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04 — Capture the value

Tax handled in real time.

Tax is usually the last function to modernize and the first to leak value. We treat tax as part of the finance operating system — connected to the data, run in real time, and structured to capture credits and manage exposures before they become surprises.

Book Diagnostic Meeting
The problem

Tax is where good finance functions lose money.

Compliance gets done — most companies aren't at legal risk. But the value tax could be capturing, and the exposures it's not seeing, run in the millions for mid-market companies.

Tax handled in arrears

Nexus, apportionment, and filing decisions get made after the fact. The tax team is always reacting to what happened, never shaping what will happen.

SALT exposure nobody's tracking

State and local tax obligations from remote workers, out-of-state customers, and e-commerce activity accumulate silently. The first audit surfaces it — and it's expensive.

Credits left on the table

R&D, energy efficiency, employment credits, incentives — most mid-market companies capture a fraction of what they qualify for, because no one's built the process to identify and claim them.

Tax function disconnected from finance

The tax team lives on last-quarter data pulled from the ERP as a CSV. Real-time visibility, scenario modeling, and coordination with FP&A doesn't exist.

What we do

Two connected practice areas.

Tax transformation modernizes the function. SALT consulting captures value most companies leave behind.

A

Tax Transformation

Modernize the tax function so it runs at the pace of the business. Connect tax to the finance data layer, automate compliance work, and free the tax team to focus on planning, exposure management, and value capture.

  • Tax operating model and technology assessment
  • ERP integration and tax data model
  • Tax provision and compliance automation
  • Real-time tax reporting and scenario planning
B

SALT Consulting

State and local tax done right. Nexus study, exposure quantification, voluntary disclosure where appropriate, and ongoing monitoring — plus systematic identification of credits and incentives that are genuinely available.

  • Multi-state nexus and exposure study
  • Voluntary disclosure agreements
  • Credits & incentives capture (R&D, employment, energy)
  • Sales & use tax automation and compliance
How we deliver

Diagnostic to durable tax operating model.

Every tax engagement starts with a fast diagnostic — the same one we'd run before advising on the work. The difference is what we do after.

Weeks 1–3

Exposure & opportunity study

Nexus footprint. Exposure quantification. Credits and incentives available. The picture leadership needs to prioritize investment.

Months 1–6

Remediation & capture

Voluntary disclosures where needed. Credit claims filed. Tax technology integrated. The one-time value comes here.

Ongoing

Steady-state tax function

Real-time exposure monitoring, integrated compliance, and quarterly reviews built into the finance cadence.

How we engage

Common engagement shapes.

Tax engagements typically start with a diagnostic. What comes next depends on what the diagnostic reveals — exposure to remediate, credits to capture, or a tax function to modernize.

Diagnostic

Exposure & opportunity study

A defined, time-boxed engagement to answer two questions: where is exposure accumulating (SALT, nexus, uncollected sales tax), and what value is being left on the table (R&D, employment, energy credits, incentives).

Best fit as a starting point. The output is a prioritized picture and a decision on what to do next.

Cadence
Fixed-fee study
Typical length
3–6 weeks
Team side
Small joint team with your finance lead
Exits when
Study delivered, recommendations in hand
Remediation & capture

SALT remediation and credits work

Voluntary disclosures where exposures are material, retroactive R&D or other credit claims where they qualify, and clean-up of nexus and registration gaps. One-time work with meaningful one-time value.

Best fit as a follow-up to a diagnostic — or when you already know the exposure and want it resolved.

Cadence
Project
Typical length
3–9 months
Team side
Coordinates with your tax preparer
Exits when
Filings landed, exposures resolved
Modernization

Tax function transformation

Rebuild the tax function so it operates at the pace of the business — real-time exposure monitoring, integrated compliance, tax data model connected to the ERP, and quarterly tax review baked into finance cadence.

Best fit when the tax function is disconnected from finance and reactive by default, and leadership wants that to change.

Cadence
Program leadership
Typical length
6–12 months
Team side
Works with tax, finance, and IT
Exits when
New tax operating model is running
Common questions

Common questions about Tax.

Do you replace our tax preparer or CPA? +

Usually not. We work alongside your compliance provider — they handle the returns; we handle strategy, exposure management, technology, and specialty areas like R&D credits or multi-state SALT. Some clients ultimately consolidate; that's their choice, not ours.

Isn't SALT exposure only relevant if we get audited? +

Legally, exposure exists whether you're audited or not — it's a real liability sitting on the balance sheet that isn't accrued. Practically, states are getting better at finding it. Remote work in particular has made nexus enforcement much more active. Getting ahead of it is cheaper than getting caught by it.

How do R&D credits actually work? +

The federal R&D tax credit rewards qualifying research spend — including significant portions of software development, product engineering, and process improvement. Most mid-market companies qualify for more than they claim, or don't claim at all. Look-back claims can typically go three years.

Can you handle international tax? +

For growing companies with meaningful international footprints — yes, we can lead, though we often partner with specialist international firms for the highly technical pieces. We're direct about where our depth ends.

Ready?

Tell us where you're headed. We'll steer the finance.

A 30-minute call to pressure-test where you are and where the gaps are — no deck, no obligation.