Accountant

GCO Partners; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

GCO Partners in Johannesburg seeks an experienced Senior Accountant to support a UK practice's portfolio managers across annual accounts, management accounts, Corporation Tax and VAT work for SMEs. You will handle end-to-end numbers, from bookkeeping to tax returns, across a varied compliance caseload.

This role offers exposure to UK clients and UK standards while remaining based in South Africa, requiring solid UK practice-based accounting experience and strong communication with clients.

Qualifications

• UK accounts, tax and VAT experience in an accountancy practice.
• Experience preparing management accounts for SMEs.
• Good working knowledge of UK GAAP/FRS 102/FRS 105.
• Experience preparing and reviewing Corporation Tax computations and returns.
• Experience preparing VAT returns.
• Strong Excel and financial analysis skills.
• Experience preparing detailed working papers and schedules.
• Ability to manage multiple clients with competing deadlines.
• Clear, professional communication with clients under supervision.

Responsibilities

• Support UK portfolio managers across annual accounts, management accounts, Corporation Tax and VAT work.
• Handle end-to-end numbers from bookkeeping to final accounts and tax returns.
• Work across a broad compliance caseload and pick up new clients with minimal training.
• Collaborate with UK clients and maintain high professional standards.
• Prepare and review detailed working papers and schedules for client files.
• Provide accurate information under manager oversight and timelines.

Skills

UK accounts preparation

Tax compliance

Management accounts

UK GAAP/FRS 102/FRS 105

Corporation Tax computations

VAT returns

Excel

Financial analysis

Working papers

Education

Professional accounting qualification (CA(SA)/SAICA / ACCA / SAIPA/PA(SA) / AAT/AT(SA) / CIMA/CGMA)

Tools

Xero

QuickBooks

TaxCalc

Engager

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The Opportunity

Build on your UK accounts and tax experience while working as an embedded member of an established UK accountancy practice. GCO Partners is looking for an experienced Senior Accountant to support a UK practice's portfolio managers across annual accounts, management accounts, Corporation Tax and VAT work for a varied portfolio of small-to-medium sized limited companies.

This role suits someone who enjoys getting to grips with a business's numbers end-to-end, from the underlying bookkeeping and working papers through to the finished set of accounts and the tax return that follows it. You'll work across a broad compliance caseload, picking up new clients and industries with minimal hand-holding.

You will work with a range of small and medium sized limited companies across varied industries, gaining exposure to UK clients, UK compliance standards and practice-based accounting work, while remaining based in South Africa.

What We're Looking For

Ideally you'll bring a good mix of the following:

• Practical experience in UK accounts preparation and tax compliance, ideally within an accountancy practice
• Experience preparing management accounts for small and medium sized clients
• Good working knowledge of UK GAAP and/or FRS 102 / FRS 105
• Experience preparing and reviewing Corporation Tax computations and returns
• Experience preparing and submitting VAT returns
• Strong Excel and financial analysis skills
• Experience preparing detailed working papers and supporting schedules
• Comfort working across multiple clients or assignments with competing deadlines
• Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to reviewing financial information
• Clear, professional written and verbal communication, and the confidence to work directly with clients under manager oversight

You don't need to tick every box above, what matters most is solid, practical UK practice-based accounting experience and the confidence to pick up a varied portfolio with minimal training.

Qualifications

A relevant professional accounting qualification, or progress towards one, is advantageous, for example CA(SA)/SAICA, ACCA, SAIPA/PA(SA), AAT/AT(SA), CIMA/CGMA, or an equivalent recognised qualification. Practical UK accounts, tax and VAT experience matters more to us than the specific professional body through which you qualified.

Systems Experience

Strong Microsoft Excel skills are essential, along with working knowledge of Xero and/or QuickBooks. Experience with TaxCalc, Engager, or other cloud accounting or practice management software is an advantage, as is comfort with data analysis tools or more advanced Excel functions.

Who Thrives in This Role

Senior Accountants who are:

• Comfortable working across different clients and industries
• Confident moving between accounts preparation, tax and management accounts
• Able to adapt to shifting client deadlines and wider team workloads
• Proactive, and comfortable picking up a new client file and getting on with it
• Methodical, detail-oriented and able to explain their work clearly
• Able to identify what needs attention and flag it to their manager, and where appropriate the client directly
• Interested in working with a UK team and gaining further exposure to UK businesses and accountancy practice standards

Why GCO Partners

GCO Partners connects high-performing professionals from Africa with meaningful international work. As a GCO professional on this contract, you'll:

• Apply your accounts, tax and VAT expertise in an international environment
• Work directly with an established UK accountancy practice
• Gain exposure to UK clients, UK compliance standards and practice-based accounting work
• Develop your experience across accounts, tax compliance and management accounts
• Build international experience without relocating
• Join a people-first organisation that values quality, accountability and professional growth
• Remain connected to the wider GCO community while working as an embedded member of the client team

At GCO, our work is guided by three passions: People, Performance and Progress. We invest in strong relationships, hold ourselves to high standards and continuously look for better ways to work.