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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for a TDS Lead Operations Officer

💰 $75,000 - $110,000

FinanceTaxationAccountingOperations

🎯 Role Definition

The TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) Lead Operations Officer is a pivotal role within the finance and accounting function, responsible for ensuring impeccable compliance with all direct tax regulations. This position combines deep subject matter expertise in taxation with strong leadership and operational management skills. The individual in this role spearheads the end-to-end TDS process, from accurate deduction and timely payment to flawless return filing and reconciliation. As a team leader and a central point of contact for all TDS-related matters, the TDS Lead Operations Officer is crucial for mitigating financial risk, ensuring statutory adherence, and driving process improvements within the tax operations domain.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Senior TDS Executive / Senior Tax Analyst
  • Accounts Officer (with a focus on Taxation)
  • Direct Tax Associate in a consulting firm

Advancement To:

  • Direct Tax Manager
  • Finance Controller (Taxation)
  • Head of Tax Operations

Lateral Moves:

  • Compliance Manager
  • Internal Audit Lead
  • Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A) Lead

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Oversee the entire end-to-end TDS compliance lifecycle, ensuring accurate computation, timely deduction, and deposit of taxes for all vendor payments, salaries, and other applicable transactions.
  • Lead the preparation, review, and filing of quarterly and annual TDS/TCS returns (including Forms 24Q, 26Q, 27Q, and 27EQ) with meticulous attention to detail to ensure 100% accuracy and adherence to statutory deadlines.
  • Manage the comprehensive reconciliation of TDS challan payments with the TDS receivable/payable ledgers in the accounting system, promptly identifying and resolving any discrepancies.
  • Direct the process for issuing TDS certificates (Form 16/16A) to employees and vendors within the prescribed timelines and manage all related queries.
  • Act as the primary subject matter expert and first point of escalation for all TDS-related queries from internal business units, vendors, employees, and external consultants.
  • Supervise, mentor, and develop a team of TDS operations executives, providing ongoing training, performance feedback, and day-to-day guidance to foster a high-performing and collaborative team environment.
  • Proactively monitor and respond to any notices, intimations, or communications from the tax authorities (e.g., TRACES defaults, demand notices) and formulate effective resolutions.
  • Conduct regular reviews of vendor and employee master data to ensure correct PAN information, tax codes, and TDS rates are applied, minimizing the risk of defaults.
  • Drive the implementation of process improvements and automation initiatives within the TDS function to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
  • Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all TDS-related activities, ensuring they are up-to-date with the latest legislative changes.
  • Collaborate closely with the Accounts Payable, Payroll, and Treasury teams to ensure seamless integration of TDS processes with payment cycles.
  • Prepare and present monthly TDS compliance dashboards and MIS reports for senior management, highlighting key metrics, risks, and compliance status.
  • Manage the periodic reconciliation of Form 26AS for the company, coordinating with vendors to resolve any mismatches between records.
  • Assist in providing necessary data, schedules, and explanations for statutory audits, internal audits, and direct tax assessments.
  • Ensure compliance with lower deduction certificates (Section 197) and manage their application and tracking within the system.
  • Handle complex TDS calculations for non-resident payments, ensuring adherence to DTAA provisions and proper documentation (Form 15CA/CB).
  • Monitor changes in the Income Tax Act and related rules, assessing their impact on the organization and ensuring timely implementation of required changes.
  • Lead user acceptance testing (UAT) for any system changes or ERP upgrades that impact tax deduction and reporting functionalities.
  • Conduct periodic internal training sessions for finance and non-finance teams to build awareness and understanding of TDS compliance requirements.
  • Manage relationships with tax consultants and banking partners to ensure smooth execution of TDS deposits and advisory support.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis for financial planning and risk assessment.
  • Contribute to the organization's tax technology strategy and roadmap by identifying opportunities for new tools and automation.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate their operational data needs into actionable requirements for the finance and IT teams.
  • Participate in cross-functional projects related to finance transformation, process re-engineering, and ERP enhancements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expert-Level Knowledge of Direct Tax Laws: Deep, practical understanding of the Indian Income Tax Act, 1961, with a specialized focus on all sections related to TDS and TCS.
  • TDS Return Filing Proficiency: Hands-on expertise in using government utilities and software (e.g., TRACES, Saral TDS, ClearTax) for preparing, validating, and filing TDS returns.
  • Advanced MS Excel Skills: Mastery of Excel for large-scale data analysis, including pivot tables, VLOOKUP/HLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, SUMIFs, and data validation for reconciliation purposes.
  • ERP System Experience: Significant hands-on experience with major ERP systems such as SAP (FICO), Oracle Financials, or Microsoft Dynamics, specifically within the accounts payable and general ledger modules.
  • Financial Reconciliation Acumen: Proven ability to perform complex reconciliations between tax records, bank statements, and general ledger accounts with a high degree of accuracy.
  • Understanding of Accounting Principles: Solid grasp of fundamental accounting principles to ensure TDS entries are correctly recorded and reflected in financial statements.

Soft Skills

  • Leadership and Team Management: Strong ability to lead, mentor, and motivate a team, delegate tasks effectively, and foster a positive and productive work environment.
  • Meticulous Attention to Detail: An unwavering focus on accuracy and precision, essential for error-free compliance and financial reporting.
  • Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: The capacity to dissect complex tax issues, identify root causes of discrepancies, and develop practical, effective solutions.
  • Communication & Interpersonal Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to articulate complex tax matters clearly to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
  • Proactive and Organized: A forward-thinking mindset combined with exceptional organizational and time-management skills to handle multiple deadlines and high-pressure situations.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's Degree in Commerce (B.Com), Finance, or Accounting.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's Degree in Commerce (M.Com), MBA in Finance, or a professional qualification such as Chartered Accountant (CA - Inter or Final) or Cost & Management Accountant (CMA).

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Commerce
  • Finance
  • Accounting
  • Taxation

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 5-8 years of progressive experience specifically in the field of direct taxation and TDS/TCS operations.

Preferred:

  • At least 2-3 years of proven experience in a supervisory or team lead role within a corporate finance department or a large-scale shared services center (SSC).
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