What is the intersection of tax and compliance? Why does a Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) or compliance professional need to sit down with the corporate head of tax? How does a corporate tax function fit into a best practices compliance program? It turns out there is quite a bit a compliance professional can learn from a tax professional. Moreover, there are many aspects of tax which should be considered by a CCO and compliance professional from an overall risk management perspective. Unfortunately, these questions are rarely explored in the compliance community. In this inaugural episode, we consider the following topics.
Why Should Compliance and Tax Interact?
All organizations have an enterprise risk management (ERM) system. One risk common to multinational companies especially is corporate tax risk; and yet, it tends to remain under the radar. While tax professionals are usually very good at identifying and mitigating tax risk, if there is no close interaction between compliance and tax professionals, the risks are elevated.
Sophistication in Taxing Jurisdictions
Most jurisdictions have a tax code, but street rules tend to also be in play. “You have to establish very early on that you don’t pay bribes,” Tracy advises. The results of following the law are more expensive, but it pales in comparison to the cost of putting your company at risk.
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Tracy Howell | Email | LinkedIn