The problem and the solution

Off-the-shelf (“shrink-wrap”) solutions do not always exist for some of the more repetitive work in tax departments. Many tax departments are fearful of developing bespoke software. They fear great expense, delayed projects and systems that fail to meet their needs. When some compliance task or process cannot be fulfilled by proven off-the-shelf licensed software, like Abacus, or by spreadsheets or other modest technology tools that are produced and maintained in-house, there is a tendency to resort to manual methods. This can result in inefficient and repetitive work being conducted by tax professionals who suspect that a system could do the job better.

There is another way - Deloitte develops reliable, bespoke and cost effective software solutions. Using components and standard software libraries developed during nearly 20 years in the tax technology business, Deloitte can keep the costs down and yet maintain the highest of quality. Tax technology solutions such as data warehouses or workflow systems need no longer involve significant expenditure and major subsequent maintenance commitment.

What are the benefits?

• Enables tax departments to deploy tailored, cost effective software solutions.
• Releases tax professionals from routine and repetitive tasks to focus on adding value to the organisation.
• Leads to higher quality and more rigorous tax reporting and analysis.

Examples

When a large retail bank wanted to automate the capture and flow of data for tax reporting purposes in the Netherlands and the UK, our bespoke development, based on an Oracle database and a web user interface, allowed them dramatically to improve the integrity of their data and to reduce the time taken in generating their tax returns.

For a significant communications organisation with a substantial property portfolio, we constructed and deployed a property database that captured, recorded and reported the specific property information that the tax department required.

What is involved?

Projects vary, depending upon the size and complexity of the solution required. However, we follow our well-tested system development methods – in assessing requirements, in producing a detailed specification (from which a careful costing and business case can be clearly established at the outset of the project) and in designing, developing, implementing, testing and supporting our systems.