Tax Hiring Outlook 2025

TaxTalent Present's the 15th Annual Tax Hiring Outlook

Executive Summary
For over a decade, TaxTalent has delivered this annual report to tax leadership with the goal of providing the information needed to educate Finance and HR about hiring and retention trends for corporate in-house tax departments. This is the only report giving the industry an inside scoop on nationwide hiring and retention data surrounding corporate in-house tax departments.

Staffing for in-house corporate tax departments is at an all-time high, and the sooner you understand this information, the sooner you can make educated decisions surrounding staffing and retention. We firmly believe some of this data to be dramatically understated, as typically budgets for hiring are planned based on the previous year’s needs.

Below are the Most Critical Hiring and Retention Trends that Tax, HR, and Financial Leadership MUST Be Aware of in 2025:

1. Based on when we surveyed (beginning of 2025), nearly half of companies plan to hire in 2025, with most focusing on 1–2 new tax hires. With the emphasis on Pillar II, it isn’t surprising that Tax Compliance has reclaimed its position as the #1 functional area for hiring in 2025, followed closely by Tax Accounting and Tax Technology.

2. Among mid-sized companies ($2B–$9B), 65% of respondents believe their tax departments are compensated at market standards. However, 76% expect salary and title inflation in 2025, highlighting a growing tension.

3. Companies are steadily shifting back to in-office work, with full-time in-office attendance having increased from 5.6% in 2023 to 8.3% in 2025. While the hybrid work model remains the most prevalent in 2025, it has also steadily increased from 73.6% in 2023 to 75.3% in 2025. Fully remote roles are gradually declining, dropping from 17.7% in 2023 to 16.6% in 2025.

4. There is a clear distinction in succession planning readiness between larger and smaller companies. Among companies $2B and above, over 50% report having a well-defined succession plan, ensuring stability in leadership transitions. On the flip side, smaller companies face even greater risk, with 80% of companies under $2B lacking any succession planning strategy, leaving them vulnerable to gaps in leadership when turnover occurs.

5. While public accounting remains the most utilized resource in our 2025 analysis, third-party providers and specialized interim talent are gaining traction. Many companies are leveraging interim and consultant resources more aggressively due to lower costs and easier access to high-caliber remote talent, allowing them to scale their workforce efficiently.

Access the Full 2025 Tax Hiring Outlook

UPCOMING WEBINAR- You Have Questions, We Have Answers

Join us for TaxTalent’s pro-bono webinar on April 30th at 1:00 PM EST, where we’ll dive into key data, current hiring trends we’re seeing firsthand, and how you can prepare for what’s ahead.

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