Technology General Discussion - Recent Threads

Data Privacy in the Age of AI: More Than Just a Tax Issue

Neil Vicente — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:36:09 GMT

Tax practitioners face an expanding set of data security regulations, and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence is adding layers of legal and ethical complexity that many firms are unprepared for, according to experts speaking at a recent American Bar Association (ABA) panel and with Checkpoint.

Practitioners must comply with federal, state, and even international laws, all while defending against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats that treat professional firms as attractive targets. The failure to adequately protect client information can lead to steep regulatory fines, expensive litigation, and irreparable reputational harm.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

The strategic trade leader’s technology roadmap: Converting boardroom influence into operational excellence

Neil Vicente — Mon, 18 May 2026 12:31:41 GMT

You’ve earned your seat at the executive table — now here’s how to leverage that influence to build the technology infrastructure that sustains your strategic impact as a global trade leader.

The numbers tell a remarkable story of transformation. According to the Thomson Reuters Institute 2026 State of Global Trade Report, 43% of trade professionals now have enhanced influence over procurement decisions, while 37% report more frequent involvement in executive decision-making. This represents an unprecedented elevation of trade departments from cost centers to strategic business partners.

But here’s the reality: Your newfound boardroom influence is just the beginning. The real test lies in translating that strategic positioning into technology investments that deliver measurable operational excellence and sustain your department’s elevated status. With 76% of trade professionals believing U.S. tariff volatility represents a permanent approach rather than short-term policy, the window for building resilient technology infrastructure has never been more critical.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Thomson Reuters executives take on questions about AI liability for tax professionals: A Reddit AMA recap

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:41:31 GMT

What happens when two of the most senior AI leaders at one of the world's largest professional services companies open the floor to the internet? You get 60 minutes of sharp, unfiltered questions, and some surprisingly candid answers.

Highlights

Thomson Reuters AI leaders discuss trust, liability, and accuracy in AI for tax professionals.
The AMA reveals Thomson Reuters' focus on fiduciary-grade AI and human accountability.
Thomson Reuters emphasizes domain depth and proprietary models for professional AI solutions.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

From reactive to proactive: How direct tax teams can reclaim time, reduce risk, and lead in 2026

Nageshwaran Gopal — Mon, 11 May 2026 16:05:12 GMT

Highlights

Direct tax automation helps teams shift from reactive firefighting to strategic advisory roles.
Technology enables faster compliance, centralized data, and proactive insights for business leadership.
Starting with high-friction processes delivers immediate relief and builds transformation momentum.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Tax Practitioner Warns of AI Accuracy, Privacy Risks

Neil Vicente — Mon, 04 May 2026 12:47:39 GMT

While AI can be a powerful tool, tax practitioners should always verify the accuracy of AI-generated output and take steps to protect data privacy and attorney-client privilege, according to tax attorney Julie Bradlow, chair of DarrowEverett’s Tax Practice Group.

It’s important to check for factual errors and ensure the proper context is applied, Bradlow told Checkpoint. She also advises against using public AI platforms for client work due to data privacy risks and the potential for losing attorney-client privilege.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

SaaS Bubble Gets a Reality Check as Growth Slows and AI Turns Up the Heat

Neil Vicente — Mon, 04 May 2026 12:35:04 GMT

The easy-money days for software-as-a-service companies are over.

For years, SaaS firms had a Wall Street-ready story: customers subscribe, revenue rolls in, and profits can wait.

Not anymore.

With growth cooling and artificial intelligence threatening to make some software cheaper, easier to copy or less essential, investors, lenders and auditors are demanding something more than slick “recurring revenue” pitches.

They want proof.

Proof customers are sticking around. Proof margins work. Proof cash flow is real. Proof those big balance-sheet values still hold up.

“What changed is, first of all, growth,” David Khalil, chief financial officer of saas.group, said in an April 27, 2026, interview with Thomson Reuters. “2021, 2022, the average public SaaS company probably was still kind of growing 30% per year, and now we are sitting in the low teens when it comes to growth rates.”

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

What is one way AI has changed how Business handles daily business operations in the past year?

Worksbuddy AI — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 07:43:03 GMT

AI has moved beyond writing emails, teams are now using it to qualify leads, assign tasks, send follow-ups, and generate invoices, all without manual effort. But every team's experience looks different. Some replaced entire tool stacks. Others just automated one bottleneck and saved hours every week. We want to hear what actually changed inside your business.

The biggest shift has been moving from reactive to proactive operations. A year ago, our team spent hours each day chasing, following up on leads, sending invoice reminders, updating task statuses, checking if emails were replied to. It was exhausting and things still slipped through.

