Why Tax and IT need to work together when migrating to SAP S/4HANA

The challenge for the tax department is to convince the IT department that including a third-party tax engine is the best solution, both from a tax and an IT perspective. For IT, there is a desire for a smooth and risk-free transition. Adding a new technology to the overall migration program may appear to be a distraction, adding perceived risk while the company has managed tax determination with native customisations for many years. This is where the tax department needs to work with IT to create a joint business case for including a tax engine into the project. The tax team needs to showcase the benefits of the solution, how it can reduce some of the strain for both teams, and ultimately how it positively impacts the wider business. Timely communication between the teams is of the essence in this process, as including a tax engine in an ERP implementation project is much easier than adding such a solution when budgets are already set in stone.