Consumer use tax rarely gets the spotlight, but it’s one of the fastest ways for audit risk to quietly pile up.

In this episode of Beyond Death & Taxes, Matt and Clay break down one of the most overlooked areas of tax compliance: consumer use tax. Using insights from Avalara’s Consumer Use Tax Explained webinar, they walk through where use tax commonly hides, why it’s so often missed, and how small gaps can quickly turn into major audit exposure.

From vendor errors and software subscriptions to inventory used internally, this episode highlights why manual tracking falls short and how automation can help finance teams reduce risk before auditors come knocking.

Key Takeaways

• Why consumer use tax creates outsized audit risk, even for well-run finance teams.
• Where use tax issues most often hide, including vendor undercharges and internal use.
• How multi-state operations complicate compliance and increase exposure.
• Why spreadsheets don’t scale and what automation changes.

If use tax feels like an afterthought, this episode explains why it shouldn’t be — and how to get ahead of it.

Related Links

1. Check out the full webinar: Consumer use tax explained: What it is and how to manage it
2. Explore more articles, reports, and up-to-date insights on all things compliance Avalara Resource Center
   
   

If 2025 felt busy for tax and compliance teams, 2026 is shaping up to be even more complex.

In this episode of Beyond Death & Taxes, Matt and Clay kick off the new year with highlights from 10th annual Avalara Tax Changes webinar — the flagship event tax professionals rely on to understand what’s coming next. Featuring insights from industry experts Gail Cole, Scott Peterson, Argi O’Leary, and Craig Reed, the conversation breaks down the most impactful tax developments from 2025 and what finance teams should be preparing for in 2026.

From expanding sales tax bases and new digital services taxes to shifting nexus rules, retail delivery fees, and aggressive enforcement trends, this episode explores how states are responding to economic pressure and revenue needs. The discussion also dives into the rapidly evolving world of trade and tariffs, including the end of de minimis, rising global tariffs, and why cross-border compliance now affects far more businesses than ever before.

Key Takeaways

• Why 2026 is poised to bring major tax changes as states face budget pressure and shifting federal policies.
• How and why states are expanding their tax base, especially into digital services and B2B transactions.
• What retail delivery fees signal about new revenue strategies — and why they remain controversial.
• How nexus rules continue to evolve, including changes to transaction thresholds and physical presence standards.
• Why trade and tariff compliance now affects more businesses, driven by rising tariffs and the end of de minimis.
• What finance teams should focus on next to reduce risk amid growing enforcement and reporting complexity.

Related Links

1. Read the full Avalara Tax Changes 2026 report
2. Explore more articles, reports, and up-to-date insights on all things compliance Avalara Resource Center
   
   

AI is reshaping finance faster than most teams can keep up, and tax compliance is one of the first places it’s making a real impact.

In this episode of Beyond Death & Taxes, Matt and Clay explore the rapidly evolving role of AI in finance, featuring insights from Avalara’s popular webinar, Reinventing Tax Compliance: The AI Boom and How to Put It to Work. They walk through findings from a global study of finance leaders, revealing how teams are adopting AI, where they’re still hesitant, and which compliance tasks are most primed for automation.

From the rise of e-invoicing mandates to AI-powered research, reporting, and “agentic” workflows, this episode breaks down what’s actually happening inside modern finance departments and what’s coming next. You’ll also hear how Avalara is integrating AI directly into tax research, reporting dashboards, ERPs, and even email tools to reduce risk, speed up decision-making, and cut manual work.

And before diving in, the hosts pay their respects in the Compliance Graveyard to one of the oldest inefficiencies in the book: manual data entry — and why it’s finally time to lay it to rest.

Key Takeaways

• How AI adoption is accelerating across finance and what’s driving the momentum.
• Why global e-invoicing mandates are reshaping compliance, and what teams need to prepare for now.
• Where manual processes create the biggest risks and how AI can close those gaps.
• What “agentic AI” really means and why it’s poised to change tax workflows entirely.
• Why human oversight remains essential — especially when it comes to privacy, accuracy, and trust.

Whether you’re experimenting with AI or still figuring out where it fits, this conversation offers a grounded look at how automation is reshaping compliance today and where it’s headed next.

Related Links

1. Watch the full webinar: Reinventing Tax Compliance — The AI Boom and How to Put It to Work.
2. Explore more articles, reports, and insights on how AI is reshaping tax workflows in the Avalara Resource Center