Tax and Compliance Accountant job at True North Consult Ltd

Position Description

Job Title: Tax & Compliance Accountant

Reports To: Tax Manager

Department: Finance

Supervises: Direct: N/A Indirect: N/A

Interacts/Interfaces with: Internal: N/A External: N/A

Job Purpose

To ensure compliance with Airtel statutory requirement of deducting and remitting all direct and indirect taxes and attending to the Uganda Revenue Authority on issues.

Responsibilities

• Direct & Indirect Taxes Process Management (External Partner Management)
• Prepare VAT Returns for compliance
• Prepare WHT Returns for compliance
• Prepare Excise Duty Returns for compliance
• Review PAYE Tax Returns for compliance (Where Applicable)
• Attendance and provision of explanations on issues raised by the tax authorities during tax audit
• Attendance and co-ordination of post audit reconciliation meeting by the tax authorities
• Issue WHT certificate for vendors
• Build and maintain documentation for tax purposes.
• Direct & Indirect Tax Advisory (Internal Stake holders)
• Provide tax advice intent of minimizing tax exposure.
• Prepare responses to tax audit queries.
• Attend to internal and external auditors’ queries and request.
• Review payments to local suppliers to ensure appropriateness of tax invoices for tax purposes and verify withholding tax applicable.
• Direct & Indirect Tax Reporting
• Reconcile tax accounts to the general ledger at the end of each month.
• Raise and post JVs to clear any reconciling items in tax accounts
• Preparation of tax status and other reports as requested by the group.
• Preparation of monthly Tax Report.
• Respond to queries raised by the Group on Direct & Indirect Tax Matters.
• Preparation of all documents required and attendance to queries raised by the External Auditors for quarterly and annual statutory audit.
• Manage Relationship Stakeholders
• Maintain quality and supportive relationship with tax authorities.
• Maintain supportive relationship with clearing agents and suppliers
• Maintain a healthy relationship with tax consultants.
• Controls & Compliance
• Liaise with Tax authorities and Tax consultants to facilitate processing of tax claims.
• Reviews Claims and documentation for VAT claims e.g. bad debts
• Reviews periodic tax dashboard showing the status of various tax issues and takes action to resolve pending issues.
• Ensures all data meant to be sent to ACE teams is timely submitted.
• Review accruals and ageing analysis and highlighting actionable items to OPCO teams for cleanup of old provisions.
• Timely Closure of Audit SAD/SUD to ensure compliance
• Ensures that any issues raised during the quarterly, annual and internal audits are closed in a timely manner
• Transfer Pricing
• Following up with respective teams (FR, HR, marketing, etc.) to gather information required for preparation of TP documentation. Addressing issues identified by TP documentation review team. Ensuring up to date annual TP documentation is available.
• Internal Control Framework Reporting (ICOFR)
• Preparation of various artefacts for signing by Tax Manager, FC and FD and submission into the ICOFR tool. Following up for review and signature of the same. Uploading of the artefacts and following up with HQ team to review and close.
• Tax cases
• Preparation and updating of monthly Tax Cases Register. Signing of corresponding FD certification by Tax Manager and FD. Current Tax Register is available for review of ongoing court cases. Ensuring proper accounting for tax cases, booking provisions where necessary. Attending court case hearings and updating team on status and outcomes of tax cases – for onward timely communication to HQ.
• Any other duties that may be assigned from time to time
• Assisting in Motor vehicle as well as Motorcycle transfers for staff/non-staff who have won these cars or motorcycles in auctions or past promotions, and this is done in the URA system.
• Support with obtaining TCCs for different departments in the process of bidding for business from Uganda revenue Authority (Enterprise &Marketing) and those needed to obtain work permits for foreigners (support is given to Legal)
• Applying for and follow up of the Annual Tax Residency Certificate to demonstrate residency of Airtel Uganda in Uganda and avoid Double Taxation. This also aids to expedite payments to our partners Bharti as this is a requirement in India.
• Supporting invoicing teams, e.g. Single View Team's monthly bill run, USDM POS & PRI invoicing to process required URA electronic/EFRIS invoices. Coordination of system-to-system EFRIS integration of AUL/AMCUL systems with URA’s EFRIS system. Supporting teams on EFRIS related issues such as credit notes and invoice issuance.
• Review of URA emails/correspondences and portals to ensure all necessary actions are undertaken- Timey communication of Third- Party Agency Notices. Addressing of tax demands. Confirmation of return filing and tax payments
• Addressing HQ queries- Tax accounting and update on local/OPCO tax issues and developments

Person Specification

Education, Training, Skills & Experience

Educational Level

Must have

• Bachelor’s degree of commerce or Business or Law. A professional accounting qualification (such as CPA, ACCA, CIMA, CFA) or near qualification (i.e. final stages)

Working Experience

Must have

• The candidate must have worked in a Tax Accounting environment, with tax experience and must be familiar with preparation and submission of statutory tax returns.
• He /She must have 3 years’ commercial experience in a tax accounting and advisory role.

