, they think of legal and compliance teams — managing filings, updating governance records and keeping entities in good standing. But today’s integrated governance, risk and compliance (GRC) platforms have evolved into far more everyday tasks and workflows than those owned by the legal team alone.

Entity and subsidiary management technology now serves as the operational backbone for a wide range of strategic activities — none more so than in tax and finance. Whether it's modeling corporate structures for tax efficiency, preparing for M&A, reducing risk or maintaining audit readiness, access to accurate, centralized entity data is essential.

Yet many companies still rely on outdated tools like spreadsheets and siloed systems, which create inefficiencies, errors and blind spots. 

 found that 94% of business spreadsheets contain errors. Even the most carefully maintained records degrade over time — with entity data becoming outdated at a 

 — offers a smarter approach. It unifies corporate records, streamlines compliance and gives legal, finance and tax teams a real-time view of corporate structure and obligations. AI takes this even further by automating reporting, validatingdata and surfacing insights that would otherwise take hours to uncover.

As regulations grow more complex and financial decisions more interconnected, tax and finance teams are turning to these systems for much more than compliance. A centralized platform creates a single source of truth — one that 

 and enables faster, more confident decision-making. With all stakeholders accessing the same real-time data, the business can avoid costly missteps like duplicate filings, tax overpayments or missed structuring opportunities.

With that in mind, below we uncover five key ways is which AI-powered entity management supports tax and finance efficiency.

1. Centralize corporate records to improve tax planning

Fragmented entity data makes tax strategy harder than it should be. A 

 reduces duplication, improves audit readiness and provides a reliable foundation for assessing tax positions across jurisdictions.

Finance and tax teams benefit from knowing they’re working with the most current data — enabling them to evaluate structures, track ownership and support regulatory filings with confidence.

2. Automate compliance tracking and e-filing

Manually managing tax and regulatory deadlines across jurisdictions is time-consuming and high-risk. With AI-enabled calendars, automatic reminders and e-filing tools, teams can stay ahead of obligations without constant oversight.

Instead of managing deadlines in spreadsheets, they receive jurisdiction-specific prompts and updates — reducing the risk of missed filings, late penalties and last-minute scrambles.

AI isn’t just making entity management more efficient — it’s redefining what legal, tax and compliance teams can do and accomplish altogether. Get the guide to find out how. 


AI is changing entity management...

3. Use real-time org charting to support M&A and restructuring

Entity charts are essential for understanding how corporate structures relate across borders — especially during M&A or internal restructuring. But for large organizations, keeping charts current can be a huge lift.

, finance and legal teams can generate real-time diagrams that reflect the most recent data — making it easier to evaluate restructuring scenarios, understand beneficial ownership and support due diligence processes.

4. Accelerate insights with AI assistant and document summarization

New AI tools like a dedicated, virtual entity management assistant can act like an intelligent researcher for legal, tax and finance teams — instantly surfacing the right entity data with simple prompts. Need to confirm director appointments, see ownership details or prep for a board meeting? Just ask!

Meanwhile, AI-powered summarization capabilities save hours of reading by pulling out key points from governance documents, filings or contracts. Instead of sifting through PDFs or legal text, teams get instant clarity on what matters.

5. Strengthen data quality with AI-powered validation and import

Accurate data is critical to reducing financial risk and enabling smart decisions. With an AI data integrity checker, the system flags missing or outdated fields — like incomplete addresses, expired director terms or mismatched ownership structures — so issues can be resolved proactively.

AI-powered document importing takes this a step further by scanning uploaded documents, extracting key data and auto-populating entity records. It can even suggest next actions, like initiating a board resolution or triggering a compliance task — reducing the burden on busy teams.

Why tax and finance leaders are embracing AI-powered entity management

Adopting modern entity management is no longer just about staying compliant — it's about gaining a competitive edge. Forward-thinking companies are already seeing the value:

Reduce financial and regulatory risk with complete, accurate data

Make faster decisions with real-time access to corporate structures and ownership

Support tax efficiency by identifying restructuring or planning opportunities

Improve M&A readiness with clean, accessible records

Free up time for strategic work by eliminating manual processes

The bottom line? Entity management software has evolved. It's no longer 'just' a compliance tool — it's a strategic system that supports tax optimization, operational efficiency and risk management. And with AI now layered on top, the potential impact is even greater.

Ready to see what’s possible with entity management software? Download the 

 and discover how you can harness AI to reduce risk, unlock efficiencies and drive growth.

To learn more about Diligent Entities’ current AI capabilities and future roadmap, 

How entity management software helps optimize tax efficiency and supports business growth

In an environment shaped by uncertainty, growing recession fears and trade upheavals, the majority of directors and general counsel are holding firm to their growth agenda for now despite ongoing volatility.

A survey of 165 general counsel and corporate directors at U.S. public companies conducted in March by 

 and Diligent Institute finds two-thirds still prioritizing growth initiatives this year—and 9 percent of them say they are doubling down on growth thanks to new opportunities in the market.

