Client Investment Tax Lead

The Recruitment Council; Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 800 000 - 1 000 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm is seeking a highly analytical Client Investment Tax Lead to ensure data integrity and tax reporting accuracy across multiple platforms. Responsibilities include overseeing client tax reporting, developing test plans for tax reports, and conducting quality monitoring. Candidates should hold a BCom Accounting or equivalent and have experience in tax reporting and financial products. The role requires a proactive and detail-oriented approach, with strong data analysis and SQL proficiency.

Qualifications

• BCom Accounting or equivalent qualification is required.
• HDip Tax or Postgraduate Tax qualification is required.
• Experience in tax reporting and solid knowledge of financial products.

Responsibilities

• Drive data integrity and tax reporting accuracy.
• Support Operations and Tax teams with accurate client tax reporting.
• Develop comprehensive test plans for tax reports.
• Conduct continuous data quality monitoring and remediation.

Skills

Analytical skills

Data analysis

Knowledge of tax regulations

Proficiency in SQL

Advanced Excel skills

Education

BCom Accounting or equivalent

HDip Tax or Postgraduate Tax qualification

Job description

Role : Client Investment Tax Lead

Category : Tax Reporting

Location : Claremont | Pretoria | Sandton

A leading financial services firm is seeking a highly analytical and detail-oriented Client Investment Tax Lead to drive data integrity, tax reporting accuracy, and compliance across multiple investment platforms. This role plays a key part in designing and executing data quality controls and ensuring timely and accurate tax submissions across both in-house and outsourced platforms.

Key Responsibilities

Client and Product Tax Oversight

• Support the Operations and Tax teams in ensuring accurate client tax reporting, including IT3 reporting, withholding tax, PAYE, and life company five-fund tax.
• Develop and execute comprehensive test plans for tax reports such as IT3(b), IT3(c), IRP5 and IT3(a) (payroll-related).
• Conduct continuous monitoring of data for quality issues, escalating and driving remediation within operational teams.
• Review business rules, forms, and system inputs to ensure alignment with tax reporting requirements.
• Oversee and test PAYE calculations and payroll submissions for Living Annuity income.
• Validate SARS directive deductions and ensure proper payroll reporting.
• Review and test capital gains / losses calculations, complex corporate actions, false disposal cases (e.g., fund class switches, transfers), fund income distributions and dividends.

Endowment and Sinking Fund Tax Reviews

• Oversee tax deduction calculations for share portfolios (PSPs) in endowment structures.
• Review and test capital gains tax calculations and end-of-year adjustments.
• Assist in testing system changes impacting client and five-fund tax.

Offshore Platform Tax Compliance (PWP)

• Manage IRS Qualified Intermediary (QI) compliance including 1042, 1042-S, and 1099 filings.
• Withholding tax testing and validation.
• Data collation and submissions (in collaboration with Guernsey).

FATCA & CRS Compliance

• Develop and implement a FATCA / CRS data testing programme.
• Identify and remediate data issues with operations teams.
• Submit accurate FATCA / CRS reports to SARS and Guernsey (via IGOR system).

Requirements : Qualifications

• BCom Accounting or equivalent.
• HDip Tax or Postgraduate Tax qualification.

Experience & Competencies

• Solid understanding of financial products, including LISP products : discretionary investments, RAs, living annuities, preservation funds, TFSA, endowment policies; Financial instruments : unit trusts, ETFs, direct shares.
• Strong knowledge of tax regulations and accounting principles.
• Experience in tax reporting (IT3, PAYE, FATCA, CRS, IRS QI).
• Proficient in data analysis and testing: SQL and advanced Excel; Able to design test scenarios, identify anomalies, and resolve data issues.
• Experience with outsourced platforms (e.g., Peresec) and international filings is a plus.

Personal Attributes

• Highly analytical and numerate.
• Structured and logical thinker.
• Proactive and self-motivated with a strong sense of ownership.
• Comfortable working across tax, operations, and technology teams.