Group Tax Manager

Job Purpose:

Supports the Group Tax Director/Senior Manager in managing all aspects of the Group's tax operations, with a primary focus on Indirect Taxes while maintaining knowledge across all tax areas. Key responsibilities include tax strategy, planning, compliance, advisory, audits, litigation, and risk mitigation. Works closely with cross-functional teams to enhance VAT processes and compliance standards. Assists in reporting to senior leadership on compliance updates, strategic planning, financial impacts, and regulatory changes.

Job Responsibilities:

VAT Compliance & Reporting:

• Review and consolidate VAT returns prepared by group entities, ensuring accuracy and timely filing in line with UAE VAT regulations.

• Coordinate with accounts teams across group entities to ensure the correct and efficient completion of VAT returns, maintaining an overall return calendar.

• Manage and track VAT filings across multiple entities, ensuring deadlines are met and compliance is achieved.

• Oversee post-filing reviews of VAT returns to identify potential areas for correction or optimization in subsequent periods.

Advisory & Analysis:

• Lead advisory support to internal stakeholders on various VAT-related matters, offering practical solutions for compliance and risk mitigation.

• Address VAT queries raised by business units, providing clear and actionable guidance.

• Conduct VAT impact assessments for new business initiatives, ensuring the tax implications are well understood and managed.

• Review contracts and commercial arrangements to ensure that VAT treatment is correctly applied and advise on structuring for tax efficiency.

UAE VAT Registration & Compliance:

• Monitor changes in VAT regulations and assess their impact on group operations, ensuring the business is fully compliant with evolving tax laws.

Tax Group Management:

• Oversee management of the tax group, including the amendment of the tax group, and adding/removing members as required.

• Ensure that the tax group structure aligns with group operations and that all compliance requirements are met.

FTA Audit & Disputes:

• Lead the preparation for FTA audits, including providing documentation and responses to queries raised by the Federal Tax Authority (FTA).

• Lead support in VAT disputes and litigation, including drafting responses, preparing appeals, and managing communication with FTA to resolve issues promptly.

• Ensure proper documentationof all audit interactions, findings, and resolutions.

Collaboration with IT:

• Proactively share areas of improvement supporting VAT compliance for the AWR group with the Group IT Team.

• Lead implementation of IT projects from tax side, designed to improve VAT reporting, compliance, and reconciliation.

• Ensure compliance with UAE regulations, including ESR, AML, FATCA, and CRS, overseeing adherence to substantial activity requirements, monitoring financial transactions, and managing accurate filings and reporting to relevant authorities in a timely manner.

Training & Process Improvement:

• Lead training sessions for business units and key stakeholders on VAT compliance, updates to VAT regulations, and best practices.

• Identify opportunities for process improvements within VAT compliance and filing systems, driving efficiency and mitigating tax risks.

Corporate Tax:

• Assist in compliance with UAE Corporate Tax laws, ensuring proper filing and tax reporting.

• Support tax planning and corporate income tax optimization initiatives, helping to manage the overall Effective Tax Rate (ETR) for the group.

• Collaborate with the finance team to identify opportunities for tax savings and ensure that corporate structures are efficient and compliant with corporate tax rules.

• Assist with the preparation and filing of corporate tax returns and ensure timely payment of taxes.

• Advise on corporate tax issues raised by internal business units and provide strategic solutions to minimize tax liabilities in line with UAE tax law.

• Support to manage tax provisions for corporate income tax and deferred taxes within the group.

Strategic Tax Planning & Advisory:

• Provide tax advisory support for business expansion, M&A, and restructuring projects.

• Assess and mitigate tax risks while ensuring tax efficiency.

• Stay updated with changes in UAE and global tax regulations and advise management accordingly.

• Work closely with finance, legal, and operations teams to align tax policies with business objectives.

• Manage relationships with tax authoritiesand advisors and liaise with external auditors as required.

Qualification, Experience & Skills:

Minimum Qualifications/education:

• Bachelor Degree or above in Commerce / Economics / Finance/ Taxation with professional qualifications such as a CA, CPA, CTA, or other relevant to tax specialization is necessary.

Minimum experience:

• 8+ years in similar function.

Skills:

• Excellent presentation skills and the ability to train on system usage.

• Awareness of counties laws, rules and regulations and quickly able to analyze and adapt laws changes.

• MS Office Package (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and Operating Systems such as JDE, SAP and Oracle will be value addition.

• A good mix of Industry and Advisory firm experience is expected.