Global invoice and tax compliance is complex and time consuming. But many businesses have underestimated the effort required, and have not invested appropriately to resolve the challenge, size scope, and scale of the problem. This approach is problematic enough. While meeting only the minimum requirements may satisfy regulators on paper, it often ignores the broader implications: missed deadlines, hidden errors, inefficient processes, and lost opportunities to use compliance as a driver of growth and trust.
But what about when even the lowest bar is not met? With 32% of businesses admitting to having non-compliance discovered at tax audit stage, this is the current, costly reality.
More than one in three businesses has already faced an issue that could materially affect continuity. But the real risk isn’t frequency, it’s severity. A single compliance failure can trigger cascading financial losses, reputational harm, and heightened scrutiny from regulators and auditors. Aleksandra Bal, Global Indirect Tax Technology Lead at Stripe, offers a stark warning:
“If you can’t issue a compliant invoice, you’ll go out of business. Invoicing has become a matter of business survival, not just a matter of compliance.” — Aleksandra Bal, Stripe
Compliance failures undermine growth The impact of non-compliance isn’t limited to fines or audits; it directly slows down strategic expansion.
A business’s ability to enter new markets now depends on its ability to comply with increasingly complex and rapidly evolving regulatory mandates. Put simply, compliance maturity has become a growth prerequisite, not an administrative chore.
With finance leaders already carrying unprecedented responsibility, the compliance burden has become even heavier:
Boards and investors are increasingly viewing compliance exposure not just as a company risk, but as an executive one. Data integrity, audit readiness, and digital invoicing standards are now central to CFO accountability.
Boards and investors are increasingly viewing compliance exposure not just as a company risk, but as an executive one. Data integrity, audit readiness, and digital invoicing standards are now central to CFO accountability.
Invoice compliance should never be a reactive, “fix-it-when-it-breaks” cost center. If organizations want to not only survive, but thrive, they must instead treat it as a proactive investment that protects revenue, preserves trust, and opens pathways to growth. Compliance complacency is expensive, but preventable.
Businesses that elevate compliance to a strategic priority gain:
Turning compliance into a strategic advantage The risks of non-compliance are clear—but so are the opportunities for businesses that act decisively. By moving beyond a box-ticking mindset and treating invoice compliance as a strategic priority, businesses can unlock growth, protect revenue, and strengthen trust with customers, investors, and regulators.
Compliance is not just an administrative requirement—it is a lever for resilience, growth, and competitive advantage. Businesses must not only take it seriously, but explore ways to handle efficiently, and use it to help further their wider business goals. The time to act is now.
Those who elevate compliance from a back-office task to a strategic priority will not only avoid the cost of failure, but they will also gain a measurable advantage over competitors still stuck in a box-ticking mindset. The risks of non-compliance are clear, but so are the opportunities for businesses that act decisively. By moving beyond treating compliance as a minimal requirement and elevating it to a strategic priority, businesses can unlock growth, protect revenue, and strengthen trust with customers, investors, and regulators.
Compliance is no longer just an administrative task—it is a lever for resilience, growth, and competitive advantage. The question every business must ask itself isn’t whether compliance matters, but whether it can afford not to take it seriously.
Read the full report to explore the data, insights, and best practices that can help your business stay ahead of compliance risks and seize the growth opportunities that come with doing it right.