However, 32 percent say their company has pivoted to a wait-and-see approach. The wait is likely to last until there is more clarity on the economic front and what all the actions taken today will mean for business, but most of those polled say they expect the current volatility to have faded by the end of the year—and for many, this means companies must maintain their financial strength to seize emerging opportunities.

“There is a lot of uncertainty at this time, but I believe it will pass in the next 9 months,” said one of the directors whose company is staying the course on capturing growth this year.

“The current trade uncertainty will temporarily slow the U.S. economy in 2025, while 2026 will likely deliver more growth and profits,” echoed another.

But all that could change. The great majority of those polled say a sharp economic downturn would carry a “significant” to “detrimental” blow to their business.

“I have invested and sat on board through the internet bubble, the great recession and Covid. This is the most concerned I've ever been about our government's potentially negative impact on our economy in my entire career,” said one of the respondents.

To mitigate the risk, those who have been through severe financial and economic crises in the past say it is crucial to maintain focus on what management can control while making decisions for the longer term, “not next week,” said the former CEO of an American multinational foodservice company who now serves on the boards of global public companies.

And as important, don’t overcorrect, echoed other seasoned respondents. “Play the long game and stick to your core advantages. Don’t get frenzied day to day,” said one respondent who has led public companies through the past 20+ years.

But the economy isn’t the only risk keeping GCs and board members up at night. There are other events, according to the survey data, that can trump a severe recession when it comes to the repercussions on the company.

For general counsel, who view the current risk environment as “moderately high,” rating it 6.8 on a 10-point scale where 1 is a “negligible risk level” and 10 is a “significant risk level,” the most impactful event to their company would be a major cyber breach, ahead of a sharp economic downturn.

For board members, a cyber attack also outweighs a large economic event, but the number one risk according to those polled is the sudden departure of the CEO or other mission-critical individual.

The survey data demonstrates alignment on top risks between GCs and boards, despite the few points differentials between the main items on the list. Still, the data also reveals a potential opportunity for better board-GC communication on those risks.

For instance, only a third of board members surveyed said their GC provides them with extensive or in-depth support on matters of cybersecurity. And more than a quarter (28 percent) said the support from their GC was minimal to non-existent.

The survey found another area where directors may welcome greater input from their GC: Sixty percent of directors said their GC provides minimal to no support to the board in its oversight of AI.

And one third of directors said their GC is not involved or only minimally involved in the board’s enterprise management risk (ERM) discussions.

The area of enterprise risk management is particularly interesting in this optic because in a Director Confidence Index poll last summer, directors said they 

 when it comes to their board’s oversight of ERM. Forty-five percent of directors indicated they would like better benchmarking data, 42 percent wanted to talk about ERM more frequently, and 23 percent wanted to improve communication with management around ERM.

“Directors continue to view ERM oversight as a pain point, and they’re seeking better data and insights to combat this,” said Dottie Schindlinger, executive director of the Diligent Institute. “The role of the GC can be pivotal in refining the board's oversight of ERM, by providing that comprehensive benchmarking data and using AI tools to create a risk heat map, facilitating more discussions at the board level and enhancing communication with the rest of the management team.”

The survey found several areas where directors say their GC is participating actively in boardroom discussion. On regulatory compliance, for instance: 76 percent of board members say their GC provides extensive support. And 54 percent said the same of the company’s crisis response plan.

Zebra Technologies Board Chair Michael Smith says he’s surprised by these findings because in his experience, the GC “sits through virtually all board meeting deliberations except executive sessions,” he said in an interview with 

“If there's any place where risk assessment and mitigation plans come together, it's usually under the GC, and certainly it's a core responsibility of the entire board of directors, so I would say it is surprising—and concerning,” he said.

Jan Babiak, who serves as audit committee chair at Walgreens Boots Alliance and Bank of Montreal and has served on several other public company boards globally, says the data may highlight an important operational distinction most likely based on company size.

At companies where she has been a corporate director, the GC may or may not attend the full board meeting—unless the GC is also the corporate secretary. The GC, appropriately, isn’t usually the “main interface” during cyber and many other risk-related deliberations with the full board. “A lot of board members don’t realize the levels of involvement of the GC because the GC isn’t necessarily talking with the full board about [some of these issues],” she said. Instead, a member of the senior management team—for instance, the CISO in the case of cybersecurity—is more likely to be sitting in on these conversations with the board or relevant committee, depending on the issue being discussed.

But, she says, that doesn’t mean the GC isn’t providing extensive support or leadership behind the scenes. “I would be very surprised if a competent GC hadn’t been consulted and wasn’t on top of this. In fact, it would worry me if the GC was the one who was fronting [the issue] because that might mean we didn’t have the depth of experience in the organization that we need.”

So, perhaps the disconnect highlighted by the survey findings between directors and general counsel on risk and board support reveals untapped potential for stronger collaboration. As the majority of GCs we polled say they would welcome receiving more education/training on how best to advise the board, this area may provide the first steps to strengthening that all-too-important relationship, as companies continue to face unprecedented disruption to their strategic plan.

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