Finance News by Forvis Mazars October 2026

Sat | 31.10.2026

Accounting/audit/tax

Cyber security shifts from compliance requirement to competitive differentiator and trust marker

Forvis Mazars’ latest Cyber security in 2027 report reveals why cyber resilience is becoming a competitive differentiator for organisations.

As businesses navigate an increasingly complex regulatory environment, with more than 100 digital-related acts and directives now in force across the EU, the conversation is moving beyond compliance.

Horațiu Nistor, Senior Manager, IT Audit & Advisory, Forvis Mazars in Romania, mentioned: "With DORA and NIS2, the focus is shifting from simply meeting regulations to making sure a company can maintain its operations and remain resilient in the face of disruptions. At the same time, AI is increasing both the speed of cyber-attacks and the capabilities available to defenders. Against this backdrop, relying on technology alone cannot provide the resilience organisations need. Cyber resilience requires organisations to understand their critical technology dependencies and third-party risks and, crucially, whether they can maintain essential operations when disruption occurs. This is what turns cyber security into a business capability that protects data and other critical assets, preserves business continuity and ultimately safeguards profitability and long-term value."

Forvis Mazars: material and labour costs can increase energy project budgets by up to 20%

The energy transition is entering a new phase, with the focus increasingly shifting from developing project pipelines to successfully delivering operational assets.

Forvis Mazars’ Strengthening supply chains in energy study finds that material and labour costs can increase energy project budgets by up to 20%, while 82% of energy and infrastructure executives are planning international expansion despite ongoing market uncertainty.

“As the energy sector enters a new stage of development, the focus is shifting from portfolio expansion to companies’ ability to transform projects into operational assets and manage market volatility. In this environment, success increasingly depends on how effectively developers control costs, manage suppliers and execute projects under uncertain conditions. For large-scale projects, execution discipline can be just as important as access to financing”, mentioned Vasile Andrian, Partner, Head of Audit & Financial Advisory, Forvis Mazars in Romania.

AI in the Boardroom: from adoption to accountability and value creation

Artificial intelligence has moved beyond experimentation. It is increasingly influencing how organisations operate, invest and make decisions, bringing new questions about value creation, governance, resilience and the role of people.

Forvis Mazars’ latest C-suite Barometer shows that AI has entered a new phase. Business leaders are no longer focused solely on where the technology can be deployed. The conversation is increasingly about the value it creates, the capabilities organisations need to build around it and the risks they need to manage.

Against this backdrop, Forvis Mazars brought together seven board members from technology, banking, capital markets, energy and financial services, alongside their leaders, to explore what AI means when viewed from the boardroom.

Tax Omnibus reform of the Tax Merger Directive

While withholding tax reforms have attracted significant attention, the proposed changes to the EU Tax Merger Directive could have an even greater impact on how multinational groups structure and reorganise their operations across Europe.

The proposal aims to extend tax neutrality to simplified mergers, divisions by separation and cross-border conversions, aligning EU tax rules with developments in company law.

For businesses, these changes could provide greater certainty and flexibility when simplifying corporate structures, integrating acquisitions or reorganising operations across the EU.

Romania's new savings and investment accounts (CEI)

Romania is preparing to introduce a new savings and investment framework designed to encourage long-term investing, strengthen financial security and support the development of the capital market.

Lucian Dumitru, Tax Partner and Ana-Maria Magyari, Senior Tax Manager, explore the key provisions of the new Savings and Investment Accounts (CEI), their tax implications and what they could mean for individuals and employers.

While the initiative marks an important step towards strengthening Romania’s investment culture, its practical impact will depend on the final legislative process and the implementation of the new framework.

Tax Omnibus reform of the Dispute Resolution Mechanism Directive

When a cross-border tax adjustment results in double taxation, the effectiveness of the dispute resolution process can matter just as much as the tax rules themselves.

This is one of the areas addressed by the European Commission’s proposed Tax Omnibus reform, which aims to simplify access to the EU dispute resolution framework and make dispute resolution procedures more effective.

What could these changes mean in practice for businesses?

In a recent article, Liviu Gheorghiu, Tax Partner and Alexandra Nechita, Senior Tax Manager, examine the proposed amendments and their implications for companies navigating transfer pricing, permanent establishment and other cross-border tax disputes.

An efficient audit starts early: how companies can prepare

A smoother audit doesn’t start with the first document request. It starts with how well the finance team prepares throughout the year.

Regular reconciliations, well-documented accounting estimates, early identification of significant changes and open communication with auditors can make the process more predictable and reduce last-minute pressure.

Ioana Chiriac, Manager, Audit & Assurance, looks at the practical steps CFOs and finance teams can take to prepare for the audit period and why, in reality, busy season starts long before busy season.

This article is provided by our Finance Partner, Forvis Mazars Romania.

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