Since deploying coordinated AI agents through WorksBuddy, those tasks run themselves. The moment a lead enters our system, it gets qualified, assigned, and followed up automatically. Invoices go out on time without anyone remembering to send them. Task updates happen in the background.

The result isn't just saved time, it's a fundamentally different way of working. Our team now focuses entirely on decisions and relationships, while the AI handles execution. Operations went from something we managed to something that simply runs.

Whether you're a solo founder or leading a scaling team, if AI made a real difference in your daily operations this past year, share the one change that mattered most.

How AI can rescue product classification for indirect tax teams

Neil Vicente — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:32:34 GMT

It’s Monday morning. Your company is launching an aggressive number of new SKUs next week and the ERP cutover is in 10 days. Your indirect tax team is staring at a large spreadsheet of product descriptions that need tax codes assigned before go-live.

You know the drill: reading product descriptions line by line, researching commodity codes, cross-referencing state taxability rules, and hoping your classifications are consistent across reviewers. Your senior tax manager is tied up on the project, your newest team member is nervous about getting codes wrong, and the business is asking why tax is always the bottleneck.

This is the reality of manual product classification for indirect tax teams at multinational companies. Hours add up and hopefully no errors creep in, because when classification is wrong, thousands of invoices could be impacted.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

The future of trade compliance: How AI is transforming global trade management

Neil Vicente — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:41:02 GMT

In an era where a single customs classification error can cost enterprises millions in penalties and delays, global trade professionals are turning to artificial intelligence to navigate increasingly complex international regulations. With more and more professionals across legal, tax, accounting, and government sectors already embracing AI solutions, the question isn’t whether AI will transform trade compliance — it’s how quickly your organization can adapt.

The numbers tell a compelling story: 40% of organizations are now using generative AI, up from just 22% last year. For trade professionals managing multi-jurisdictional compliance requirements, regulatory updates, and classification accuracy demands, this technological shift represents both an opportunity and a necessity.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

From hours to minutes: How AI changes HS product classification and trade research

Neil Vicente — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:20:30 GMT

Highlights

AI reduces HS code classification from hours to minutes with confidence-based recommendations.
Research AI delivers cited compliance answers in seconds from 100,000+ government sources.
Integrated AI tools transform trade teams from reactive researchers to strategic advisors.

The classification speed problem

Global trade and compliance professionals know that product classification is both essential and increasingly complex. What should be a straightforward process — assigning the correct Harmonized System (HS) code to a product — can be a significant operational bottleneck. The challenge starts at the core: a 6-digit international HS code expands to 8, 10, or even 13 digits depending on the country. Each additional digit reflects regional regulations and product-specific nuances, making manual classification a time-consuming task.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

As AI Advances, XBRL Faces Fresh Questions Over Cost and Value

Neil Vicente — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:20:38 GMT

Investors and corporate finance chiefs hold competing views on whether a two-decade-old financial data standard still has a future — and artificial intelligence is making the question harder to ignore.

That divide emerged at a recent meeting of the Financial Accounting Standards Advisory Council, a body of advisers to the FASB, where investors and corporate finance chiefs weighed in on whether eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) — the structured tagging system baked into every major company filing — is an indispensable tool or an expensive relic waiting to be replaced by AI.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Intelligent product classification in global trade: 3 ways AI transforms the process

Neil Vicente — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:17:37 GMT

The classification challenges every global trade professional knows

Traditional product classification operates like a digital filing cabinet with predetermined categories. While functional, these rule-based systems miss the nuances that define your specific business operations. They can’t adapt to your company’s unique product mix or learn from your team’s expertise.

The limitations of current approaches are becoming increasingly apparent across industries. The challenge is particularly acute because the people evaluating AI solutions — compliance managers, export specialists, and trade professionals — are the same individuals currently managing these manual, error-prone processes daily. These professionals are struggling with classification workflows that lack the intelligence needed for today’s complex global trade environment.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Context engineering in tax and accounting: The next level of AI workflows

Neil Vicente — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:59:02 GMT

The wave of early AI adoption has passed, and now firms are increasingly focusing on strategic ways to leverage AI and make it a central part of their business strategy.

Consider this: The 2026 AI in Professional Services Report by Thomson Reuters Institute found that 69% of tax firms surveyed said that generative AI (GenAI) is either currently a central part of their firm’s workflow or will be within the next two years.

