Ford Motor and CSC Corptax Tackle Significant Filing Methodology Issue.

• Position: Discussion

This is the third installment of our Tax Technology Corner. As a corporate tax professional, you know how important technology is and how it's evolving at warp speed. With new regulatory and compliance initiatives in the federal, state, and international areas, landmark tax reform legislation, and globalization of tax monitoring and enforcement, keeping up with tax technology is not a luxury--it's a necessity. Each installment of this column will pair a taxpayer with a service provider. Together, in Q&A format, they'll tell a story about how they have worked together to solve a specific tax problem, implement a better solution, cut costs, or improve productivity. In this installment, Rob Clary, state tax manager and a member of the office of tax counsel at Ford Motor Company, and Kathleen Harrott, CSC Corptax's product marketing manager, discuss how they dealt with a substantial filing methodology issue. Michael Levin-Epstein, senior editor of Tax Executive, moderated the discussion.

Michael Levin-Epstein: In general, what have been the ways in which you think tax technology has changed since you first came to Ford two decades ago?

Rob Clary: I think night and day, probably, is a good way to explain it. When I started at Ford, our processes were very manual. They were labor intensive. Accuracy and the experience level of the staff was a significant challenge. We were constantly struggling with the uncertainty of our processes and managing the risks that uncertainty presented. Today, we've come light-years from where we were. Our processes are all automated. We generate absolutely no paper. There is substantial use of data analytics. We have done a much better job of obtaining accurate and verifiable data sources. We are in the process of implementing both a data hub (TDH) and robotics--digital workers. We are constantly looking for the next and best use of automation.

Levin-Epstein: And how has tax technology changed at Corptax?

Kathleen Harrott: Our goal at CSC Corptax is--and always has been--to take the work out of workflow. Advancements in technology over the last twenty years provide our customers with direct connections to their data and the ability to mine data at any level needed--using just one tax system. Seamless access to data sources allows our clients to easily populate their choice of data analytic packages. Corptax automates how they get, manage, and use data, eliminating the need to open and close multiple systems, manage huge Excel files, and spend a lot of time on manual and repetitive work. Technology has given tax professionals time back to spend on high-value activities, which not only improves performance, [but also] improves job satisfaction, too.

Levin-Epstein: My understanding, Rob, is that you had a tax issue...