Tax Manager

Zopa; London; Hybrid; NOK 1,080,000 - 1,525,000; Full time

Job summary

Zopa is seeking a Tax Manager to join its Financial Control team in London, owning UK tax across a fast-growing neobank. You’ll lead UK tax compliance, reporting, and governance, partnering with Finance and the wider business to embed tax considerations into decisions.

As the first tax hire, you’ll shape processes, manage external advisers, and drive automation while maintaining strong controls. This hybrid role offers office presence in London 2–3 days per week and flexibility for international

Qualifications

• ACA, ACCA and/or CTA qualified (or equivalent).
• Strong experience managing UK corporate tax compliance within financial services or banking.
• Experience preparing UK Corporation Tax returns and VAT returns.
• Good understanding of UK direct and indirect tax legislation, including Corporation Tax, VAT, CT61, SDRT and R&D tax relief.
• Experience supporting Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) obligations and tax governance frameworks.
• Excellent analytical skills and strong attention to detail.
• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with large datasets.
• Experience working with HMRC and managing external advisers.
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of all aspects of tax compliance.
• A continuous improvement mindset, with an interest in leveraging technology and AI to improve tax processes and controls.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex tax matters to non-tax audiences.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the preparation and submission of the annual UK Corporation Tax returns and VAT returns for all Zopa entities, coordinating with external advisers as needed.
• Oversee other UK tax filings such as CT61 returns and Stamp Duty Reserve taxes.
• Manage preparation and submission of UK R&D tax relief with external advisers; main point of contact for Product teams inputting into R&D claims.
• Act as primary contact for HMRC, handling enquiries and compliance matters.
• Identify opportunities to improve key tax processes through automation and standardisation.
• Support SAO certification preparation and maintain control framework and policies.
• Maintain the Group's tax risk register and mitigate emerging tax risks.
• Support year-end audit with tax disclosures and provisions; respond to auditor queries.
• Provide tax advice to Finance, Product, Treasury, Legal and other teams on new products and transactions.

Skills

ACA/ACCA/CTA

UK tax compliance

VAT returns

Excel skills

Stakeholder management

HMRC liaison

Tax governance

Automation mindset

Independent ownership

Communication skills

Education

ACA/ACCA/CTA qualified

Tools

SAP ERP

Job description

Our Story

Hello there. We’re Zopa.

We started our journey back in 2005, building the first ever peer-to-peer lending company. Fast forward to 2020 and we launched Zopa Bank. A bank that listens to what our customers don’t like about finance and does the opposite. We’re redefining what it feels like to work in finance. Our vision for a new era of banking puts people front and centre — we’ve built a business that empowers everyone to aim high, every day, to move finance forward. Find out more about our fantastic offerings at Zopa.com!

We’re incredibly proud of our achievements and none of it would be possible without the amazing team here. It’s not just industry awards we’re winning, we’ve also been named in the top three UK’s Most Loved Workplaces.

If you embrace unconventional challenges, are unafraid to think differently and are driven to make an outsized impact, you’ll thrive here at Zopa, so join us, and make it count.Want to see us in action? Follow us on Instagram @zopalife

We are looking for a TaxManager to join Zopa's Financial Control team, taking ownership of all aspects of UK tax across one of the UK's fastest-growing neobanks.

As Tax Manager,and as the first tax hire within the team,you'llbe responsible forowning all aspects of Zopa's UK tax compliance and reporting, ensuring the business meets its statutory obligations whilemaintaininga strong tax control framework.You'llbe the subject matter expert for UK taxation, partnering with teams across Finance and the wider business toprovidepractical tax advice and ensure tax considerations are embedded into business decisions.

You'llwork closely with our external tax advisers whereappropriate, while taking ownership of our in-house tax processes and continuously improving the efficiency,governanceand automation of our tax reporting.

