KPMG US is expanding the skillset of its tax professionals beyond traditional tax work. The firm recently completed a pilot program focused on empowering its tax experts to build software solutions.

Six-Week Pilot Program

In January and February, KPMG conducted a six-week pilot program involving approximately 30 tax professionals. These experts collaborated in small teams with engineers to develop functional software prototypes.

Bridging the Gap Between Tax and Tech

Many participants, including associates and managers, had limited prior technical experience, according to Brad Brown, KPMG’s chief digital officer for tax. “By the end of six weeks, they were vibe coding solutions,” Brown stated. He observed a noticeable shift in how participants envisioned delivering services.

Automating Tax Processes

The teams, comprised of four to six individuals, focused on building tools to automate tax and compliance processes. These tools also integrated data from various systems and generated analytics and content that previously required significant manual effort, a company spokesperson explained.

From Idea to Prototype

Traditionally, tax professionals would rely on technical teams to create software solutions. Now, they can “do the ideation piece” and create initial prototypes themselves, Brown said. These prototypes can then be refined and developed by software engineers with the necessary security and infrastructure.

Support and Resources

Each team received guidance from a manager within KPMG’s tax tech team, providing support when technical challenges arose. Most participants had between two and six years of experience in tax-related roles.

Vibe-Coding and Rapid Development

Participants utilized three “vibe-coding” platforms and other professional software development tools. The projects were completed through a combination of in-person, virtual, and self-guided work. Brown emphasized that this approach accelerates the rollout of new tools.

Impact and Future Plans

Some of the software developed during the pilot is already being used by KPMG clients to streamline tax workflows and data management. Vibe-coding allows employees to continue developing tools with “minimal guidance” from the tech team, according to a spokesperson.

KPMG is now considering the formation of approximately a dozen teams, each consisting of around 30 workers—a mix of tax professionals and software engineers—to develop AI-powered software tools. Brown noted that this initiative aligns with discussions in Silicon Valley regarding maximizing the output of engineering talent, aiming for a “10x consultant” effect.