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Vertex Exchange Europe 2026 in Vienna felt less like a traditional tax conference and more like a live stress test of what happens when tax, data and real-time regulation all collide.
Across the sessions, panel discussions and conversations in the corridors, one message came through clearly: indirect tax is moving from periodic, after-the-fact compliance to continuous, transaction-level control. That shift is no longer theoretical. In today’s environment, a rejected e-invoice can stop shipments, delay revenue recognition and expose weaknesses in tax processes overnight.
Much of the discussion centred on ViDAViDA or 'VAT in the Digital Age', is an EU initiative proposed by the European Commission that seeks to modernise and harmonise VAT processes for member states, by embracing new technologies. It is aimed at updating processes for the management of VAT, and reduce the VAT gap and fraud. The proposal also aims to address challenges in the area of VAT raised by the development of the platform economy. and the rapidly expanding patchwork of EU e-invoicingElectronic invoicing - widely referred to as e-invoicing - is the exchange of a digital document between a supplier and a buyer. E-invoices are issued, transmitted and received in a structured data format that enabled automatic and electronic processing. They contain data in a machine-readable format so that an AP system can read an invoice without manual data entry, leading to faster and more efficient invoicing. and e-reporting mandates. But the conversation quickly moved beyond schemas, deadlines and local requirements into something much deeper: data foundations.
For tax teams, this is where the real challenge sits.
VAT risk now surfaces at the invoice itself
One of the strongest themes from the event was that VAT risk used to surface at filing. Now, it surfaces at the invoice itself.
That distinction matters.
Historically, many businesses had time to identify issues, reconcile data and correct errors before submission. With continuous transaction controls, e-invoicing mandates and digital reporting requirements, tax authorities are moving much closer to the transaction. Compliance is becoming embedded into the flow of business, not added on at the end.
That means indirect tax teams need to be able to show that what was calculated is exactly what was invoiced, and that what was invoiced is exactly what was reported to the authorities.
This is the heart of connected compliance. It is not just about having the right tools in place. It is about having the right data, the right controls and the right processes across tax, finance, IT, AP and sales.
E-invoicing is not “just another IT project”
Several sessions reinforced a point that many organisations are still learning the hard way: e-invoicing is often sold to CFOs as a compliance project, when in reality it is a transformation opportunity.
When treated narrowly, e-invoicing becomes a deadline-driven exercise focused on meeting the minimum requirements. When approached strategically, it can unlock better data visibility, stronger controls, faster processes and improved business resilience.
That was the core message behind the session “From Mandate to Momentum”, which argued that most organisations are leaving serious value on the table by viewing e-invoicing purely through the lens of compliance.
The most successful programmes are not owned by IT alone. They are shared change programmes involving tax, IT, finance, accounts payable, sales and wider business stakeholders. Each team has a role to play because e-invoicing affects the full transaction lifecycle, from customer and product data through to invoicing, reporting and audit defence.
Master data came up a lot
It was hard to miss how often master data came up throughout the event.
In one podium discussion, the audience even had to count every time master data was mentioned. It came up a lot…There is a reason for that.
E-invoicing and real-time reporting expose weak data foundations very quickly. Poor customer data, missing tax registrations, incomplete exemption certificate information, weak product classifications or inconsistent transactional detail can all create issues at the point of invoice.
The lesson was clear: businesses cannot build modern indirect tax compliance on unreliable data. Better data foundations are now essential, not optional.
This was echoed in discussions around manufacturers managing multi-country e-invoicing rollouts, as well as customer stories such as Oxford Nanopore, which has saved hundreds of thousands of dollars by reshaping its US sales tax model while also learning the importance of complete exemption certificate data.
AI is becoming a default expectation, but not a replacement for tax judgment
AI inevitably featured throughout Vertex Exchange Europe 2026, but in a more mature way than the hype seen elsewhere.
The discussion was less about abstract promises and more about agents that quietly do real work. Vertex showcased AI capabilities that can help classify products, update tax rules and support configuration logic in plain language, all under strict guardrails around explainability, reversibility, auditability and human oversight.
Panellists were clear that AI is becoming a default expectation in indirect tax. However, they were equally clear that legal defensibility and human judgment still sit firmly with the tax team.
That balance is important.
AI may reduce reliance on manual processes, help identify issues faster and support better decision-making, but it does not remove the need for tax expertise. In fact, as AI becomes more embedded, tax teams will need to understand not only the tax rules themselves, but also how those rules are configured, explained, audited and defended.
From CTC to Continuous Audit Controls
Another important discussion focused on the evolution from Continuous Transaction Controls to Continuous Audit Controls.
This is a significant shift. The conversation around e-invoicing is no longer limited to the invoice document itself. There is growing interest in whether Europe may follow LATAM’s lead by expanding mandates beyond invoices into wider transaction and business data.
Topics such as ViDA, digital sovereignty and the future direction of European mandates all pointed to the same conclusion: regulation is becoming more digital, more connected and more demanding.
For businesses, this means that readiness cannot be measured only by whether they can submit an invoice in the right format. The bigger question is whether their systems, data and processes can withstand much deeper scrutiny.
Customer stories brought the challenges to life
Some of the most compelling moments came from customers sharing honest experiences of implementing Vertex Tax Engine in SAP.
The discussion with Roman Ondrus from Siemens Energy and Sonja Stotz-Brand from Daimler Truck AG stood out because it focused on what worked, what was tough and what they would do again. No corporate fluff, just real stories from people who have been through it.
These stories are valuable because they show the reality behind large-scale tax technology projects. Success depends on more than software. It depends on preparation, data quality, internal alignment, change management and a clear understanding of how tax processes interact with ERPEnterprise resource planning (ERP) is a type of software that organisations use to manage main business processes. landscapes.
They also reinforced a broader point: indirect tax transformation is rarely a straight line. The organisations that succeed are the ones that treat implementation as a business-wide programme, not a technical installation.
Partners and skills are now central to success
The partner and skills angle was another clear theme from the event.
Most large implementations are now partner-led, and there is significant investment going into enablement, certification and AI-powered knowledge tools to keep everyone aligned. As mandates become more complex and implementation timelines become tighter, the ability to scale knowledge across partner ecosystems is becoming critical.
For individuals, the message was equally clear: the future tax team is hybrid.
That means combining deep technical tax knowledge with comfort around ERP landscapes, data, automation and AI. The indirect tax professional of the future will need to understand legislation, systems, process design and data flows, because that is what it will take to turn regulatory pressure into genuine business value.
Women in Tax Technology remains a highlight
One annual highlight at Vertex Exchange Europe is the Women in Tax Technology event.
In a field where technology, tax and transformation are becoming increasingly intertwined, spaces like this matter. They help bring together people who are shaping the future of the profession, sharing experiences and building stronger networks across the tax technology community.
Final thoughts
The key lesson from Vertex Exchange Europe 2026 was that indirect tax is moving closer to the transaction, closer to the data and closer to the heart of business operations.
ViDA, e-invoicing, e-reporting, AI and continuous controls are all part of the same wider shift. Tax can no longer operate as a back-office function that checks compliance after the event. It needs to be embedded into systems, processes and data flows from the start.
The answer is not simply more tools. It is better data foundations, stronger cross-functional ownership and tax teams that are ready to work across technology, regulation and business change.
For organisations preparing for the next wave of mandates, the message from Vienna was clear: e-invoicing may begin as a compliance requirement, but handled well, it can become a catalyst for transformation.
