Tax Risk and Employment Tax Specialist

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Job Summary

Assisting with the coordination, risk assessment, development of assurance plans, testing and monitoring processes over Tax Risk Management. In addition, the role includes carrying out assurance over Group Tax’s critical processes and risk and control assessment as well as analyzing key risk information, identifying tax risk, assessing the control environment and escalation via the appropriate governance forums of significant findings to Tax and Finance management with remediation plans.

Develop an understanding and embed Tax governance in relevant areas of the Group to drive compliance.

A secondary responsibility of the role requires the ability to provide tax advice specifically on employees’ tax and assist in all areas of the Employment Tax function for the Group.

The ideal candidate will have a medium to strong grasp of risk management and governance (tax risk management preferred) with a tax background (employees’ tax focus preferred).

Job Description

Accountability: Assisting with Driving Tax Risk Management Processes

• Develop an understanding of Absa’s tax risk governance to assess compliance and mitigate tax risk in the Group.
• Significant input into the current tax risk strategy and development of the future class leading Absa tax risk management strategy.
• Develop an in-depth knowledge of the tax risk systems and processes that operate across businesses within the Group.
• Provide training on tax risk Governance.
• Input into the development of Assurance and conformance testing plans to support risk assessments.
• Carry out conformance testing aligned to the testing plans.
• Represent Group Tax in Combined Assurance forums of the Bank.
• Assist business in developing action plans to mitigate the risk identified.
• Reporting monthly, quarterly, bi-annually and annually on the Group’s Tax risk
• Timely submission of the Operational Risk reporting, Key Risk Scenarios, submissions of the Risk and Control Assessments and other risk reporting as required.
• Assist with the Group Tax Management Self-Assessment (MSA) process.
• Attend training from Group Risk on new reporting templates and implementation thereof.

Accountability: Tax Advice and Support (BU's & Subsidiaries)

• Assisting with all matters of employees’ tax, providing employees’ tax opinions in accordance with the required guidelines, to Absa Bank divisions and subsidiary companies.
• Assist with driving the strategy of the Employees’ Tax team.
• Advise and guide Absa Payroll of changes to legislation to enable the required updates on Payroll and HR systems.
• Testing of the implementation of the changes in legislation.
• Assist with managing the employment tax lead role in the Banking Association of South Africa.

Accountability: Networking

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with Group Operational Risk community of the Bank.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with Absa Group subsidiaries and stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with the South African Revenue Services and National Treasury.

Accountability: Participation in Internal and External Forums

• Represent Group Tax in Industry forums as well as internal forums on matters of Operational Risk and Employment Taxes.
• Assist with the implementation of SARS Business Requirements Specifications (BRS).
• To be the point of contact and liaison between SARS and Absa with respect to Employment Tax projects.
• Discuss and provide input at BASA workgroups.

Education and Experience Required:

• B Com or Honours Degree or equivalent NQF level qualification.
• Three (3) years’ experience within the Financial Services Industry specifically in the Tax environment.
• 3 - 6 years’ experience in Risk Management is required.
• 2 - 3 years consulting experience in Employment Taxes is preferred.

Preferred Requirements:

• B Comm – Tax
• HDIP Tax

Knowledge & Skills:

• Analytical Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Problem solving
• General accounting knowledge
• Numerical skills
• Interpreting Level
• Report and opinion writing

Competencies:  

• Deciding and initiating action
• Learning and researching
• Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking
• Relating and networking
• Adapting and responding to change
• Persuading and influencing
• Creating and innovating
• Interpreting tax legislation

Bachelor`s Degrees and Advanced Diplomas: Financial Sciences (Required)

Absa Bank Limited is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. In compliance with the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998, preference will be given to suitable candidates from designated groups whose appointments will contribute towards achievement of equitable demographic representation of our workforce profile and add to the diversity of the Bank.

Absa Bank Limited reserves the right not to make an appointment to the post as advertised