In late 2022, I co-created the Diploma in Tax Technology (DITT) for CIOT. The timing matters: DITT launched weeks before ChatGPT brought generative AI into the mainstream. It was designed to fill a gap that had nothing to do with AI hype. Traditional tax advisory training covered legislation, compliance, and client management, but said very little about the technology that was already reshaping how tax departments operated. DITT addressed that directly, covering project and product management for tax teams, data analytics, emerging technologies like crypto assets, and Making Tax Digital.

As generative AI tools moved from novelty to boardroom agenda item, it became clear that the profession needed something more focused. Not everyone exploring AI in tax wants or needs a full diploma. Many are mid-career professionals in practice or industry who want to understand what these tools can and cannot do, without committing to a broader qualification pathway, and without needing to be CTA-qualified to access the learning.

AI for Tax is CIOT’s response to that demand. As a member of the DITT Committee, I oversaw the syllabus development for this course, working with Coefficient as course supplier to shape the content and ensure it met the standard we had set with DITT. The course covers five modules across eight hours of self-paced training: foundational AI and GenAI concepts, machine learning, data science, neural networks, and practical applications in tax workflows, all grounded in real-world examples and case studies relevant to the profession.

Together, DITT and AI for Tax represent a progression in how the profession is building technology literacy. DITT provides the broad foundation. AI for Tax gives a focused, accessible entry point for anyone who needs to understand AI in a tax context, whether they are evaluating vendor tools, overseeing AI projects, or simply trying to keep pace with how the work is changing.

The course is available now at tax.org.uk/ai-for-tax.

Check out the Diploma in Tax Technology launch event and course materials here.