What’s New in O Series

Why elegant tax automation matters

Indirect tax teams face a difficult mix of pressures: budget constraints, talent shortages, rising compliance complexity, and constant rate changes. More than half of C-level executives in a 2022 KPMG survey said their organizations were not using tax data to inform business decisions. The gap between what tax groups need and what legacy systems deliver is growing fast.

What tax leaders are asking for

Based on KPMG's implementation work across industries, a few needs come up again and again. Tax teams want a single, global platform that handles calculation, reporting, and remittance in one place. They want flexible integrations that connect to ERP systems, e-commerce platforms, and procurement tools without heavy customization. And they need their tax engine to keep pace with rate changes automatically, without relying on IT.

E-invoicing is also top of mind. KPMG Practice Leader Mark Rems calls it the number-one topic clients raise. New mandates are rolling out globally, and getting them right matters. The compliance requirements touch business platforms across the entire organization.

How O Series is built to help

Vertex O Series is designed around the real problems indirect tax teams deal with every day. The platform supports multiple deployment options (multi-tenant cloud, single-tenant cloud, on-premises, and edge computing), so you can choose what fits your IT environment. APIs connect the tax engine to any system that holds tax-relevant transaction data, from billing systems to vendor invoices.

O Series also addresses specific compliance pain points directly. Returns Export integrates with Vertex Indirect Tax Returns to reduce the burden of filing high volumes of global returns. Analytical tools automate reconciliations. Batching capabilities simplify data file management. Exemption certificate management is automated, reducing manual touchpoints for your team.

Six ways to get more from your tax engine

KPMG recommends six steps to maximize the value of a tax engine investment: deploy it as a single, centralized engine; expand it to all global jurisdictions where you operate; automate configuration maintenance and regression testing; use it to automate related processes like use tax accruals and address validation; and conduct a periodic diagnostic review every 24 to 36 months. Business changes fast. New revenue models, acquisitions, and platform launches can all create tax exposure that goes undetected without a regular review.

Building the business case

If you need to justify the investment internally, the math is more straightforward than you might expect. Quantify the cost of legacy system support and maintenance, the staff hours consumed by manual compliance work, and any audit penalties or remediation costs. Compare those figures to what a modern tax engine would require. The return on investment becomes clear, and the case for change becomes easy to make.