Group Head of Taxation

Job description / Role

The Company

Robert Half is currently recruiting for a Group Head of Taxation on behalf of a very large international conglomerate.

The Role

The Group Head of Tax acts as the focal point for all the group tax matters both in the UAE and internationally. Reporting directly to the Group CFO and working closely with the group Business Unit (BU) CEOS and BU Heads of Finance, the Head of Tax oversees all Tax matters that fall under their remit (VAT, International Tax, any UAE taxes, Transfer Pricing, and related matters) by managing a local team of Tax specialists, and by liaising with various local and international external advisors and administrators.

UAE VAT:

* Develop and maintain strong relationships with the Tax Authorities and External Advisors
* Responsible for control and governance of all VAT matters in the UAE
* Liaise and engage with Finance and Operating staff in Business Units and Group Functions to ensure full VAT compliance, on time reporting of consolidated Group returns, management of FTA audits and FTA clarifications, and leadership of key projects to address areas of VAT complexity and sensitivity
* Anticipate and plan future changes in regulations, practices, and upcoming VAT audits
* Support VAT due diligence on acquisition Targets.

INTERNATIONAL: Direct and Indirect Tax Compliance

* Partner with International Business Units CEOs and Heads of Finance to ensure oversight of both Direct and Indirect Tax matters within each of the jurisdictions
* Maintain Group wide tax compliance with appropriate tracking and reporting
* Ensure proper planning, reporting, compliance, and management of any Tax disputes that may occur.

INTERNATIONAL: Expansion

* Coordinate with external advisors on due diligence of new business development opportunities/ acquisition targets.
* Conduct Tax Structuring of new overseas investments and impact on business case returns.
* Conduct thorough reviews of Holding Company structures, Capitalization options, Withholding and Capital Gains Tax implications, Transfer Pricing, and other related matters
* Subsequent Tax governance and compliance of new investments once completed.

STRATEGIC PLANNING

* Prepare advance tax planning in anticipation of new tax regimes in the UAE
* Plan and lead the implementation of any changes in UAE tax regulations and reporting requirements

GROUP-WIDE ACTIVITIES

* Ensure proper communication and awareness within the Group on Tax related matters through training and other similar activities
* Coordinate with the Finance staff on Tax accounting
* Provide Ad-hoc Tax advice when required, support and assist the Finance and Operations staff in finding solutions to tax issues
* Submit required tax related filings to local Authorities as required
* Monitor and manage thoroughly the group Tax risks and escalate them to the relevant senior management as required
* Update and keep track of the tax policies and governance framework
* Manage the overall Tax strategy, vision, and objectives for Group Tax, in consultation with the Group CFO

Requirements

THE CANDIDATE

* Advanced university degree and International Accounting or Tax qualification (CA, ACCA, ACA and / or CTA)
* 12 plus years of Tax experience, demonstrating career progression, ideally starting with a Big 4 firm, and progressing to a Corporate Tax Department
* Experience in both Direct and Indirect Tax.
* Tax experience in Europe and ideally in the Middle East
* Ideally experience of cross-country Tax matters for Multinational Groups including structuring
* Proven successful experience managing Tax Audits and in dealing and building strong relations with the Tax authorities
* Experience in leading and managing a Tax team
* Excellent level of writing, reading, and speaking English skills, Arabic skills are a 'plus'
* As Head of Tax the candidate should be a self-starter and able to identify and manage key projects with a high degree of autonomy.
* Strong leadership and organization skills
* As a mid-size Group with a small HQ staff, the group has a hands-on culture, and the candidate should have an attention to detail and be able to prepare analysis on their own
* With a relatively new and maturing tax framework in the UAE, the candidate should have a tolerance for ambiguity and ability to identify key issues.
* Strong communications skills to explain tax issues to stakeholders.
* Ability to work in Group environment with multiple BU CEOs, CFOs and senior stakeholders.
* A team player who will support his Finance and Operations colleagues in finding solutions and at the same time establish accountability.

SALARY AND BENEFITS

* Up to 80,000 AED per month
* Business class flights
* Family medical insurance
* Yearly bonus

Robert Half is committed to equal opportunity and diversity. Suitable candidates with equivalent qualifications and more or less experience can apply. Pay and salary ranges are dependent upon experience, qualifications and training.

About the Company

Founded in 1948, Robert Half International Inc. (NYSE symbol: RHI) is the world\'s first and largest specialized staffing firm and a member of the S&P 500 index. We are a global leader in professional staffing and consulting services and the parent company of Protiviti, a leading independent internal audit and business and technology risk consulting firm. For 2006, Robert Half International reported revenues of $4 billion and now has staffing and consulting operations in more than 400 locations worldwide.