CEO of TAINA Technology, provider of a world-class tax technology platform.
When I founded TAINA, I knew there had to be a better way to tackle the heavy operational burden of tax compliance. At that time, I was struck by how many talented people across financial institutions were spending their days on repetitive and manual tasks: checking forms, fixing errors and chasing customers for missing information. These were bright, ambitious professionals who wanted to add value, but the system forced them into firefighting.
Fast forward to today, and we stand at the edge of a transformation. Artificial intelligence, particularly the rise of agentic AI, is giving us the tools to change the profile of tax operations. At TAINA, for example, we’re building a suite of tax agents that can automate form validation and remediation in real time. This aligns with the goals of every financial institution, allowing tax professionals to step out of manual checks and focus on strategic, high-impact work.
How AI Can Transform Tax Operations
The big question on everyone’s mind is: Will AI replace human talent? I believe the answer is no. Instead, I see AI having a revolutionary and evolutionary impact on the industry, complementing professionals, making their work more meaningful and attracting new kinds of talent.
Here’s how I see it reshaping the industry:
Attracting And Retaining The Brightest Talent
Tax has often struggled to compete with more “cutting-edge” fields. With AI-driven tools and new applications, tax compliance and back-office functions can now compete for the brightest global talent who want to work on interesting, technology-driven challenges.
AI can also take on mundane tasks such as processing forms and performing data validations, which frees professionals to focus on risks, strategy and analysis. This can help keep energy and motivation levels high and reduce churn in teams. Moreover, by enabling more flexible work models and reducing reliance on highly specialized tax knowledge, AI is creating new opportunities for experienced professionals to return to the field.
Shaping The Skills Of The Future
The skills tax professionals need are shifting. Familiarity with technology, data analysis and soft skills like communication and empathy will be crucial. Experience and judgment remain vital, particularly as generative AI can produce confident but inaccurate results. Professionals will need critical thinking and conscientiousness to double-check outcomes to avoid errors.
Improving Diversity And Changing Culture
As the skill set broadens, the industry can finally compete for a much more diverse pool of talent, building stronger, more resilient teams.
This new talent entering with fresh expectations and confidence will inevitably change the culture of tax operations, moving away from rigid, traditional ways of working. New expectations of existing staff will likely breed more innovation and collaboration, helping to further enhance job satisfaction.
Solving Leadership Challenges
This shift will require new leadership styles. Traditional management is unlikely to be enough; leaders will need to become role models, mentors and enablers for diverse and ambitious teams. They will need to promote the change with enthusiasm for everyone to embrace the change.
Putting People At The Center Of Tax Innovation
This is personal for me. I’ve sat across the table from clients whose teams were drowning in remediation. I’ve seen brilliant young professionals burn out from repetitive work, and I’ve seen the spark when those same professionals are freed by technology and asked to contribute ideas, insights and solutions.
That’s why I believe AI isn’t about replacing people. It’s about redeploying human brilliance where it belongs, solving complex problems, building trust and helping businesses grow responsibly. Just as spreadsheets transformed finance in the 1980s, AI is transforming tax operations today. The winners will be those who adopt AI not just for efficiency, but to empower their people, attract new talent and redefine leadership for the next generation.
For the tax industry, I see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to step out of the back-office and into the strategic spotlight. And for me, it is the reason I started this journey in the first place.
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