Within tax and accounting, the approach to AI is evolving. It is shifting from merely “asking questions” to developing reviewable workflows. The main difference is that it is no longer about producing outputs; it’s about providing the right context to ensure the results are reliable and defensible. Enter context engineering.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Top 4 tax technology trends for 2026 and beyond

Neil Vicente — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:48:08 GMT

Consistency is the bedrock of tax and accounting work, which is why tax technology trends are an afterthought for many professionals. Firms that built their reputation on steady, reliable service are often hesitant to tinker with processes that have worked for years.

But if your firm falls into this bucket, you might be missing out on some of the most consequential breakthroughs in tax work that the industry has seen in decades. Proactive firms are finding ways to expedite turnaround time, expand their bandwidth, and increase profitability without having to grow their team. Here are four of the top tax technology trends making that possible.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

D.C. Attorney General Finds House Joint Resolution Did Not Repeal Legislation Amending IRC Conformity

Neil Vicente — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:43:52 GMT

The D.C. Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has issued an opinion that House Joint Resolution 142 (HJR 142) did not repeal the “D.C. Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025” (the Temporary Conformity Act) (Act 26-217, see Checkpoint News, 12/29/2025) and the Act remains valid law. (D.C. Attorney General Opinion, 02/24/2026.)

The OAG opinion noted that, according to both the D.C. Council’s website and the text of HJR 142, the Chairman of the D.C. Council transmitted the Temporary Conformity Act to both houses of Congress on December 30, 2025. The 30-day period prescribed by the Home Rule Act thus began on that date. Furthermore, based on the session calendar available from Congress’s official website, the final day of the 30-day period was February 11, 2026. The House passed a resolution disapproving of the Temporary Conformity Act on February 4, 2026, and the Senate passed the resolution on February 12, 2026. The resolution was presented to the President that same day, and the President signed it on February 18, 2026. The OAG Opinion concluded that because HJR 142 was not enacted into law by February 11, it did not, under section 602 of the Home Rule Act, prevent the Temporary Conformity Act from taking effect. As a result, the Temporary Conformity Act took effect on February 12.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Finding user-friendly tax software that clients will engage with

Neil Vicente — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:53:33 GMT

Why simplifying your tech stack is the key to happier, more responsive clients

Highlights

All‑in‑one tax software keeps clients engaged by removing multi‑portal frustration.
Guided workflows boost client responsiveness and reduce delays.
Automated document intake expedites turnaround and lower staff stress.

Here’s a hot take: when clients consistently miss deadlines, ignore follow-ups, or seem to vanish during tax season, the problem might not be on their end. There’s a good chance that your technology is teaching them to disengage. Let’s get into why user-friendly tax software is crucial to the client collaboration process and explore what features today’s clients are looking for.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

The evolution of artificial intelligence

Neil Vicente — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 11:44:59 GMT

Explore the evolution of artificial intelligence in the tax and accounting industry

The tax and accounting profession stands at a pivotal moment. According to the Thomson Reuters 2025 Future of Professionals Report, 79% of tax, audit, and accounting professionals believe AI will have a high or transformational impact on their industry within the next five years — ranking it as the most significant force of change, surpassing even labor shortages and regulatory changes.

Let’s take a step back in time and view the transformation of the tax and accounting profession alongside each major technological advancement. From the introduction of calculators to spreadsheets, each innovation has moved the profession from manual computation closer to strategic advisory services.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How agentic AI is redefining the tax and accounting profession

Neil Vicente — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:13:24 GMT

In a profession known for its measured approach to change, agentic AI is emerging as a transformative force for accountants, redefining the nature of daily work and opening the door to more meaningful (and profitable) relationships with clients. As artificial intelligence continues to evolve — from basic automation to generative AI and now to agentic AI — tax and accounting professionals are experiencing a fundamental shift in how they deliver value to clients.

The progression from traditional automation to agentic AI in accounting represents more than just incremental improvement. It’s a complete reimagining of what “automated” work can look like and how accountants spend their time. Understanding where agentic AI fits on this continuum, and how it differs from the AI tools you may already use, is essential to realizing its full potential.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

9 indirect tax filing challenges technology can solve

Neil Vicente — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 13:03:47 GMT

With multiple jurisdictions to monitor and increasingly aggressive tax authorities, indirect tax compliance professionals are feeling the pressure. This pressure comes from a global environment where the rules of commerce and taxation are constantly evolving at an unprecedented pace. The direct financial penalties of “non-compliance” may be substantial, but the real cost is the cumulative effect of disruptions to operations, diversion of resources from core activities, and uncertainty about potential hidden liabilities.

