Finance - Tax - Associate

AQR Capital Management; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,600,000; Full time

Job summary

AQR Capital Management is looking for a skilled professional to handle tax compliance and reporting for hedge funds and mutual funds. The role involves reviewing tax calculations, managing external vendor relationships, and collaborating with various internal teams.

The ideal candidate holds a Bachelor's degree in accounting, has at least 5 years of tax experience in asset management, and possesses strong analytical skills. AQR offers a collaborative culture and innovative work environment in Bengaluru.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of tax experience within the asset management industry.
• Experience with U.S. partnership and corporate taxation is required.
• Experience with taxation of hedge funds and mutual funds is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Review taxable income calculations and tax adjustments.
• Manage relationships with external tax vendors.
• Prepare reconciliation schedules and supporting workpapers.

Skills

Knowledge of U.S. taxation of hedge funds

Knowledge of U.S. taxation of mutual funds

Financial instruments taxation

Organizational skills

Multi-tasking abilities

Analytical skills

MS Excel proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in accounting

CPA or EA

Job description

Overview

AQR is a global investment management firm that provides investment management services to pooled investment vehicles including hedge funds, mutual funds, European funds (i.e. UCITS) as well as to separately managed accounts (SMAs). AQR was established in August 1998 and has been engaged in trading equities, fixed income, currencies, commodities and derivatives across the globe. AQR employs long/short equity, arbitrage, global macro, alternative investments (i.e., absolute return and total return), and multi-style strategies, among others, to make its trades. AQR's clients include institutional investors, such as pension funds, insurance companies, endowments, foundations, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as financial advisors and high net worth individuals. AQR’s clients can choose to invest through various AQR fund complexes and structures (i.e. Master-Feeder structures, RICs, UCITS etc.) or through separately managed accounts. AQR currently manages close to 200 legal entities for the various fund structures.

The AQR Tax Team is a globally integrated function with professionals located across the U.S., U.K., the Philippines, and India. The team plays a critical role in managing the firm’s global tax compliance, reporting, and advisory responsibilities, supporting a wide range of investment vehicles and legal entities. The India tax team forms an important part of this global footprint, contributing to tax compliance, fund reporting, investor reporting, and process efficiency initiatives. In addition to core compliance responsibilities, the team partners closely with colleagues across Finance, Legal, Operations, Business Development and Investment teams to ensure alignment on regulatory requirements, support new product and entity launches, and assess the tax implications of evolving business strategies. The AQR Tax Team ultimately reports to the Head of Tax and then to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and functions as part of the broader Finance department.

With the support of fund administrators and Big 4 accounting firms, the AQR Tax department manages the tax compliance function for its investment entities. Fund administrators prepare detailed tax workpapers, while Big 4 firms prepare tax forms, execute filings, and provide advisory support on complex tax and regulatory matters.

Job Description

This role is responsible for tax compliance, reporting, and oversight for hedge funds and mutual funds.

What You’ll Do

• Review taxable income calculations and related tax adjustments such as wash sales, straddles, constructive sales, and other book-to-tax differences
• Review hedge fund tax allocations, including tax transfers, and fill-up/fill-down special allocations
• Review Schedules K-1/K-3 along with the required statements and footnotes
• Review mutual fund-specific items such as year-end distributions, shareholder reporting, annual gross income tests, and asset diversification tests
• Review federal and state tax returns and related forms, including Form 1065, Form 1120-RIC, Form 8613, and Form 8621
• Review international tax filings such as Form 1042/1042-S, FBAR, Form 8865, Form 5471, and PFIC statements
• Manage relationships with external tax vendors to ensure compliance with annual tax delivery calendars and timely submission of deliverables
• Prepare reconciliation schedules and supporting workpapers to facilitate tax reviews
• Address investor tax inquiries by providing reconciliations and well-documented responses
• Develop scenario analyses and models in response to ad-hoc requests from internal and external stakeholders
• Collaborate with fund treasury, legal, operations, and other internal teams to resolve tax reporting and compliance matters
• Review annual tax estimate workpapers for hedge funds and mutual funds
• Maintain and update review procedures to capture current tax developments and changes
• Navigate and analyze tax data to deliver accurate reporting solutions for internal and external stakeholders

What You’ll Bring

• Knowledge of U.S. taxation of hedge funds
• Knowledge of U.S. taxation of mutual funds is a plus
• In-depth understanding of financial instruments and their U.S. taxation
• Must be highly organized, with excellent multi-tasking skills and ability to prioritize activities effectively.
• Must be comfortable making decisions on product design and analysis.
• High attention to details
• Excellent command of the English language - oral and written
• Strong analytical, technical and research skills
• Can work with minimal supervision and deliver high quality output.
• Must be proactive, motivated and team player
• Proficient in MS Office applications, particularly MS Excel
• AI tools and knowledge of AI in context to automation of US tax work

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting
• CPA or EA will be an added advantage
• 5+ years of tax experience within the asset management industry
• Experience with U.S. partnership and corporate taxation
• Experience with U.S. taxation of hedge funds
• Experience with U.S. taxation of mutual funds is an advantage

Who You Are

• Mature, thoughtful, and a natural fit for a collaborative, team-oriented culture
• Hard-working and eager to learn in a fast-paced, innovative environment
• Committed to intellectual integrity, transparency, and openness
• Motivated by the transformational effects of technology-at-scale