Brothers in Tax - The podcast
Ruben and Ramon van Aarle pull back the curtain on their journey through tax, technology and entrepreneurship. Real stories, not sanitised ones: how they built a tax advisory firm from scratch, what actually happened at the bar table where half the big decisions got made, and the f*ck ups it took to get here.
No polished success story. Just the anecdotes, the mistakes, and the lessons worth stealing.
All Episodes
Brothers in Tax | Episode 6 | Building an internal culture: going all in, hiring on instinct, and the mistakes we'd undo
"If you stab each other to death every day, you're not gonna make nice babies." Ruben and Ramon van Aarle went all in on SaaS in 2017 with a team of three. Last month they welcomed number 35. In this episode they tell the story of building that team, and the culture they are proud of. They get candid about the early calls. Hiring their first developer before salary ever came up. Why that developer is still here ten years later. Why two tax guys who cannot code decided to build the software anyway. And they name their biggest miss without flinching: going to market too early, and raising too little to back it. Then they dig into what actually builds a culture. Not the rules, not the bonuses, but the running club, the yoga, the pancakes and the ski trip nobody was told to join. Two brothers, no script, no slides. CHAPTERS 00:00 Cold open 00:13 Welcome 01:05 How Keeyns actually started 02:16 Two tax guys, and nothing on the market 03:45 "Hired" before a word about salary 05:00 Ten years in: why the first developer stayed 06:08 We can't code, so we trust the team 08:11 When we started hiring more people 08:37 Private equity and scaling the team 09:12 Has the strategy changed since 2017? 09:52 From VAT engine to tax management platform 11:11 Wins and f-ups: too early, too fast 12:24 Should we have raised more money? 14:57 When the strategy started to work 15:57 Building the company top down 17:47 Stewardship: letting people own their work 19:39 The atmosphere we try to create 20:48 40 resumes for a single job 22:32 The unplanned things that build culture 23:31 Does culture actually help the business? 24:43 What we would do differently 27:00 Wrap up ABOUT BROTHERS IN TAX Ruben and Ramon van Aarle are brothers, co-founders and lifelong tax professionals. Every month they sit down to talk about their years in tax, what's happening with tax technology, and the businesses they've built along the way. No script, no slides. ABOUT KEEYNS Keeyns is a tax management platform for multinational, multi-entity companies, built for lean in-house tax teams owning dozens to hundreds of filings across many jurisdictions. Tax Directors and CFOs get total confidence in every tax process: they can prove exactly what was done, when and by whom. Got a subject you'd like us to cover, or want to join us on the podcast? Let us know at https://keeyns.com #Tax #TaxTechnology #StartupCulture #CFO #TaxDirector
Brothers in Tax | Episode 5 | Tax team of the future
In Episode 5 of Brothers in Tax, titled "Tax Team of the Future," the brothers delve into the evolving landscape of tax technology and its impact on the roles of CEOs and tax directors. Ruben sharing insights from his early career as interim tax director at a large telecom company, highlighting the manual nature of tax operations and the disconnect between advisory practices and in-house tax departments. We explore the essential traits of future tax professionals, emphasizing the need for tech-savvy, deep generalists who can navigate complex tax environments. We also discuss how AI and automation are reshaping the industry, potentially reducing manual tasks and fostering greater collaboration between tax departments and CFOs. Join as the brothers envision the future of tax teams and the skills required to thrive in this dynamic field.
Brothers in Tax the podcast | Episode 4 | Challenge of a changing industry
In Episode 4 of Brothers in Tax - The Podcast, I delve into the evolving landscape of the tax industry alongside my brother Ramon. We explore the challenges posed by the "three C's": complexity, compliance, and capacity. As tax regulations grow more intricate and compliance demands increase, the strain on tax professionals is palpable. We discuss the impact of these changes on international groups and the potential relief offered by AI and technology. Despite the hurdles, there's hope as new tools emerge to streamline processes. Join us as we navigate the complexities of modern tax, sharing insights from our 25 years in the field and exploring how businesses can adapt to this ever-changing environment.
Brothers in Tax the podcast | Episode 3 | All in
In Episode 3 of Brothers in Tax - The Podcast, titled "All In," I, Ramon van Aarle, along with my brother Ruben, delve into our journey of embracing tax technology. We discuss the evolution of our company, Keeyns, from its inception in 2017 to its current status as a thriving tax technology firm. We share insights into the challenges of transitioning from traditional tax advisory roles to building a software company, highlighting the importance of adapting to technological advancements in the tax industry. Join us as we explore the global adoption of tax technology and its future impact on advisory firms and in-house tax departments. This episode offers a candid look at the shifting landscape of tax and the necessity of innovation in today's digital age.