Why indirect tax is undervalued, and how to increase your team's visibility

Indirect tax and compliance teams deliver real strategic value, but most of it stays hidden. This is the contribution gap: strategic influence without the recognition, funding, or access to match.

The gap isn't about capability. It's about measurement. Most functions are still measured by filing accuracy and timeliness, even though these factors directly influence supply chain, pricing, market entry, and M&A decisions. Add limited C-suite access, and the result is a function that's earned a seat at the table, but not always the right one.

Closing the gap doesn't require working harder. It requires reframing how success is measured and engaging leadership more deliberately.

What you'll learn:

• A new Thomson Reuters Institute survey of 290 indirect tax professionals across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil reveals what separates top performers from the rest.
• Why indirect tax is undervalued by leadership, and why C-suite access matters more than effort
• How to quantify indirect tax contribution using metrics that capture business value, not just compliance output
• Increasing visibility of the indirect tax function by fixing the system fragmentation quietly draining strategic capacity
• Why AI adoption is nearly universal but shallow, and what deliberate deployment looks like
• Why upskilling is outpacing new technology as the top planned investment
• Ten resource-free actions top-performing functions use to close the contribution gap

Don't let your team's impact go unmeasured. Download the report today for the roadmap to greater visibility, quantified contribution, and lasting influence.