Group Head of Tax & Partnership Affairs

Job Title: Group Head of Tax & Partnership Affairs

Department: Tax & Partnership

Reporting to: Chief Financial Officer

Direct reports: Group Partner Finance Manager

International Tax Adviser

Group Tax Manager

Group Tax Consultant

Tax & Partnership Assistant

Job Location: London / hybrid

Contract Type: Permanent

THE FIRM

HFW is a leading global law firm in the aerospace, commodities, construction, energy, insurance, and shipping sectors. We have 700 lawyers, including 185 partners, based in 21 offices across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific. We pride ourselves on our deep industry expertise and our entrepreneurial, creative, and collaborative culture.

This is an exciting time for HFW. We are one of the fastest-growing law firms in the market, with a clear strategy that seeks to establish HFW as the world's number one sector-focused law firm.

THE ROLE

The Head of Tax & Partnership is a key member of the Finance team, working closely with the Managing Partner, the CFO and other Senior Management in relation to the tax and partnership affairs of the firm and Partners. As the tax technical expert for the Finance Department and the firm, the Head of Tax & Partnership will fulfil a number of roles:

• Tax Lead: Proactively lead on the tax affairs for the firm, managing a small team and working alongside key members of the Finance team in order to deliver a first class service to the firm.


• Tax Advisory/Business Partner: Supporting stakeholders through to Board level in implementing projects and supporting the firm's longer-term strategy/planning.


• Partners' Tax: Advising UK partners on their personal tax affairs, including preparation of their personal UK tax returns and managing their tax reserves.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

This list of duties and responsibilities is not exhaustive. It is intended to describe the general content of and requirements for the performance of this job, and as such, the role may also include the undertaking of additional tasks as required.

Tax Strategy

• Maintain an up-to-date tax strategy for the firm, consistent with best practice.


• Develop a profile in the firm by building relationships with key stakeholders and ensure that tax policy and the firm's tax affairs are communicated effectively.


• Identify opportunities and recommend steps to improve or maintain the tax efficiency of the firm.


• Proactively monitor the potential consequences of changes to tax legislation and advise the business on appropriate actions, if any.


• Management of the relationships with local tax authorities across the jurisdictions in which the firm operates.


• Actively manage the tax relationship with the firm's professional advisers in order to maximise the value derived.

Tax Compliance

• Oversee and manage the efficient completion, on a timely and accurate basis, of all of the firm’s global tax compliance obligations, including partnership and corporation tax computations and returns, tax balances in statutory accounts, entity tax provisioning, VAT and sales taxes, payroll, double tax relief claims and tax payments.


• Responsible for the UK Short-Term Business Visitors' compliance.


• Responsibility of managing PE and IR35 risks.


• Manage and mitigate tax risks arising from international remote working, working with the International Mobility team to track overseas workers, and communicate policy decisions to stakeholders throughout the firm.


• Ensure appropriate transfer pricing documentation is in place globally, and manage the firm's global transfer pricing policy.


• Manage responses to tax audits and enquiries globally, working with local finance teams to provide appropriate responses and information to ensure efficient resolution.


• Manage the tax implications of the timing difference between of the firm's 31 March year end and the tax year ends of the firm's international jurisdictions.


• Manage overseas withholding tax issues, including mitigating withholding taxes.

Partnership tax

• Calculation of Partners' tax reserving in relevant jurisdictions and valve partners' tax equalisation, where required.


• Prepare partners' prior year tax adjustments in liaison with the firm's tax advisers.


• Structure


• Advise on the international tax considerations of strategic initiatives, including new office openings, associations with local law firms, lateral hires, changes to remuneration systems.


• Maintain the firms organisational structure chart and advise the Risk & Compliance team on queries relating to client and firm's banks KYC queries.

Partner Finance

• Manage Partner's financial affairs
  
  
  
  • Pay monthly partner drawings in London, manage and reconcile firms worldwide monthly partner drawings.
  
  
  • Manage worldwide profit distribution process, policy and payment.
  
  
  • Partner Current, tax and Capital account reconciliations.
  
  
  • Provide partners with a yearly financial statement.
  
  
  • Manage new partner onboarding and retiring partners' leaver process, including monitoring lateral hire guarantees and departing partner terms.
  
  
  • Provide lateral hire partners and internal promotion partners with a financial induction.
  
  
  • Manage partner capital contributions and repayments.
  
  
  
  


• Manage contractual terms and pay ex-partner consultants.


• Work with management to facilitate the partner remuneration process.


• Prepare partner global profit sharing matrix.

Key Skills and Experience Required

• Degree level of qualification


• A relevant recognised qualification such as ATT/CTA/ADIT/ACA/ACCA/CIMA is required


• Experience of working in an international professional services environment is essential


• Experience of UK and international taxation, preferably with partnership taxation


• Experience of working with senior (executive level) business stakeholders, demonstrating the gravitas and presence to inspire confidence


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills at all levels of seniority; capable of dealing with people in a calm, professional and effective manner


• Able to demonstrate strategic-level thinking, and to influence executive-level stakeholder decisions


• The ability to resolve problems methodically and logically


• Strong attention to detail


• Strong commercial skills

 

Additional Information

This job description is not contractual. It will be reviewed periodically and may be amended or altered to meet the needs of the firm.

Due to the volume of applicants, only those candidates shortlisted for interview will be contacted.

Direct applications only accepted at present (not via agencies).

HFW aims to ensure equality of opportunity, and we are actively working towards improving the diversity of our business. All applications will be considered only on merit and the applicant's suitability to meet the requirements of the role.

HFW collects and processes personal data relating to job applicants to manage its recruitment process. The firm is committed to being transparent about how it collects and uses that data, and to meeting its data protection obligations. For information on how the firm will process your data, please see our Privacy Notice in the section "What we collect and how we use it".