Global Tax Outlook 2025
Global Tax Outlook 2025
Original content provided by BDO
BDO’s report, Global Tax Outlook 2025, arrives at a moment of seismic change in the tax landscape as it explores the forces transforming global tax compliance and strategy. As regulatory complexity surges, operational costs climb and AI reshapes the tax function, tax leaders are being called upon to rethink their approach. Compliance is no longer a box-checking exercise — it’s a strategic imperative.
Drawing on insights from 500 senior tax executives across industries including energy, healthcare, manufacturing and professional services, the 2025 report explores how tax leaders are responding to mounting pressures and emerging opportunities. Key findings include:
- Regulatory pressure is escalating
Regulatory pressure is straining resources and elevating risk, with 81% of businesses reporting spending more time responding to tax authority queries than in 2023. Respondents cite the complexity of global tax frameworks and increases in digital mandates as factors as driving heavier workloads and increasing risk exposure.
- AI is moving beyond automation
AI is evolving from task automation to strategic enablement, altering how tax departments operate and deliver value. While most respondents expect improvements in the accuracy of AI in the short term, fewer anticipate immediate improvements in strategic impact or compliance quality.
- Hybrid outsourcing is becoming standard
Nearly half of respondents are increasing investment in outsourced solutions that blend internal expertise with external support, particularly for corporate and VAT compliance. This flexible model demands agility and a readiness to pivot as needs evolve, with many anticipating further shifts towards outsourcing.
- Future-ready compliance is strategic
With 66% of businesses expecting compliance costs to rise, resilience, adaptability and integration with broader business strategy are essential. Harnessing technology is crucial to compliance—with tax authorities increasingly using technology to facilitate easier and quicker disclosures that can expose errors, businesses should invest in robust and integrated data strategies that are linked to compliance and foster stronger collaboration with the tax authorities.
The report underscores a clear shift: tax leaders must act decisively to embrace innovation, invest in technology and align tax with enterprise goals to stay ahead in a rapidly changing environment.