Tax complexity is no longer a cyclical challenge; it is a structural feature of the global operating environment. Deloitte’s 2026 Global Tax Policy Survey, drawing on responses from 1,010 tax and finance leaders across 28 jurisdictions, confirms that compliance burden is the defining challenge facing multinational organisations. For almost 40% of respondents, rising compliance, administrative, and reporting requirements represent the biggest tax-related impact on their business. For finance and accountancy leaders in Ireland, where multinationals are the cornerstone of the tax base, the implications are direct.

Three fault lines from the survey define the agenda: the compliance weight of Pillar Two, weakening confidence in digitalisation as a near-term simplifier, and sustained optimism that technology will ultimately deliver. Each carries a call to action for tax and finance teams.

Pillar Two is in its implementation phase and the compliance cost is landing. Some 88% of respondents expect to pay more tax as a result of the global minimum tax framework. In Ireland, where large multinational groups with consolidated revenues above €750 million are subject to the rules, calculating jurisdictional effective tax rates and coordinating compliance is creating significant demand on finance functions. Safe harbours agreed in January 2026 through the Pillar Two Side-by-Side package are welcome, but 41% say further simplification is a priority.

Confidence that digitalisation will simplify compliance has fallen sharply. In 2024, 59% of respondents expected digital tools to deliver simplified compliance; by 2026 that figure had dropped to 36%. Businesses report higher upfront spending and added complexity during the transition. Amanda Tickel, Deloitte’s Global Tax and Trade Policy Leader, notes that leaders are becoming less optimistic even in areas where simplification might be expected.

The longer-term outlook remains constructive. Around 85% of respondents expect AI-based tax compliance software to improve accuracy and reduce costs, and 80% expect the OECD’s Tax Administration 3.0 vision to deliver an ultimately positive outcome. For CFOs and tax directors, the message is to invest now in capabilities that will capture those benefits, while managing through the transition with appropriate resources and governance.

Three priorities follow for Irish accountancy and finance leaders. First, ensure Pillar Two compliance frameworks are fully operational, with clear ownership across local entities and the group. Second, treat the compliance investment as a data quality and governance project, not merely a reporting obligation. Third, evaluate AI-based tax tools on a structured, phased basis, recognising that near-term complexity is real but the long-term productivity case is strongly supported.

The Deloitte survey is a candid assessment of where the profession stands. Complexity is rising, transition costs are real, and simplification is slower than hoped. The organisations that build robust, tech-enabled compliance functions now will be best placed when the tide turns.

(The views expressed by the writer are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of BusinessRiver.)