Every last Wednesday of the month, various people from the tax sector meet for a group call via Microsoft Teams. They discuss a range of topics, such as the benefits of trade fairs and building personal relationships with (potential) clients, or the obstacles to digitalisation within their own businesses or those of their clients, as was the case on 30 March 2022.
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The session began with a review of the Steuerberater Expo held on 18 March in Cologne. All those who attended the fair spoke positively about the event and said they would definitely take part again in future. Above all, the personal contact with people – and thus potential clients – was something everyone had missed, as it allows for communication on a completely different level, and it’s simply more enjoyable to speak in person than to have the 15th online meeting of the day.
This, combined with the manner in which the stallholders were treated during the discussions, made for an all-round successful experience. The respectful way in which everyone treated one another was highlighted positively by all those taking part in the discussion.
Not enough budget?
Another topic discussed during the roundtable was the well-known resistance to digitalisation. When it came to software and automation as tools to provide support, everyone was naturally in agreement – they can be an immense help, and indeed are in the vast majority of cases. Nevertheless, clients often find it difficult to accept change and progress, or are too sceptical or unmotivated to adapt these advances within their own organisations.
All too often, insufficient funding is allocated for setting up automation processes or purchasing software, which ultimately results in an unsatisfactory outcome. This is hardly surprising when too little funding, time or staff are allocated.
It therefore remains a challenge to raise awareness of the progress being made in digitalisation amongst everyone and to win them over. Nevertheless, it was also acknowledged with goodwill that the trend is increasingly moving towards digitalisation and that more and more people and businesses are embracing this issue.
The TaxTech Roundtable takes place on the last Wednesday of every month. If you’d like to join us next time, make a note of 27 April at 5 pm in your diary!
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