Life of an incoming Head of Tax

In-house tax people know how much pressure there is on the tax function these days...

The workload is skyrocketing.
The stakes are high.
Budgets are decreasing.

And the only constant is change... which means tax implications... and thus more work.

At the same time, tax people are wanted in the market. I see a lot of super interesting job postings on a weekly basis, which results in a fairly high degree of turnover.

I have been a new joiner myself multiple times. I recall the moments when you arrive, blue skies, nothing but excitement, dopamine firing on all cylinders. The honeymoon period, right?

After a month, given the steep onboarding curve and urgency in the tax world, these new joiners are knee-deep in the projects, compliance, and controversy work. Energy levels are still high, but now stress is the big driver.

It takes a lot of planning and organization to stay energized as an in-house tax professional. I often see people struggling with the never-ending to-do lists and overall increasing tension on the tax function.

What is your secret weapon to stay engaged?