In-House VAT Leader

KPMG International Services Ltd (“ KISL”), a $1bn+ company, seeks a full-time in-house VAT Leader who will have overall responsibility for all areas of KISL’s indirect tax affairs.

The VAT Leader role is a newly created position and the precise responsibilities of the role are flexible depending on the skill set and interests of the successful candidate.

The successful candidate will manage the following three key areas and will have a particular expertise in at least one:

1. Systems and process which enable the preparation and filing of VAT returns including, in conjunction with Finance, overseeing the development of systems where they need to incorporate e.g. a new VAT registration or where reconciliation work can be automated.
2. VAT filings, including reconciliations between the VAT returns and accounting systems and dealing with the data aspects of any tax audits.
3. VAT advisory – dealing with the tax technical aspects of ad hoc projects and queries as and when they arise, and assessing the indirect tax consequences of new services and new operating locations.

KISL is a UK company with a footprint in several non-UK jurisdictions including the US. The KPMG network operates in 145 countries. We therefore routinely manage issues involving numerous jurisdictions. Most of the indirect tax work relates to European VAT, but there is also an HST (Canadian indirect tax) element. Other indirect tax compliance work, including sales & use tax, falls within the role. The work is varied and we operate in a challenging and stimulating environment.

The existing 10 person strong in-house tax team is largely London based, with a Head of Tax based in the US. The role also involves working closely with our Finance Team who sit in Toronto, Canada, and our third-party offshore Finance Provider, which is based in India.

Responsibilities include;

• With the support of a full time VAT Management Accountant, Finance and our Outsource Provider, overall responsibility for the timely filing of all indirect tax returns, and dealing with the data aspects of any indirect tax audits.
• Managing and mentoring the junior members of the in-house VAT team
• Ensuring the VAT aspects of our systems and processes are efficient and fully support the VAT filings, and that data has been contemporaneously reconciled between the accounting systems and VAT returns by Finance and our Outsource Provider.
• Dealing with the VAT systems aspects of new VAT registrations and new business opportunities, including any new digital filing or real time reporting requirements.
• Working with other KISL Teams on the VAT aspects of the overall systems strategy including, in conjunction with Finance, evaluating and recommending technology solutions to improve the efficiency and, or, accuracy of VAT reporting.
• Responsibility for managing the VAT aspects of the Outsource Provider’s output, and for working with Senior Members of the Finance Team on VAT related compliance and systems matters, including maintaining a strong working relationship with all relevant stakeholders.
• Dealing with tax authorities on indirect tax related matters.
• Analysing the indirect tax implications, often across several jurisdictions, in relation to day to day business matters and one off transactions, working in conjunction with corporate tax colleagues.
• Assessing new business activities and services and the resulting indirect tax implications, including obligations to register in new territories and resulting systems implications.
• Keeping abreast of developments in indirect taxes around the world and ensuring that KISL is well placed to deal with the practical implications of any new regimes.

The successful candidate will:

• Have a track record of managing all aspects of the VAT affairs of a large multi national corporate group and overseeing the work of supporting staff
• Have experience in overseeing the timely, accurate filing of indirect tax returns across multiple jurisdictions, including ensuring that all internal and external parties / teams who are critical to success are adhering to agreed quality requirements and delivery timelines.
• Be experienced in the VAT aspects of systems and process related matters, including reconciliation of data to accounting systems.
• Be capable of driving the VAT systems and process strategy, including identifying systems solutions for new indirect tax registrations and new trends in VAT reporting (e.g. digital invoicing), and preferably have some experience in systems change management.
• Have a strong technical skill base, with experience of assessing new indirect VAT regimes and analysing complex transactions, commissioning and evaluating work from advisors as necessary.
• Have experience of dealing with tax authorities , including on tax audits.
• Have strong interpersonal and leadership skills. .

Experience and Background

The successful applicant will have:

• Worked in-house in a large multi-national organisation in VAT with responsibility for systems and process which enable the accurate preparation and timely filing of indirect tax returns, and providing VAT advice to the business, often in conjunction with corporate tax colleagues.
• Experience of VAT compliance and systems / processes in jurisdictions other than the UK, including integrating new registrations into existing systems, or outsourcing where systems cannot currently accommodate local requirements.
• Experience of managing discrete aspects of system changes.
• Experience of dealing with tax authorities, including managing the data aspects of VAT audits.
• A track record in leading the relationship with offshore Finance Providers in relation to VAT system and process related matters, thus ensuring that they consistently provide high quality work within pre agreed deadlines.
• Strong team player capable of interacting constructively with colleagues in corporate tax, Senior Stakeholders in Finance, the wider business, professional advisors and tax authorities, with excellent oral and written communication skills
• Track record of developing junior staff and helping them to develop and exceed in their role.
• Excellent VAT technical knowledge, and comfortable assessing the requirements of indirect VAT regimes, including commissioning and evaluating work from professional advisors.
• Often in conjunction with corporate tax colleagues, experience of considering the indirect tax implications of legal documents, and of working with the business to understand complex arrangements across multiple entities and multiple jurisdictions.

The Team

• This is a unique opportunity to work in an internal rather than client-facing KPMG team.
• KPMG International Services Ltd (“ KISL ”) is a UK company. KISL and its related entities carry on business activities for the overall benefit of the KPMG global organisation, but does not provide professional services to clients. One of the main purposes of KISL is to facilitate the provision by member firms of quality Audit, Tax and Advisory services to their clients, including through the use of technology.
• We are currently a team of ten professionals, mostly based in London. As a group, we work closely together and value the benefits that collaboration brings to the often complex issues we have to deal with. We come from different backgrounds – legal and accounting, direct tax and indirect tax – and close teamwork helps bring that combination of unique perspectives to bear most effectively on the issues before us. We place a high value on training, making use of the substantial in-house training offered by KPMG member firms as well as relevant external courses.
• The position is hybrid with the current expectation being 3 days in the office per fortnight in Canary Wharf, London.