So, efficient and accurate management of indirect taxes, including the critical functions of preparing and filing tax returns and statutory reports, is more essential than ever. But the traditional approach of a patchwork of legacy systems, spreadsheets, and sheer human effort for indirect tax processes can’t meet today’s challenges. Only by harnessing technology can organizations meet those challenges—and free up indirect tax professionals to help strategize how to turn those challenges into advantages.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

Passing peer review with AI: How professional-grade audit technology strengthens compliance and documentation

Neil Vicente — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:50:26 GMT

Season after season, audit professionals face high-stakes pressure: maintaining AICPA standards, meeting compressed deadlines, and ensuring every work paper tells a complete story. When busy season collides with relentless documentation demands, even rigorous teams struggle to maintain consistency.

Purpose-built audit AI technology is changing this equation. These intelligent systems reinforce proven methodologies by embedding research from trusted sources, standardizing work papers, and creating comprehensive audit trails, while preserving the professional skepticism and human judgment that define our profession.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How to scale indirect tax with AI-augmented tax solutions

Neil Vicente — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 11:46:42 GMT

Limited staff and limited time? No problem. AI is here to scale your team's operations.

Highlights

AI-augmented tax solutions empower indirect tax teams to scale expertise and improve decision-making at every level.
CoCounsel Tax leverages retrieval-augmented generation to deliver authoritative, scenario-specific analysis grounded in expert guidance.
Automated document analysis and AI-driven insights streamline workflows, reduce bottlenecks, and enhance collaboration with external advisors.

The evolution from research tool to analytical partner fundamentally changes how indirect tax teams transform junior and mid-level staff into confident decision-makers, scale expertise, add value to each level of tax professional, and elevate the value of external advisory.

AI technology is particularly valuable in tax departments where staff often face steep learning curves, limited mentorship time, and pressure to deliver accurate work quickly.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

IT Department Question - Support CS from an endpoint POV Best Practices?

Daniel James — Tue, 13 Jan 2026 16:59:34 GMT

My question is about supporting ThomsonReuters from an endpoint perspective.

We are a firm which currently uses a VM cluster environment for our work. This entails keeping up a cluster of Citrix VMs in server space.

For ease of use, the virtual machines replicate the "Gold Copy" desktop profile which is kept up by applying updates.

I'm considering seeing if we can better leverage the power of some of our PCs with advanced processors and a lot of memory compared to what we can get from these virtual clusters. We want to improve the user experience. A lot of users are consistently frustrated because our VMs will choke up and/or slow-down with some applications. Particularly UltraTax.

Is there a Best Practice for managing CS that is installed on PCs and receiving management updates from Microsoft InTune Endpoint Management? I am attempting to test how well the scattered installations will work as far as receiving consistent updates and configuration. I'd be curious what to expect.

The real ROI of corporate tax automation: Hidden costs of delayed tech adoption

Neil Vicente — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 11:29:39 GMT

In boardrooms across the globe, corporate tax departments are making a compelling case for technology investments. But while many organizations focus on the upfront costs of new systems, they’re overlooking a far more expensive reality: the hidden costs of standing still. As regulatory complexity increases and compliance demands intensify, the price of delayed technology adoption is becoming impossible to ignore.

The data tells a stark story. Corporate tax departments that fail to modernize their technology infrastructure face mounting penalties, escalating audit costs, and operational inefficiencies that compound year over year. Meanwhile, organizations that invest in corporate tax automation are not only avoiding these pitfalls — they’re achieving substantial returns that transform their departments from cost centers into business contributors.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

How agentic AI accelerates legislative analysis for tax professionals

Neil Vicente — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:19:06 GMT

Tax and accounting professionals face significant challenges in keeping up with fast-moving and complex legislative changes, such as those introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Traditional methods of legislative analysis, which rely on manual keyword searches and static databases, are time-consuming and prone to errors.

A new generation of artificial intelligence is transforming how tax professionals approach legislative analysis by automating multi-step research workflows, actively reasoning through tax law, and delivering tailored insights faster and more accurately than ever before.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.

The AI trust gap: Why 47% of tax firms want AI but fear implementation

Neil Vicente — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 13:13:07 GMT

How choosing the right professional-grade solutions with a supportive technology partner can give tax teams the efficiency and accuracy they need.

Countless tax and accounting professionals find themselves caught in a frustrating contradiction. They recognize AI’s potential to transform their work, yet months pass without meaningful implementation. The AI trust gap that cuts the desire for automation from taking action has become one of the defining challenges of the current moment.

These aren’t abstract worries. They reflect legitimate concerns about professional liability, data protection, and the quality of AI outputs that directly impact career success. Here’s an exploration of that trust gap along with best practices for implementing secure and effective AI.

To dig deeper, visit the original article on the Thomson Reuters blog.