Tax professionals are no strangers to digital transformation, but the next phase of AI adoption could bring more than just automation.
Agentic AI is quietly emerging, and with it, the promise of truly autonomous systems capable of handling complex tax workflows with minimal human oversight.
Agentic AI systems differ from earlier forms of automation by their ability to make decisions, learn from past actions, and adapt to new scenarios.
Where current tools assist with data entry or generate reports, agentic AI takes it further, identifying gaps, taking corrective action, and even communicating with third parties.
For example, in the case of a missing VAT invoice on an expenses claim, an agentic system could detect the issue, draft a compliant follow-up email in the correct language, and send it to the accommodation provider, without the need for human prompting.
While still nascent, this kind of functionality is rapidly becoming viable. Use cases are already being tested in areas like tax compliance, planning, and internal audit. These include:
- Monitoring tax law changes and updating filings accordingly
- Reviewing tax computations and flagging discrepancies
- Researching complex issues and drafting preliminary reports
- Identifying planning opportunities and drafting supporting documentation
- Resolving audit discrepancies and generating ready-to-file reports
- Managing workflows, deadlines, and cross-team coordination
Critically, agentic AI is expected to function as a set of collaborative, specialist digital agents.
A VAT “agent” could refer transfer pricing queries to another, enabling a scalable and self-improving AI workforce that mirrors a human tax team’s structure—only faster and operational around the clock.
Though some firms remain cautious—citing data security and concerns over AI reliability—agentic AI’s trajectory suggests it won’t remain on the sidelines for long.
When embedded into tax tools, these systems could help reduce human error, increase compliance accuracy, and allow professionals to focus more on strategic advisory work.