Council Post: The New Role Of Compliance In Business Growth

Hugo Sarrazin, CEO de Avalara, argues that compliance is shifting from a rear-guard function to a growth enabler in a faster-changing regulatory environment. He says tax and compliance obligations can determine how quickly companies enter markets, launch products, or add sales channels, and that these requirements increasingly need to be understood before decisions are made. Sarrazin notes the growing pace of regulatory change, including thousands of U.S. sales and use tax updates annually and expectations that public tax disclosure and reporting will increase, citing Deloitte’s 2026 Global Tax Policy Survey where 84% of tax and finance leaders expect more requirements. Governments are also moving compliance closer to transactions through e-invoicing and digital reporting mandates, with OECD data showing over 70% of tax administrations using AI for compliance support.