A day in the life:

• Own the preparation and submission of the annual UK Corporation Tax returnsand VAT returnsfor all Zopaentities, working with external advisers whererequired.
• Own and manageall other applicable UK tax filings such as CT61 returns, Stamp Duty Reserve taxes.
• Manage the preparationand submissionofUKR&D tax reliefwith the support ofexternal advisers; being the main point of contact for our Product teams inputting into the R&D claims.
• Act as the primary point of contact for HMRC, managing enquiries,correspondenceand tax compliance matters.
• Identifyopportunities to improvekeytax processes through automation,standardisationand enhanced controls.
• Support the preparation and submission of the annual Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) certificationandmaintainan appropriate controlframework and policies.
• Own andmaintainthe Group's tax risk register, ensuringongoing and emergingtax risks are appropriatelyidentified,documentedand mitigated.
• Support the year-end audit process by preparing tax disclosures, tax provisions and responding to auditor queries.
• Providetax advice and support(utilising tax advisors whereappropriate)to Finance, Product, Treasury, Legal and otherteams on new products,transactionsand commercial initiatives.
• Build relationships withother business functions,appropriate taxauthorities, and professional advisory firms toidentifyour needs andprioritiesand undertakeappropriate taxplanning.
• Monitor changes in UK tax legislation and assess their impact on the business, ensuringtimelyimplementation whererequired.
• Be an engaged,pragmaticand pro-active member of thefinancial controlteam, helping to make tax more accessible and understood across the wider business- including providing training to teamswhereappropriate.

About you:

• ACA,ACCAand/or CTA qualified (or equivalent).
• Strong experience managing UK corporate tax compliance within financial servicesorbanking.
• Experience preparing UK Corporation Tax returnsandVAT returns.
• Good understanding of UK direct and indirect taxlegislation, including Corporation Tax, VAT, CT61, SDRT and R&D tax relief.
• Experience supporting Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) obligations and tax governance frameworks.
• Excellent analytical skills and strong attention to detail.
• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with large datasets.
• Experience working with HMRC and managing external advisers.
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of all aspects of tax compliance.
• A continuous improvement mindset, with an interest inleveragingtechnology and AI to improve tax processes and controls.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to explain complex tax matters to non-tax audiences.

Bonus points for:

• Experience withpreparing VAT returns within ERP systems such asSAP
• Experience implementing tax process improvements or finance transformationinitiatives.
• Exposure to transfer pricing or international tax would beadvantageous, although not essential.

#LI-LK1

At Zopa we value flexible ways of working.

We value face-to-face collaboration and a good work-life balance. This hybrid role requires you to come to our London office 2-3 days a week.

You'll also have the option of working from abroad for up to 120 days a year!* But no matter where you are, we’ll make sure you’ve got everything you need to thrive, both in your work and home life, from day one.

*Subject to having the right to work in the country of choice

Diversity Statement

Zopa is proud to offer a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to better products for our customers and a unique company culture for our people. We are made up of nearly 50 nationalities, have a DE&I forum made up of Zopians wanting to make a difference and we are proud of our culture where everyone can bring their full self to work. Our approach to DE&I is reflected in our hiring process so please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

Our approach to AI in interviews

At Zopa, AI isn't something we're testing out — it's part of how we work every day. As a proud partner of Jobs 2030, we’re committed to building AI fluency across our workforce, and we expect Zopians to use AI as part of how they do their jobs.

Because of that, we want to be transparent about how we think about AI use during our hiring process.

Behavioural and competency-based interviews

pleasedon’tuse AI. These conversations are designed to understandyou— your experiences, your judgment, and howyou'veapproached real situations. An AI-generated answercan'ttell us that. What it can do is get in the way of us finding out whetherwe'rethe right fit for each other.

Technical interviews:

it depends on the role. Some technical stages actively welcome AI use,others don't. Your Talent Partner will let you knowwhat'sexpected at each stage.Where AI is part of the assessment,we'll be interested not just in the outcome, but in how you used it – the tools you chose, your reasoning, and the decisions you made along the way.