Global finance professionals are facing challenges with automating accounts payable, artificial intelligence and tariffs, according to a new report.
The report, released Tuesday by finance automation provider Tipalti, is based on a survey of more than 2,300 finance professionals across North America, the U.K. and Europe. It found that while 74% of finance teams say they’re being pulled into more strategic roles, they’re also losing 11 hours per week — or nearly 72 workdays per year — to manual AP tasks that stifle productivity and growth. Global business complexity, outdated AP systems, tariffs, and evolving regulations are creating critical risks for organizations.
Over one-third (35%) of businesses plan to expand globally within the next 12 to 24 months, and 55% already spend more time on international business than in previous years. Yet 56% of respondents say their current AP systems can’t support long-term growth without major overhauls, and only one out of four finance professionals feel “very prepared” to manage finances amid rising international growth. Four out of five (80%) say they need to scale their AP processes to handle growing invoice volumes.
“The increasing complexity of global business is a profound challenge for finance professionals still bound by manual AP,” said Manish Vrishaketu, chief customer and operating officer at Tipalti, in a statement. “These outdated systems create compliance bottlenecks, operational blind spots, and burnout at a time when agility matters most. AI-powered finance automation is no longer a future nice-to-have; it’s the foundation for resilience, scalability, and competitive advantage in today’s global economy.”
Tariffs are also taking a toll. Nearly six in 10 (59%) of the finance leaders surveyed said U.S.-related tariffs are directly affecting their expansion plans, while 61% have slowed investment or growth at their organizations due to tariff uncertainty. North American companies are bearing the brunt: they’re 37% more likely than those in Europe to say tariffs are impacting financial planning and 65% more likely to report stress or burnout linked to geopolitical shifts.
As organizations pursue international growth, the complexity of compliance and fraud prevention continues to rise. Half (50%) of the finance professionals polled said they lack a clear roadmap for managing global compliance, leaving their organizations exposed to potential regulatory missteps with costly consequences.
The problem is getting worse — 43% of the respondents report more compliance issues in the past year, while 60% indicated fraud has become a larger concern across the AP process. To respond, many companies are making quick fixes: 51% of the respondents said their organizations have invested in new technology for control and compliance, 43% have created new internal compliance protocols, and 33% have increased staffing or added compliance-focused roles. But without implemented automation, these measures risk being short-term patches rather than scalable solutions.`
The report finds near-universal agreement that automation and AI are key to the future of finance, with 80% of finance leaders saying automation’s value goes beyond efficiency to drive long-term business goals. However, only 7% of the organizations polled have fully automated their AP operations today. Among those who are more hesitant to fully adopt automation, the top barriers include data security concerns, integration complexity, and fears around accuracy. But 64% of finance teams worry that a lack of automation will limit scalability.
Over two-third (68%) of the respondents indicated their organizations are actively re-evaluating how they manage AP, and nearly half (46%) are implementing or piloting AI tools.
When asked where they plan to invest through the remainder of 2025, finance leaders ranked AI as the No. 1 most critical investment for the future of AP, among other top strategic priorities:
50% plan to invest in AI;44% in fraud detection and risk monitoring;44% in data security and privacy; and,41% in financial compliance and audit.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the finance leaders surveyed said they have seen improved retention of skilled employees as a result of implementing or piloting AI tools, reflecting a shift toward AI as a main driver of business readiness, not simply a tool for back-office efficiency.
