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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for an Indirect Tax Specialist

💰 $85,000 - $130,000

FinanceAccountingTax

🎯 Role Definition

The Indirect Tax Specialist is a cornerstone of the finance department, dedicated to managing and ensuring compliance with all indirect tax laws and regulations across various jurisdictions. This role goes beyond simple tax filing; it involves strategic analysis, process improvement, and acting as a key advisor to the business on the tax implications of its operations and new initiatives. The specialist safeguards the company against tax risks, optimizes tax positions, and ensures the accuracy and integrity of tax-related financial data. This position requires a meticulous, analytical, and proactive professional who can navigate the complexities of ever-changing global tax legislation.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Tax Accountant or Analyst (Public or Private)
  • Staff Accountant with tax exposure
  • Financial Analyst in a multinational corporation

Advancement To:

  • Senior Indirect Tax Specialist
  • Indirect Tax Manager
  • Global Tax Manager

Lateral Moves:

  • Direct Tax Specialist
  • Tax Technology Analyst
  • Finance Business Partner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Own the end-to-end process for preparing and filing monthly, quarterly, and annual indirect tax returns, including VAT, GST, and Sales & Use tax, for multiple jurisdictions.
  • Conduct thorough reconciliations of indirect tax general ledger accounts, meticulously investigating and resolving any discrepancies to ensure financial accuracy.
  • Perform in-depth research and analysis on complex indirect tax issues, providing clear, actionable guidance on the tax implications of new business initiatives, products, or market expansions.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact for and actively manage indirect tax audits conducted by tax authorities, including gathering requested documentation and drafting responses to notices.
  • Proactively identify opportunities for process improvement and automation within the indirect tax function to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
  • Manage and maintain the company’s tax engine system (e.g., Vertex, Avalara, OneSource), ensuring tax rates, rules, and product taxability are current and accurate.
  • Partner with various business units, including Sales, Procurement, and Legal, to provide expert advice and ensure correct tax application on transactions.
  • Oversee the company’s exemption certificate management process, validating customer and vendor exemptions to mitigate audit risks.
  • Assist in the development and implementation of indirect tax planning strategies to optimize the company’s tax position while ensuring full compliance.
  • Collaborate closely with IT and finance systems teams on ERP system updates, enhancements, and projects to ensure indirect tax requirements are met.
  • Review commercial contracts and agreements to identify and advise on potential indirect tax exposures and obligations.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation for indirect tax processes, policies, and technical positions for audit defense and knowledge sharing.
  • Continuously monitor legislative and regulatory changes in indirect tax laws across all relevant jurisdictions and assess their impact on the company.
  • Manage the process of registering the company for indirect taxes in new states, provinces, or countries as the business expands its footprint.
  • Support merger and acquisition (M&A) activities by performing indirect tax due diligence on target companies and assisting with post-acquisition integration.
  • Develop and deliver training sessions for non-tax personnel to build awareness and understanding of indirect tax principles and procedures.
  • Handle and resolve complex tax-related inquiries from customers, vendors, and internal stakeholders in a timely and professional manner.
  • Prepare and post tax-related journal entries as part of the month-end financial close process, ensuring all tax liabilities and expenses are correctly recorded.
  • Analyze large sets of transactional data from various sources to perform variance analysis and confirm the accuracy of tax calculations and remittances.
  • Lead or contribute significantly to special projects related to indirect tax, such as system implementations, supply chain restructuring, or tax controversy matters.

Secondary Functions

  • Support the broader tax and finance teams with ad-hoc reporting and analysis requests related to indirect tax data.
  • Contribute to the development and execution of the company's long-term tax technology roadmap and strategy.
  • Collaborate with business intelligence and data teams to create dashboards and reports for monitoring key indirect tax metrics.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects that require tax input, providing the indirect tax perspective to ensure holistic business solutions.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Advanced Indirect Tax Expertise: Deep knowledge of VAT, GST, and/or U.S. Sales & Use tax principles, compliance, and law.
  • ERP Systems Proficiency: Hands-on experience with major ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, or NetSuite, particularly the finance and tax modules.
  • Tax Engine Experience: Practical skills in managing and configuring tax determination engines like Vertex, Avalara, or Thomson Reuters OneSource.
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel: Mastery of Excel for data manipulation and analysis, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and complex formula creation.
  • Tax Research Tools: Proficiency in using tax research platforms such as CCH, BNA, or RIA Checkpoint to find and interpret tax law and guidance.
  • Account Reconciliation: Strong ability to perform detailed general ledger account reconciliations and resolve variances.
  • Data Analytics: Experience with analyzing large datasets to identify trends, anomalies, and insights, with tools like Alteryx or Power BI being a plus.

Soft Skills

  • Analytical & Problem-Solving: A sharp ability to dissect complex problems, identify root causes, and develop effective solutions.
  • Meticulous Attention to Detail: A commitment to accuracy and precision in all tasks, from data entry to high-level analysis.
  • Communication Skills: The ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex tax concepts to both tax and non-tax audiences, both verbally and in writing.
  • Time Management & Organization: Excellent organizational skills with the capacity to manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
  • Collaboration & Teamwork: A natural ability to build strong working relationships and partner effectively with cross-functional teams.
  • Proactive & Self-Motivated: A forward-thinking mindset with the initiative to identify issues and opportunities without direct instruction.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in Taxation or Accounting
  • CPA (Certified Public Accountant), CMI (Certified Member of the Institute for Professionals in Taxation), or equivalent professional certification.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Accounting
  • Finance
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 3-7 years of progressive experience in an indirect tax role, either within a corporate tax department or a public accounting firm.

Preferred:

  • Experience in a large, multinational corporation or a "Big 4" public accounting firm is highly desirable.
  • Direct experience with tax technology implementation or management is a significant advantage.
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