Introduction and Operationalisation of a Tax CMS – From Pilot Project to International Rollout

Tax CMS operationalization – with all its challenges

Building a tax CMS is not bound to succeed. Of central importance is the determination of process flows and responsibilities. Especially for companies that have a rather low degree of maturity from a procedural point of view, change management should not be underestimated.

Pilot projects can provide valuable insights, create acceptance and facilitate the rollout. The aim is to strike the right balance between centrally prescribed standards and local responsibility for one's own risks and measures.
Other success factors include practice-oriented training, a clear distribution of roles and a suitable authorization concept.

International Tax CMS – Standards, Flexibility and Reality

An international tax CMS must combine global consistency and local relevance – and this is where tensions often arise. Different legal situations, corporate cultures or IT landscapes make a "one-size-fits-all" approach almost impossible.

In our typified practical example, an international corporation identified key risks, defined standardized controls and rolled them out throughout the group via Impero. At the same time, local units were enabled to identify their specific tax risks and develop their own strategies for mitigating risks within the framework of internal group requirements. 
Challenges such as delays, excessive demands on small units or resistance were mastered through clear governance, targeted prioritisation and awareness campaigns. The implementation was supported by an operationalization tool.

Our experience-based recommendations

• Start small: Pilot projects create security and provide valuable insights.
• Clearly define roles: Unclear responsibilities slow down any project.
• Actively shaping communication: A tax CMS is only effective if it is accepted and "lived".
• Step-by-step rollout: Facilitates project management and conserves internal company resources.

For a tax CMS to be state-of-the-art and actually "lived", an operationalization tool such as Impero is necessary. In addition, companies are less likely to plan a purely national tax CMS but are increasingly striving for an international rollout. This comes with challenges. We would be happy to share our extensive experience with you.

In our webinar on September 9, 2025, we will show together with our cooperation partner Impero how to successfully operationalise a tax CMS – from the pilot project to the international rollout. At the same time, we will discuss which best practice approaches can be derived from real, already successfully implemented projects. You will also learn how a tax CMS can be built on the basis of clear governance and tax specifications, as well as the flexible Impero structure. You can find more information and registration here:

To the webinar