Sharing the right tax legislation message with leadership

As U.S. and foreign tax policies are debated, changes are likely. Emerging tax legislation that is in a constant state of flux requires CFO attention. Some of these tax proposals will change as they make their way through various legislative bodies, and some may fail to become law altogether. Identifying and acting on the proposals that matter, while filtering out the noise.

Under CFO guidance, a communication strategy can be beneficial in sharing information with external stakeholders including customers, shareholders, analysts, economists, media, and policy makers.

CFOs may also suggest lobbying efforts to the full leadership team to bring their perspective directly to Washington lawmakers. Some may prefer the indirect approach of joining advocacy groups or industry-specific groups. The sooner communications and influence campaigns are launched, the more likely they will impact the final legislation.

The global tax environment is also subject to rapid, significant, and perhaps disruptive changes. The changes may impact your business on their own or intersect with U.S. tax legislation requiring even more careful analysis and execution.

A recent KPMG survey found that C-suite leaders are more preoccupied by possible reforms on the global front with half (50 percent) saying that global tax reform keeps them up at night, compared to 37 percent who say the same about an increase in the U.S. corporate tax rate.