For large organizations, managing tax across different disciplines often means juggling disconnected systems, scattered data, and mounting compliance risk. But what happens when those silos start to collide and one issue exposes another? In this blog, we explore a real-world scenario that shows how commercial property tax, transfer pricing, and unclaimed property can become dangerously intertwined, and how tax.com helps bring it all back under control.
For large enterprises, managing commercial property tax, transfer pricing, and unclaimed property in isolation can lead to inefficiencies, audit risk, and missed savings. In order to untangle this situation, a solution is required that helps organizations streamline compliance, reduce risk, and create a shared data foundation across tax functions. The question is: where can this be found?
When tax teams operate in silos, risk multiplies.
On the surface, commercial property tax, transfer pricing, and unclaimed property may seem like separate disciplines, but in practice they’re deeply interconnected. And for organizations with expansive operations, those unseen overlaps can in fact turn into costly gaps, especially when data is decentralized or teams are misaligned.
To illustrate what’s at stake, let’s examine a hypothetical case study, and then see how modern tax technology can help.
Meet ABC Manufacturing Inc.
ABC is a multinational manufacturer with a complex global footprint. Its operations span four continents, including leased warehouses and R&D hubs across 30 U.S. states. It holds IP assets in Ireland and manages logistics through a regional hub in Mexico.
On paper at least, it’s a well-run company, but under the surface, tax complexity is piling up, and it’s beginning to show.
Commercial Property Tax:
Manual processes seem to create familiar patterns, as inconsistent assessments are creating confusion and cost. Some tax bills are going unpaid due to lack of visibility. Others are being overpaid because local appeals deadlines are missed, and there’s no central system in place to flag these opportunities. As property tax management has traditionally operated manually, with manual input into spreadsheets, results like this are commonplace.
Transfer Pricing:
A recent IRS audit is focused on ABC’s intercompany leasing structure. Subsidiaries are leasing real estate to each other, and the IRS wants proof that these rates reflect arm’s-length values. The problem? The property tax data needed to support these valuations is locked in spreadsheets, disconnected from transfer pricing documentation. The data is there, but the manual nature of operations creates information silos limiting visibility.
Unclaimed Property:
During a recent restructuring, it was determined that several ABC facilities were deemed redundant and subsequently closed. Many of these have outstanding vendor credits and unreconciled refunds. Because ABC doesn’t have a central system to track unclaimed refunds or credits, several states have launched audits. This means that penalties may be forthcoming.
When Complexity Crosses Borders and Departments
It should be noted that none of these issues began as catastrophic, in fact they were quite benign, but like so many challenges in tax, the real damage came from fragmentation and the natural formation of silos. In effect, systems didn’t talk to each other, data became trapped in those departmental silos, and timelines quietly drifted out of sync.
In ABC’s case, the cost of noncompliance is something more than financial: it’s strategic. Leadership is concerned and is beginning to question whether internal tax operations can keep pace with ever-changing regulatory complexity. It’s no longer enough to “do your job” in isolation. Finance, compliance, and real estate need to work from a shared foundation, if these issues are to be productively addressed.
The Power of Connected Tax Technology
This is where tax.com comes in.
Built for large organizations managing diverse tax obligations, just like the example we provided, tax.com offers a suite of integrated solutions that are purpose-built to unify data, streamline compliance, and reduce exposure across disciplines. Let’s explore how it helps companies like ABC Manufacturing regain control.
Property Tax Software
Managing assessments across multiple jurisdictions can easily become a cumbersome process, but with tax.com, nothing slips through the cracks. Deadlines are tracked automatically, and appeal opportunities are surfaced before they’re missed, helping you avoid overpayments and stay ahead of changes.
Each physical asset is linked to its valuation, tax history, and payment records, giving you a complete picture of ownership costs, and how they impact broader financial strategies like transfer pricing.
And because everything integrates seamlessly with your ERP system, your forecasts are based on real-time data, helping finance leaders plan with confidence and avoid last-minute surprises.
Transfer Pricing Tools
With tax.com, your real estate data becomes a powerful asset for building defensible intercompany pricing. Whether you’re managing leasebacks or cost-sharing arrangements, you’ll have reliable third-party valuation inputs at your fingertips, so you’re always prepared to justify your pricing.
The platform also helps bridge the gap between legal structures and real-world operations. If your organization has migrated IP or centralized services, you can clearly show how assets are being used and where the value is created.
And when audit time comes, you’re ready. Integrated, validated data ensures fast, accurate responses to documentation requests from the IRS, OECD, or other tax authorities, thus, no scrambling is required.
Unclaimed Property Management
Managing unclaimed property across multiple states can be overwhelming, but with tax.com, it becomes automatic. The platform monitors timelines and obligations, tracking dormant accounts and scheduling remittances so you don’t miss a step or face unnecessary penalties.
It also helps you stay on top of overpayments, uncashed checks, and vendor credits that might otherwise slip through the cracks. By identifying and resolving these hidden liabilities early, you avoid drawing unwanted attention during audits.
And when reviews do happen, you’re covered. Tax.com keeps everything organized in a clear, centralized audit trail, so there’s no last-minute scramble for documentation, no matter how many jurisdictions are involved.
Real Results for Real Teams
The moment ABC adopted tax.com’s platform, the silos started coming down.
- The property tax team now has full visibility into upcoming deadlines and appeals opportunities, and is collaborating with finance to align tax accruals with actual risk.
- The transfer pricing team can link intercompany lease agreements to actual valuation data from real estate operations, strengthening documentation and reducing audit exposure.
- The unclaimed property team is finally equipped to manage multi-state compliance at scale, thanks to automated tracking, documentation, and reconciliation tools.
What’s more, ABC’s leadership can finally make tax decisions using complete, real-time data. That means better forecasts, fewer surprises, and greater confidence in every jurisdiction.
The Future of Tax Is Connected
In today’s business environment, tax isn’t just about compliance, but more about coordination.
Whether you’re defending transfer pricing positions, managing complex real estate holdings, or avoiding penalties, the solution lies in shared data and integrated workflows.
tax.com is purpose-built for this complexity. Our suite of solutions empowers tax professionals to break down silos, reduce risk, and operate with clarity across the full spectrum of tax obligations.
Because when tax silos collide, you need more than a workaround; you need a system designed to bring everything together.
The Future of Tax Is Integrated
Today’s tax environment doesn’t reward isolated systems and reactive processes. It demands visibility, automation, and collaboration across every tax discipline, and this ranges from property and transfer pricing to unclaimed property and beyond. And this is exactly what tax.com delivers: a unified platform designed to reduce risk, eliminate silos, and empower your team to act with confidence.
Ready to see what connected tax technology can do for your organization? Book a demo today and discover how tax.com helps you simplify complexity, improve compliance, and drive better outcomes across every corner of your tax function.