Tax Accountant

The Central Tax Team (CTT) are responsible for providing strategic tax advice, implementing tax policies, managing tax risk and ensuring / monitoring adherence to tax compliance obligations across DLA Piper internationally.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The role covers the UK, France and Ireland.

UK

PAYE Settlement Agreement:

• Management of the annual PSA calculation, including:
• Liaising with key internal stakeholders to obtain data;
• Review of tax sensitive employee expense accounts using data analysis software;
• Preparing a draft PSA calculation for management review;
• Liaising with external tax advisors on employment tax technical points;
• Organising PAYE payment to HMRC;
• Allocation of costs to the correct cost centres.

Partnership taxation:

Preparation / review of the UK income tax computations for manager review:

• Prepare / review the UK income tax analyses and finalise for manager review, together with specific issues for clarification;
• Prepare / review the analysis of year end accounts;
• Prepare / review the analysis of general ledger accounts;
• Ensure all necessary backup documentation is obtained for files;
• Prepare initial technical tax analysis of transactions outside of the performance of professional services (e.g. property changes, etc);
• Preparing notes for external advisors to aid review.

Preparation / review of the UK Capital Allowance computations for manager review:

• Prepare / review the UK capital allowances calculations and finalise for manager review, together with specific issues for clarification;
• Oversee the analysis and categorisation of fixed asset movements;
• Review the reconciliation of all movements to the notes in the final accounts.

Periodic / Year-end tasks:

• Assist with the yearly budgeting process;
• Assist with the reconciliation of the UK profit allocation to taxable profits

Ireland

• Calculate the split of remuneration for Irish partners;
• Prepare pension illustrations for Irish partners;
• Prepare tax reserves for the Irish partners for inclusion in the annual position statements;
• Hold briefing calls with all new Irish partners to advise how their profits from DLA are taxed and how the firm supports them;
• Manage periodic tax reserve releases;
• Managing leavers processes;
• Review or calculate tax charges for inclusion in statutory accounts for Irish corporate entity;
• Review Ireland year end consol packs;
• Review the externally prepared Irish partnership and corporate tax computations;
• Prepare interest on tax reserves calculations;
• Support in ad hoc project work as required;
• Support in periodic tax compliance reviews - which will include travel to Ireland;
• Managing tax risk, including review of PE exposure;
• Monitoring tax enquiries, providing support in response to tax authorities where necessary;
• Support the Transfer Pricing team in respect of NCC process and compliance with local TP requirements;
• Working closely with local Finance team and external advisors on all compliance matters and projects, including managing quarterly catch up calls.

France

• Calculation of advance tax distributions to French partners;
• Review of the French income tax calculation;
• Managing allocation of excess French profits to nonresident partners;
• Preparing individual profit statements and interest on capital summaries for partners and tax advisors;
• Managing French tax return and payments processes with external advisors;
• Hold briefing calls with all new French partners to advise how their profits from DLA are taxed and how the firm supports them;
• Managing leavers processes;
• Prepare interest on tax reserves calculations;
• Review French year end consol packs;
• Support in ad hoc project work as required;
• Support in periodic tax compliance reviews - which will include travel to France;
• Managing tax risk, including review of PE exposure;
• Monitoring tax enquiries, providing support in response to tax authorities where necessary;
• Support the Transfer Pricing team in respect of NCC process and compliance with local TP requirements;
• Working closely with local Finance team and external advisors on all compliance matters and projects, including managing quarterly catch up calls

Other/Ad-hoc work

• Assist on CTT project work;
• Assist with ad hoc requests from the business;
• Review the local to group reconciliations to ensure that accounting differences are minimised;
• Develop relationships with key personnel;
• Provide cover and support when the Tax Accountants and Tax Managers are unavailable.

ABOUT YOU

• An experience of working in tax and ability to apply that existing knowledge and experience to new situations / scenarios;
• Qualified or part-qualified or willing to work towards appropriate professional qualification, such as ACCA, ICAEW, CIMA, ATT, CTA or ADIT.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, coupled with the ability to influence, negotiate and persuade;
• Flexible and collaborative personal working style;
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships across all levels within the organisation
• Well-developed interpersonal skills, ability to work as part of a larger team to deliver seamless services to the partnership;
• Experience in working alongside more senior colleagues;
• Strong planning and organisation skills;
• Comfortable with multi-tasking and working to conflicting timescales and multiple priorities in a robust and fast-paced environment;
• Ability to balance a high volume of work and deliver consistently high-quality work under pressure;
• Logical, analytical thinking;
• Proactive approach with an ability to work independently as well as being part of a team;
• Client/Stakeholder Centricity;
• Partnership tax experience is desirable but not essential;
• International tax experience is desirable but not essential;
• Accounting systems experience, especially SAP experience, is desirable but not essential.