Job Title
Manager - Corporate Tax
Reports to
Head of Tax
Department
Corporate Tax - Finance
Location
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
About j. awan & partners
At j. awan & partners, we believe in challenging the status quo every day, delivering seamless excellence to our customers across the world. We challenge the status quo by making tailor-made solutions to meet the specific requirements of our client's business interests and delivering our solutions to their needs with effective simplicity. We understand that time is precious and as such our tailor-made solutions are simple to understand, simple to embed and simple to use.
We are a fast-growing international Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) Consultancy with our headquarters in the Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC). We also have our own Technology company creating bespoke cutting-edge RegTech solutions.
Our business presence covers multiple jurisdictions with offices in the UAE, KSA, UK & Ireland, Singapore, Porto, Pakistan, Qatar and now in South Africa. We provide Regulatory Governance, Risk, Compliance, Finance, Recruitment and Technology services (the Services) to a large number of clients including global, regional and local financial services institutions, governments and other industry partners.
As part of our global expansion plan, we are now looking for an ambitious and agile professional with a strong background to join our team.
Job Purpose
We are seeking an outstanding tax professional to deliver top-quality client experiences and maintain the highest standard of care in tax services. The successful candidate will help clients meet their tax obligations while managing the impact of tax on their business, advising on both local and cross-border tax matters, and helping clients navigate the fast-evolving UAE and international tax landscape.
The role also involves managing a portfolio of client engagements, maintaining high technical and service quality, and supporting the timely delivery of tax compliance and advisory services.
1. Corporate Tax Compliance & Reporting
- Oversee the accurate and timely preparation and review of UAE Corporate Tax returns, provisions and supporting workings across a portfolio of clients.
- Manage clients Corporate Tax registration, deregistration and tax group formation, ensuring all filings are completed correctly on EmaraTax and within statutory deadlines.
- Review book-to-tax adjustments, taxable income computations and disclosures, ensuring alignment with the Corporate Tax Law and relevant Cabinet and Ministerial Decisions.
- Act as the key point of contact for client engagements, monitoring progress, managing budgets and timelines, and ensuring all deadlines and deliverables are met.
- Ensure engagement documentation, working papers and filing evidence are maintained to a standard that withstands Federal Tax Authority (FTA) scrutiny and audit.
2. Tax Advisory & Technical Delivery
- Provide clients with clear, practical advice on UAE Corporate Tax.
- Advise on structuring, elections and reliefs, including the participation exemption, interest deduction limitation rules, transfer pricing and small business relief.
- Assist clients with the tax implications of new ventures and ongoing operations.
- Prepare and review technical memos, position papers and assessments on complex tax matters, presenting conclusions in a well-reasoned and commercially useful manner.
- Support cross-border and international tax matters, including permanent establishment risk, withholding taxes, and the application of double tax treaties.
- Coordinate with the VAT and wider advisory teams to provide clients with joined-up, firm-wide tax solutions.
- Prepare the internal tax accounts for Group entities within the Firm.
3. Client & Engagement Management
- Build and maintain strong, trusted relationships with clients across the financial services sector, acting as a reliable adviser throughout the engagement lifecycle.
- Manage the successful delivery of tax compliance and advisory projects for a broad range of local and international clients, balancing quality, profitability and client satisfaction.
- Lead client meetings, calls and correspondence, translating technical requirements into clear actions and next steps.
- Support client onboarding, including engagement scoping, letters of engagement and Know Your Client (KYC) requirements.
4. Billing & Commercial Management
- Take ownership of the monthly billing cycle for the client portfolio, including preparing and reviewing draft invoices, ensuring fees are raised accurately and in line with agreed engagement terms and scope.
- Monitor work in progress and liaise with the Finance and Billing teams to ensure timely invoicing and resolution of billing queries.
- Track budgets against actuals across engagements, flag scope creep and out-of-scope work and manage variation or excess-hours communications with clients.
5. Risk & Quality Management
- Identify potential tax risks and propose appropriate risk-mitigating strategies for clients.
- Ensure that internal risk, quality and compliance processes are always adhered to, consulting with the risk team on engagements where required.
- Keep up to date with the latest legislation and regulatory developments, including FTA guidance, Cabinet Decisions and Ministerial Decisions, and assess their impact on clients and the firm.
6. Business Development
- Assist in the development of the firm's tax practice by identifying new business opportunities within existing and prospective clients.
- Prepare and deliver client presentations, proposals, fee estimates and tax briefings.
- Contribute to thought leadership, technical updates and marketing initiatives that build the firm's profile in the UAE tax market.
Skills & Experience
Experience
- At least seven years relevant tax experience in a similar role, preferably within a large accounting firm with a multi-jurisdictional presence.
- A recognised professional tax or accounting qualification.
- A strong background in tax accounting, ideally within a large professional services firm or similar environment.
- Direct experience of UAE Corporate Tax is strongly preferred, together with exposure to team and engagement management.
Skills
- A highly capable individual who can overcome challenges and adapt to new ways of working to deliver results.
- Outstanding analytical and technical skills, with strong attention to detail.
- Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including the ability to interact effectively at all levels within the firm and with clients.
- Commercial awareness, with the ability to manage budgets, billing and engagement economics.
- A highly motivated self-starter with demonstrable ability to work independently, solve problems and manage competing priorities.
- Strong organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to lead and develop a team.
Qualifications
- A minimum of a bachelor's degree with strong academic results, preferably in Finance, Accounting or Law.
- A professional qualification such as ACA, CTA, ACCA, CA, CPA or equivalent.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive salary and performance-based bonus.
- Comprehensive medical insurance coverage.
- End-of-service benefits as per local laws.
- Opportunities for career growth within a multinational environment.
- Learning and professional development opportunities.
