Diagnose the current state and future objectives of your SSC plans

The goal is to make sure that the outsourced VAT processes and functions are transferred and continue operating as effectively and efficiently as possible.

That means determining whether the current processes operate satisfactorily as is or need to be improved, factoring in any potential or existing differences and taking into account the complexity of the existing processes and the variations between these processes in each of the business units to be supported by the SSC.

As you begin to diagnose the current state and future objectives of your SSC plans, some of the questions that can help you determine the impact of VAT prior to migration.

• Do we have sufficient insight into current VAT processes including all manual adjustments, workarounds and internal quality assurances processes?
• Are the processes specific and well-documented and are they adequate to the new environment?
• Do we understand the scope of personnel changes that may occur as we migrate to the SSC?
• Have we captured all the relevant knowledge from personnel who may decide to leave the organization?
• Are we retaining access to and information about existing manual processes and procedures and offline solutions?
• To what extent do current processes depend on local VAT expertise and technology?
• How much will be lost in the event of a transfer to SSC?
• To what extent are different processes required from one jurisdiction to another?
• Who has final responsibility for the VAT compliance process at present and who will own it upon transfer to the SSC model?
• Where are the essential process controls being carried out?
• How does the SSC model deal with local VAT risks in terms of internal communication and coordination?

Read more: The intersection of VAT and shared service centers?