Tax Lead, Controversy

Saaspo; Canada; Remote; CAD 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work policy

Health benefits

Fertility benefits

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Shopify Inc. is seeking a Tax Lead - Controversy to manage end-to-end tax audits globally and defend positions with internal partners and external advisors.

You will leverage AI to streamline workflows, synthesize data, and deliver timely, audit-ready responses across jurisdictions. You will work with transfer pricing, tax planning, compliance and legal teams to optimize outcomes while leading with visibility into status and reserves.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in tax, with focus on controversy and audit defense.
• Experience managing audits with CRA/IRS or international authorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication with leadership risk summaries.

Responsibilities

• Manage global income tax audits from initial notice through resolution.
• Draft responses and manage information requests and deadlines.
• Develop audit defense documents for tax positions.
• Build and maintain relationships with tax authorities and external advisors.
• Advise on settlement strategy, appeals, MAP and competent authority actions.
• Own the global controversy process for real-time status and reserves.
• Collaborate with transfer pricing, planning, compliance and legal teams.

Skills

Audit defense

CRA/IRS experience

Communication

Project management

Data analysis

ERP systems (Netsuite/Oracle/SAP)

Professional designation (CPA/CA/JD)

Education

CPA/CA/JD (Tax) certification

Tools

Netsuite

Oracle

SAP

Job description

Your role as Tax Lead - Controversy will include managing the full lifecycle of tax audits, examinations, and disputes across corporate income tax. You will be the connective tissue between tax authorities, outside advisors, and Shopify's internal teams — protecting the company's positions while providing leadership with visibility and advice during audits. You’ll leverage AI and automation to streamline audit workflows, synthesize large volumes of financial data/systems, tax documentation and optimize the speed and quality of audit responses.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Manage global income tax audits from initial notice through resolution, including information document requests, drafting responses, and managing timelines and deadlines.
• Build audit-ready documentation and defense files for tax positions.
• Develop and manage relationships with tax authorities (CRA, IRS, and international revenue agencies) and external advisors, serving as a primary point of contact during examinations.
• Advise on settlement strategy, appeals, competent authority / MAP proceedings, and voluntary disclosures where appropriate.
• Ownthe global controversy process that gives leadership real-time visibility into audit status, exposure, and reserve movements.
• Partner with transfer pricing, tax planning, compliance and legal teams to achieve best outcome from audits from taxing authorities

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• 7+ years of relevant tax experience in a Big 4 firm, law firm, and/or a multinational in-house tax department, with high exposure to tax controversy and audit defense.
• Hands-on experience managing audits with the CRA, IRS, or comparable international tax authorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication — ability to make persuasive technical arguments to an auditor and a clear risk summary to leadership.
• Strong project management instincts and comfort operating with limited processes in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.
• A data-forward mindset — ability to interpret tax calculations and models, and enable the evidence to drive the position.
• Ability to independently work with financial systems eg: Netsuite, Oracle, SAP
• Professional designation preferred: CPA, CA, JD/LLM (Tax), or equivalent.

BONUS POINTS

• Experience in technology, SaaS, payments, or high-growth commerce.
• Exposure to international tax matters: MAP / competent authority, transfer pricing, permanent establishment, and cross-border transactions.
• Familiarity with tax provision and analytics tooling and a habit of automating the tedious parts.

Finance at Shopify

Every discipline at Shopify works close to real merchant problems. You'll join a team that owns meaningful scope, ships to a high bar, and helps millions of entrepreneurs start, run, and scale their businesses.

Growth and rewards

Mastery-matched compensation.

~Mastery

At Shopify, getting better at your craft and increasing your impact is how you grow. Twice a year, we assess both in our ~Mastery cycle, Shopify’s performance review. Achieving higher ~Mastery is a promotion, and when you earn a promotion your total rewards grow with it. Crafter and manager are equal paths, so you can pursue excellence in the craft you’re best at.

Total Rewards

With Flex Comp, your Rewards Wallet gives you agency over your compensation mix. Adjust your mix of cash, restricted share units, and stock options (including programs like Long-Term Equity)* to where it makes sense for you, and mix it up anytime as life and priorities change. Buying a house? Want more skin in the game? Just experimenting? It’s your call.

* Flex Comp program offerings vary based on location, role, and employment type. Full details are set out in our Terms & Conditions and related plan documents.

Built for real life

Room for the rest of your life.

Flexible work, remote by design

A flexible vacation policy means most Shopifolk can take the vacation days they feel they need to recharge.

If a change of everyday scenery is more your jam, Destination 90 means you can work from (almost) anywhere in the world for 90 days of the year.

Your setup

Your battlestation is your home base. Request the desk, chair, and AV gear you need to get shit done.

You need ‘em, we’ve got ‘em. Our health and welfare benefits may include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance depending on your country. If you’re in a country without a package, you'll receive a monthly allowance. We also offer mental health support for you and your dependents, including immediate and confidential services like counseling and coaching sessions.

Family support

We offer fertility benefits globally, along with paid parental leave to welcome a new family member.

The Life Story is how we understand the themes of your career journey so far, human to human. What you’ve learned, and how you made a difference. Show us the trophies and the bruises: the problems you’ve solved, the challenges you encountered, the decisions you made, and the lessons you learned along the way.