Vertex at Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference: ai, invoicing push

Vertex, a provider of tax compliance solutions, showcased its strategic shift at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference 2026. The company aims to become a full compliance platform, not just a tax calculation provider, as investors watch for a clearer growth inflection. Vertex is repositioning its Value Creation Plan to support margin expansion, cash flow growth, and lower contractor use.

The company is focusing on e-invoicing, which has emerged as a material revenue driver. This growth is driven by acquisitions, such as ecosio and Brinta, as well as government mandates in several countries, including France, Germany, Spain, India, the United Arab Emirates, Taiwan, Poland, Belgium, and Italy. Vertex's e-invoicing business has expanded globally, with successful launches in France and Latin America, and continued growth in other regions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to improve internal efficiency and support new products, but Vertex emphasizes that its core tax and e-invoicing systems must remain deterministic. The company has already launched its first commercial AI product, Smart Categorization, which generates revenue and is being adopted by several retailers.

Management expects the full benefits of AI adoption to be realized in 2027. Vertex has implemented an AI Trust Center to ensure customers can control the level of autonomy AI has, with rules, parameters, and rollback capabilities.

Vertex's leadership, including CEO Chris Young, has stressed the importance of maintaining auditable and explainable AI in compliance work. The company's internal rule is that AI can only be used if a person can stand behind every word, sentence, calculation, and table. Young explained that Vertex's expertise in tax compliance has been built over 45 years, covering nearly 20,000 U.S. jurisdictions and thousands more overseas.

The company now aims to broaden its role by supporting customers through the full compliance cycle, from product categorization and classification to audit defense and reconciliation.