Group Tax Manager

Job Summary

We are seeking an experienced Group Tax Manager to lead the group's direct tax function. The role owns Qatar corporate income tax compliance for State and QFC entities, withholding tax, contract reporting and tax authority enquiries, and provides oversight of direct tax compliance for group entities in the region. The Tax Manager also leads quarterly corporate tax and Pillar Two provisioning, supports the group's OECD Pillar Two compliance, and manages transfer pricing and Country-by-Country Reporting (CbCR). The role works closely with Finance, external advisors and auditors, and supervises the Tax Officer.

Key Responsibilities

1. Qatar Direct Tax Compliance (State and QFC)

• Own the preparation and review of annual corporate income tax returns for State of Qatar entities filed with the General Tax Authority (GTA) through the Dhareeba portal, and for QFC entities filed with the QFC Tax Department.
• Review monthly withholding tax (WHT) returns and payments for Qatar entities, and advise on the applicability of WHT to payments to non-residents and other specific transactions, including the application of treaty relief.
• Oversee other Qatar tax filings and obligations, including contract reporting to the GTA within statutory deadlines, and Tax Residency Certificate requests for WHT relief in other jurisdictions.
• Monitor changes in Qatar tax law, executive regulations and GTA and QFC guidance, and assess their impact on the group.

2. Tax Enquiries, Audits and Disputes

• Lead responses to GTA and QFC Tax Department enquiries, information requests and tax audits, including preparation of technical positions, reconciliations and supporting documentation.
• Review tax assessments and manage objections and appeals within statutory timelines, working with external advisors where needed.

3. Regional Direct Tax Oversight

• Provide oversight of corporate income tax compliance for group entities and branches in UAE, Oman, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and any other jurisdictions in which the group operates.
• Review returns, computations and payments prepared by local finance teams or external advisors.
• Track regional legislative developments, including new corporate tax regimes and domestic minimum top-up taxes, and assess their impact on group entities.
• Advise on the direct tax implications of new entities, branches, investments and restructurings in the region.

4. Tax Accounting and Provisions

• Lead the preparation and review of quarterly and annual corporate tax provisions under IAS 12, covering current tax, deferred tax, uncertain tax positions (IFRIC 23) and the effective tax rate reconciliation.
• Lead the quarterly Pillar Two top-up tax provisioning process by jurisdiction, applying the IAS 12 mandatory exception for deferred taxes arising from Pillar Two, and prepare the related disclosures.
• Prepare tax disclosures for interim and annual financial statements, and liaise with external auditors on queries relating to tax provisions and disclosures.

5. OECD Pillar Two Compliance

• Support the group's compliance with OECD Pillar Two (GloBE) rules, including the Qatar Income Inclusion Rule and Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax, and qualified domestic minimum top-up taxes in other jurisdictions.
• Coordinate data collection, validation and GloBE calculations by jurisdiction, including Transitional CbCR Safe Harbour testing, covered taxes and GloBE income adjustments.
• Support the preparation of the GloBE Information Return (GIR) and local top-up tax returns and notifications, working with external advisors.
• Support the analysis and documentation of Pillar Two elections and maintain the group's Pillar Two methodology and audit trail.

6. Transfer Pricing and CbCR

• Manage the preparation and annual update of the group's Transfer Pricing Master File and Local Files, including coordination of benchmarking studies with external advisors.
• Review intra-group transactions and pricing policies, including reinsurance, service charges, cost allocations and financing, and confirm they are applied and documented consistently.
• Prepare and review the Country-by-Country Report and related CbCR notifications in Qatar and other jurisdictions where group entities have notification obligations.
• Support transfer pricing enquiries and audits, and advise on the transfer pricing implications of new intra-group arrangements.

7. Advisory, Controls and Team Leadership

• Provide direct tax advice to group entities and business functions on transactions, contracts, investments and structuring, and draft tax memos and position papers.
• Maintain the tax compliance calendar, tax risk register and controls over tax processes, and improve the reliability of tax data from finance systems.
• Manage relationships with external tax advisors and auditors, including scoping of engagements and review of deliverables.
• Supervise, review and develop the work of the Tax Officer, and support the VP, Group Tax on reporting to senior management and special projects.
• Provide support to the indirect tax team on VAT and other indirect tax matters where required.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Law or a related field.
• Professional qualification such as ACCA, CA, CPA or CTA is required; ADIT or an equivalent international tax qualification is an advantage.
• 7 to 10 years of tax experience, including time with a Big Four or leading tax advisory firm and/or in an in-house tax role within a multinational group.
• Strong working knowledge of Qatar corporate income tax and WHT for State and QFC entities, and of GCC direct tax regimes.
• Hands-on experience with IAS 12 tax provisioning, transfer pricing documentation and CbCR.
• Practical exposure to OECD Pillar Two calculations and compliance is strongly preferred.
• Experience handling tax authority enquiries and audits, with sound technical judgement and the ability to present positions clearly.
• Experience in the insurance or financial services sector is an advantage.
• Able to work independently with minimal supervision, and proactive in identifying and resolving issues.
• Strong attention to detail, organization and ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills; experience with ERP systems and tax technology tools is an advantage.
• Fluent in English; Arabic is strongly desirable.