For all the talk of digital transformation, most tax teams still live in Excel. We’ve added automation and dashboards, but many core processes still rely on spreadsheets, emails, and manual reconciliations. That’s not a criticism; it’s reality. Tax has evolved, but not fundamentally—and that’s why this moment matters, because we’re on the cusp of radical change across finance.

Why Analytax

I created Analytax to explore how data literacy, data science, and AI can reshape the way we understand and manage financial information. Tax provides the context, but the ideas reach wider across finance.

This isn’t consultant-grade rhetoric. It’s real analytics, real technology, and real examples—for people who like to experiment and build, not just talk. If you prefer execution to grand strategy and enjoy learning new tools hands-on, you’ll feel at home here.

My promise to readers: Everything here comes from my own experience, interests and inspiration. I may use AI to research, test, or clarify, but the substance and perspective are my own. I publish only what I understand, believe in, and consider genuinely relevant to the evolving world of tax technology—where technical curiosity meets practical domain expertise.

Over time, I’ll share practical artefacts—code, models, notebooks, and reflections—that you can adapt freely in your own workflows. Analytax starts as a blog and grows into a place to share ideas, examples, and lessons from the front line of change.

A Bit About Me

I’ve built my career at the intersection of tax and data. My experience spans direct and indirect tax, transfer pricing, forecasting, and risk management, alongside data modelling, analytics engineering, and automation. I currently work in the global group tax function of a blue-chip UK company, leading initiatives that use modern data platforms and AI to strengthen governance and insight. I know first-hand how hard it is to move beyond spreadsheets—even when teams are ready—and I started Analytax to share what actually helps functions shift from reactive compliance to proactive, data-driven decision-making.

The Cusp of Change

Much has changed in tax and finance over the past decade — but not as much as we sometimes tell ourselves. We’ve added automation, dashboards, and workflows, but most core processes still begin and end in Excel. It remains the backbone of how we calculate, reconcile, and report — flexible, familiar, but fundamentally manual.

That reliance has served us well, but it also limits what’s possible. The truth is that the technologies to work differently already exist — and they’ve reached a point where they’re both powerful and accessible.

Cloud data platforms now let us handle volumes of information that once required IT intervention. AI copilots can already read, summarise, and query tax data in plain English. Coding—particularly Python—is becoming genuinely accessible, transforming how we analyse, model, and visualise data, while low-code tools handle the repetitive tasks that once consumed our time.

These aren’t futuristic concepts anymore — they’re here, waiting to be used. The question isn’t if they’ll reshape how we work in tax and finance, but how fast we’ll adopt them.

The future of our profession is less about manual reconciliation and more about structured, intelligent data. And with the right mix of curiosity and data literacy, tax and finance teams can move from reactive compliance to proactive insight — ready for new regulation, audits, and the pace of change that’s already underway.

What to Expect Here

Four focus areas:

  • Data Literacy & Analytics Fundamentals — structuring, cleaning, and interpreting data that’s fit for purpose.
  • Tools & Techniques — Excel, Python, SQL, Streamlit, plus no-/low-code alternatives, shown in tax/finance contexts.
  • Applied AI & Data Science — practical uses of LLMs, machine learning, and predictive analytics.
  • Transformation Stories — how modern data approaches are reshaping tax and finance teams.

Alongside these, I’ll share hands-on examples—code snippets, Jupyter notebooks, and the occasional web app—ready to use and adapt. Expect topics like forecasting, tax classification, anomaly detection, and risk management: methods that move functions from reaction to anticipation, keeping teams on the front foot for audits, regulation, and decision-making. This is about practice, not theory.

An Invitation

Analytax is my independent space to explore, experiment, and share at the intersection of data science, AI, and finance, with tax as the proving ground. If you like to tinker, test, and learn by doing—or simply want to build confidence with data and AI—follow along and borrow freely. Keep an eye out for the first hands-on post—coming soon.

Tax may still be built on spreadsheets today, but the next generation of insight across finance will be built on data.