Skills critical to the role

• He or she must possess excellent analytical skills,
• Good reporting writing, research and good computer skills.
• Ability to pay attention to detail.
• Business awareness
• Attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Sets high personal standards and is goal oriented

• Prepare VAT Returns for compliance
• Prepare WHT Returns for compliance
• Prepare Excise Duty Returns for compliance
• Review PAYE Tax Returns for compliance (Where Applicable)
• Attendance and provision of explanations on issues raised by the tax authorities during tax audit
• Attendance and co-ordination of post audit reconciliation meeting by the tax authorities
• Issue WHT certificate for vendors
• Build and maintain documentation for tax purposes.
• Provide tax advice intent of minimizing tax exposure.
• Prepare responses to tax audit queries.
• Attend to internal and external auditors’ queries and request.
• Review payments to local suppliers to ensure appropriateness of tax invoices for tax purposes and verify withholding tax applicable.
• Reconcile tax accounts to the general ledger at the end of each month.
• Raise and post JVs to clear any reconciling items in tax accounts
• Preparation of tax status and other reports as requested by the group.
• Preparation of monthly Tax Report.
• Respond to queries raised by the Group on Direct & Indirect Tax Matters.
• Preparation of all documents required and attendance to queries raised by the External Auditors for quarterly and annual statutory audit.
• Maintain quality and supportive relationship with tax authorities.
• Maintain supportive relationship with clearing agents and suppliers
• Maintain a healthy relationship with tax consultants.
• Liaise with Tax authorities and Tax consultants to facilitate processing of tax claims.
• Reviews Claims and documentation for VAT claims e.g. bad debts
• Reviews periodic tax dashboard showing the status of various tax issues and takes action to resolve pending issues.
• Ensures all data meant to be sent to ACE teams is timely submitted.
• Review accruals and ageing analysis and highlighting actionable items to OPCO teams for cleanup of old provisions.
• Ensures that any issues raised during the quarterly, annual and internal audits are closed in a timely manner
• Following up with respective teams (FR, HR, marketing, etc.) to gather information required for preparation of TP documentation. Addressing issues identified by TP documentation review team. Ensuring up to date annual TP documentation is available.
• Preparation of various artefacts for signing by Tax Manager, FC and FD and submission into the ICOFR tool. Following up for review and signature of the same. Uploading of the artefacts and following up with HQ team to review and close.
• Preparation and updating of monthly Tax Cases Register. Signing of corresponding FD certification by Tax Manager and FD. Current Tax Register is available for review of ongoing court cases. Ensuring proper accounting for tax cases, booking provisions where necessary. Attending court case hearings and updating team on status and outcomes of tax cases – for onward timely communication to HQ.
• Assisting in Motor vehicle as well as Motorcycle transfers for staff/non-staff who have won these cars or motorcycles in auctions or past promotions, and this is done in the URA system.
• Support with obtaining TCCs for different departments in the process of bidding for business from Uganda revenue Authority (Enterprise &Marketing) and those needed to obtain work permits for foreigners (support is given to Legal)
• Applying for and follow up of the Annual Tax Residency Certificate to demonstrate residency of Airtel Uganda in Uganda and avoid Double Taxation. This also aids to expedite payments to our partners Bharti as this is a requirement in India.
• Supporting invoicing teams, e.g. Single View Team's monthly bill run, USDM POS & PRI invoicing to process required URA electronic/EFRIS invoices. Coordination of system-to-system EFRIS integration of AUL/AMCUL systems with URA’s EFRIS system. Supporting teams on EFRIS related issues such as credit notes and invoice issuance.
• Review of URA emails/correspondences and portals to ensure all necessary actions are undertaken- Timey communication of Third- Party Agency Notices. Addressing of tax demands. Confirmation of return filing and tax payments
• Addressing HQ queries- Tax accounting and update on local/OPCO tax issues and developments

• Excellent analytical skills
• Good reporting writing, research and good computer skills.
• Ability to pay attention to detail.
• Business awareness
• Attention to detail
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Sets high personal standards and is goal oriented

• Bachelor’s degree of commerce or Business or Law. A professional accounting qualification (such as CPA, ACCA, CIMA, CFA) or near qualification (i.e. final stages)