AI agents and the tax function
AI agents are revolutionising tax functions and transforming how businesses manage and deliver tax services, writes Johnny Wickham
Artificial intelligence (AI) agents are set to transform the tax function, driving rapid advances and unlocking value across tax operations.
Integrating into enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and broader tax technology infrastructures, these agents offer unprecedented opportunities for efficiency, accuracy and strategic insight.
AI agents can go beyond traditional automation, towards hyper-automation, performing tasks that previously would have required tax professionals’ input and more manual interaction with repetitive processes.
The power of AI in tax
AI agents are driving the potential for better end-to-end automation across the tax function. AI-agent-powered tax solutions that can enhance efficiency are set to significantly transform tax operations for businesses.
For instance, PwC is utilising its own AI-agent-powered tax solutions to develop more innovative delivery models, resulting in gains across various tax processes, from data processing to due diligence.
Tax professionals are under more pressure in a shifting tax landscape of increasing reporting requirements. AI solutions can go a long way in alleviating this pressure.
Unlike earlier forms of automation, AI agents can learn from their mistakes and develop more effective solutions.
They can help analyse global and local tax regulations and apply them to specific cases. And, crucially for tax, they offer an additional level of integration into existing enterprise platforms and wider organisational technology ecosystems.
Fortunately, organisations don’t have to go it alone. Rather than developing and deploying these tools independently, they can benefit from the advantages of AI agents through service provider relationships, capitalising on providers’ expertise.
Thinking big with AI
PwC’s 2025 GenAI Business Leaders Survey revealed that 71 percent of respondents believe AI will significantly change the way their organisation creates and delivers value over the next three years.
Further, PwC’s 2025 Irish CEO Survey revealed that nearly half (46%) of Irish business leaders expect AI to be integrated into their organisations’ processes and workflows to a ‘large or very large’ extent in the next three years. Another 23 percent expect AI to be used in the development of new products and services.
By helping automate data collection, manipulation and cleansing, AI agents reduce the overall burden on tax teams, allowing more time for high-value work. These agents can also:
- analyse global and local tax regulations;
- reduce the risk of non-compliance; and
- help deliver near real-time insights to support strategic tax function decision-making.
Bringing tax AI agents to life
Thanks to a blend of advanced functionality and ease of integration, tax teams have begun to use AI in business areas including:
- Indirect tax: We have seen the benefits of using AI agents to automate classification and determination. These tools efficiently apply up-to-date legislative and regulatory guidance, scaling across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously.
- Customs and trade: AI agents can analyse large volumes of import data, extracting and organising information from tax notices and other documentation. They can then support claims and other trend analyses through additional technology integrations.
- Transfer pricing: AI agents can assist in collecting, analysing and reviewing significant amounts of data and improve the accuracy of reporting and documentation obligations across multiple jurisdictions.
- Compliance: As part of a broader, well-defined technology strategy, AI agents can, by interacting with core financial and non-financial data, proactively facilitate scalable and efficient compliance processes. They are time-efficient in identifying key insights and anomalies.
- Asset and wealth management: We are seeing AI agents assist with complex data extraction, classification and validation to enable more accurate and efficient processes.
Next steps
- Assess your pain points
Have a clear picture of the specific challenges within your current tax function. By understanding these pain points, you can strategically deploy technology where it can drive immediate improvements and create added value.
- Understand the AI landscape
Seek to better understand the case studies and demos that showcase how AI solutions can create value for your organisation by automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
- Consider a more robust approach to AI adoption
Consider a responsible AI service to protect scalable and secure enablement from a governance and risk perspective
Johnny Wickham is Partner, Tax Technology and Transformation, at PwC Ireland