The Diploma in Tax Technology: for the tech-enabled tax professional

Over the last 18 months or so, it seems as though the world has gone through a technological revolution. Generative AI and ChatGPT, in particular, have become household terms. You might find yourself discussing technology with friends and colleagues more than you ever have before – even if you’re not quite sure what it all means.

Of course, these changes and more have been taking place behind the headlines for years. At the CIOT, we have been following their effects on the tax field closely, considering how we can better enable tax practitioners to meet such transformations head on.

From real-time reporting systems adopted by tax authorities, to blockchain technologies used for recording financial transactions, the world of tax today is digital, in a way that presents both challenges and opportunities to tax practitioners.

The Diploma in Tax Technology (DITT) is the CIOT’s latest innovative qualification, designed to build technological competency specific to the tax profession, enabling candidates to participate in tax-tech projects and liaise with experts in tax technology.

To govern the DITT, we’re pleased to introduce our new DITT Committee, chaired by Paul Aplin OBE, a past President of the ICAEW, a member of the CIOT Council and an experienced tax partner. For Paul, ‘an understanding of available technology and how it impacts is fast becoming “must have”, rather than “nice to have”, knowledge for tax professionals’.

Equipping tax practitioners with this essential knowledge is at the core of the CIOT’s mission with the DITT, which seeks to help its candidates stay relevant in a rapidly digitalising tax landscape.

Paul is also a member of HMRC’s Admin Burdens Advisory Board and a former member of the OTS Board. Along with HMRC colleagues Matthew Vick and Sam Wood, he provides the Committee with invaluable insights from the tax authority perspective, as well as guidance on the Making Tax Digital modules of the DITT syllabus. Ian Hayes, President of CFE Advisers Europe and CIOT Council member, Georgiana Head, Director of a tax recruitment firm, and Shan Sun, Tax Technology Lead at Deliveroo, make up the rest of the Committee, leading the DITT’s governance and ensuring its quality.

With nearly 700 registered candidates so far, more than 100 of whom have already gone on to achieve the qualification, the DITT is also undergoing its first syllabus update in April 2024, from which candidates can expect to see new content at the forefront of technological change to make sure their learning remains cutting-edge.

The future of tax is digital, and we believe that education is the key to help you flourish in a tech-driven professional landscape. Register as a DITT candidate today at www.tax.org.uk/ditt and grow your career in the exciting world of tax technology.