PwC signs up to use CCH iXBRL tax software

The trend of Big 4 tax practices to effectively 'buy in' or license tax software / systems from software houses rather than develop their own programs is continuing with the recent announcement that PwC has signed a deal to use CCH's iXBRL tagging software.  This follows a trend in recent years for the Big 4 to sell on tax software products that they have developed - I understand that tax software programs are expensive to continue developing, and it leaves the Big 4 in a more balanced / agnostic position on selling of software products as part of a consulting project.  


The full article on PwC iXBRL software, as seen on FinancialDirector.co.uk last week is here:



PWC HAS SIGNED a deal with IT company CCH which will see the Big Four firm help clients convert their financial statements into a new IT format using CCH software.


On 1 April 2010, HM Revenue & Customs required all corporate tax returns, and other accounts information, to be filed online using tagging software iXBRL.


CCH will provide iXBRL software to PwC and train the teams on how to use it.
Jon Rowden, PwC's UK XBRL leader, said: "We selected this software as it met our requirement to be user-friendly and because it produces intuitive review documents that we expect our clients will find relatively easy to understand."


CCH provides tax software to the profession and is part of information provider Wolters Kluwer.


Simon Crompton, managing director of CCH Software, said: "The agreement between PwC and CCH provides an opportunity for companies themselves to handle the production of iXBRL-tagged sets of accounts with PwC and CCH support. PwC will provide corporate organisations with consultancy and tuition on moving iXBRL accounts preparation in-house. CCH will train the PwC teams and help promote the use of its software."

VAT Software Consultant - London job opportunity

We are currently searching for VAT compliance professionals, preferably with between 3 and 6 years experience and with experience of working on VAT compliance within a large multinational group.  Good IT know-how required, preferably with good Excel skills and a knowledge / use of how VAT operates within SAP:

VAT Software Consultant
London (with frequent travel) | £40,000 - £50,000 + Bonus + Pension + Health

Do have a background in VAT compliance services? Possibly you are now looking to move out of VAT practice and into a more IT / software based career? If you are answering Yes to these questions, then this could be a great opportunity to find the niche that suits your skills and progress your career into tax technology and systems.

Based in London and with occasional travel, this role will be client-facing, and will work with large-end companies and multinationals for setting them up with better / more enhanced VAT compliance systems. Your role will be to use your VAT compliance and process knowledge to analyse a group company’s VAT compliance & filings process, then to work on a roll-out of a software solution (configuring with a client’s accounting / SAP / ERP systems) to end-users within the company’s finance or tax function. You will also help to provide the necessary training to end-users and support on the products.

As a first move into this VAT systems role, you will have had a good grounding in VAT compliance, either in a VAT compliance services firm or in industry / shared service centre with a multinational. You will have a good appreciation of how accounting systems (e.g. SAP / JDE) are set-up and used to generate VAT data and compliance, and will have strong skills on Excel.  Knowledge around SQL or other database systems is not essential but would be advantageous in this role.
Aside from English, other EU language skills (e.g. German / Italian) would also be desirable.

This is a really excellent chance to move into the high growth area of VAT technology and progress your career with this very well respected operator.

For more information on this, or for a confidential career discussion, please contact Simon Godley on 0870 46 056 46 or email him at: sg@talentpoolselection.com

Senior VAT / indirect tax systems opportunity - Netherlands

Currently searching for European based senior level indirect tax professionals that have very good knowledge, know-how and insight into the VAT & indirect tax systems & technology area.  Good knowledge around SAP functionality relating to tax / VAT compliance will be a major advantage to success in this role.

Director - Tax Systems Consulting
Netherlands / Belgium | Euro 120,000 - 150,000 + Bens


Our client is a niche tax systems consultancy, with a market focus on indirect tax technology projects.  They are well established, with operations in the US, UK and Europe.

Over the last 10 years they have successfully worked on client projects across many jurisdictions, including  US, EU, South Americas, Australia, Japan and Canada.  With plans to grow the business further in central and western Europe, they are now searching for a key Director to take a lead operational role for the European business, based in the Netherlands.

The key focus of this role will be on business development and identification of client targets that will benefit from the specialist VAT automation expertise that the practice can offer.  The role will subsequently lead into managing client projects through full life-cycle  implementations of VAT systems and enhancements, from the requirement gathering stage onto the design/build phase and through to the testing and go-live stages.  The nature of the projects will tend to be either native SAP / ERP enhancements for VAT process and compliance or implementing / configuring an indirect tax engine e.g.Sabrix, Vertex, Taxware with the ERP system.  Other add-on services that the practice can offer include product support and training.

This role will initially be on a stand-alone basis, with the support of teams within the practice based in other countries.  It is envisaged that in time the Director will hire in additional IT/indirect tax resource locally.

To match the specialist requirements of this role, you will have gained several years (10 years+) within the EU indirect tax market, coupled with significant exposure to working on international (or global) VAT automation and VAT software/technology projects.  You will have a Big 4 firm or IT consulting firm background, with experience of both business development of tax services and managing client implementations of tax systems projects.  ERP-indirect tax project experience will be of particular value, and exposure of Sabrix/Vertex projects is desirable.

This is an excellent opportunity to be in a lead Director role with a niche growing consulting firm, and with opportunities for equity participation in the medium term.

For more information on this opportunity, or for a confidential career discussion please contact Simon Godley on 0870 46 056 46 or email: sg@talentpoolselection.com

Corporate Tax Software...and Simplicity

Interesting mini-article from a tax technologist in the US on the subject of corporate tax software, and whether less is more?

http://blog.redmoonsolutions.com/will-simplicity-change-corporate-tax-software

Certainly a interesting message to contemplate from the US tax software industry side.