Tax Accountant at Unilever

Job description

Main Job Purpose

The successful candidate will assist in ensuring that all tax compliance is achieved across the Unilever group of companies. The candidate will report to the tax manager. The primary purpose of the role is to ensure that 100% tax compliance across all taxes and to provide support to the tax manager on other tax related projects

Job Summary

• Tax Compliance
• Building a pro-active and collaborative relationship with SARS to attend to queries timeously and agreeing on course of action to address identified risks.
• Preparation of all regular statutory tax returns, VAT, WHT, Corporate Tax, Excise duty (direct and indirect tax) to ensure that they are accurately prepared and timeously submitted to SARS.
• Responsible for the timely payment of all taxes before the deadline.
• Liaising with BPO service providers and reviewing the validity and accuracy of monthly VAT input claimed on VAT returns.
• Providing guidance and advice to the business regarding any changes in tax legislation and the potential impact for Unilever.
• Continuously monitor tax risks and develop controls to address tax risks.
• Analyse non-deductibles, tax incentive allowances and other expenses to manage effective tax rate.
• Liaise with revenue authorities regarding direct and indirect tax issues.
• Ensuring that excise duty returns are accurately completed and submitted to SARS within the stated deadlines.
• Tax Reporting
• Reviewing quarterly tax packs.
• Preparing quarterly tax rate reconciliations by scenario and ensuring submission to the global team by due dates
• Preparing quarterly forecast files and submitting by due date
• Monthly reconciliations of tax balance sheet accounts.
• Liaising with and providing support to external and internal auditors in conducting their audit
• Updating of encompass tool regarding payment of tax and returns submitted
• Tax Advisory & Training
• Assist the SA businesses with tax implications of business cases and providing the necessary support.
• Planning and implementation of changes to processes following legislation changes.
• Presentation of tax updates to finance teams and business together with the impact to the business.
• Tax Planning
• Regularly reviewing group transactions/deals/contracts entered into and advising on the tax efficiency of the structures.
• Keeping up to date with changes in tax legislation and applying knowledge to the business to generate tax savings.
• Assist tax manager with M&A transactions and the correct capital gains tax treatment of disposal transactions.
• Tax Incentives
• Support the tax manager in identifying and driving tax incentive projects.
• Management of consultants to ensure delivery of output on tax incentives.
• Completion of S12I progress reports and supporting documents and ensure accurate completion within deadline
• Assist tax manager with Section 12I tax incentives for Unilever and all deliverables associated with the incentive to SARS and DTI.
• Ensure readiness for the audit of tax incentives within Unilever.
• General
• Ensure implementation of regionally initiated projects within direct tax and indirect tax.
• Assist with the Fin flex preparation including collation of information, compilation of slides and completion of presentations.
• Assist with reviewing contracts and identifying tax issues.
• Provide support to the tax manager on global or regional projects.
• Regular monitoring of systems and internal controls and conducting of compliance reviews on a rotational basis, recommending and implementing changes, where necessary.
• Business partner, procurement, finance, planning Factory, regional teams and global teams on projects
• Indirect Taxes
• Maintenance of the Indirect tax control framework within Unilever in conjunction with the regional indirect tax team.
• Ensuring indirect tax savings projects are implemented as identified with regional indirect tax team.
• Liaise with the SARS and clearing agents regarding customs related queries.
• Work with procurement team and external service providers in implementing savings opportunities.
• Completion of the IT14SD reconciliation when requested by the SARS.

Key Requirements

• Bachelors Degree in Accounting and Taxation
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in a similar role
• Previous Taxation and Accounting Knowledge
• Advanced Excel Skills