Expat Tax Manager (14-month FTC)

Company Description

Who we are

We are one of the largest international law firms in the world. With over 30 offices across the globe, we strive to exceed the expectations of our clients, providing them with the highest-quality advice and legal insight, which combines the firm’s global standards with in-depth local expertise.

Our firm, work and people span jurisdictions, cultures, and languages. We offer our clients a truly international perspective. We believe every career should be rewarding and stimulating - full of opportunities to learn, thrive, and grow. That’s why we’re so proud of our inclusive, friendly, and team-based approach to work.

Our one firm global strategy is focused on targeted growth led by the needs of our core clients, those who we can best support with the breadth and depth of Clifford Chance expertise, across the sectors and geographies, which matter most to them.

You’ll find our clients in commercial and industrial sectors, the financial investor community, governments, regulators, trade bodies, and not-for-profit organisations. But no matter who they are or why they’ve reached out to us, we provide a world-class service every step of the way. And that’s possible thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit and conscientious approach to work that you’ll find across all of our teams.

Whichever area of the business you join, you’ll become an integral part an innovative, diverse and ambitious team of people. Clifford Chance is a place where the brightest minds and the best of colleagues meet.

Hybrid Working

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach and as long as business needs allow, you will be supported to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

Job Description

The Role

Job Overview

The Expat tax team works alongside the Global Mobility HR team and is accountable for reviewing and advising on all aspects of the Firm's positions taken on expat and employment tax matters – liaising with various stakeholders in the business, across a variety of departments, internally and with the Firm's tax advisors, externally.

Who you will work with

The Expat Tax Manager ('ETM') will work in the Partnership Tax & Treasury team, joining 2 other ETMs, a Senior Manager and a Tax Assistant.

What you will be responsible for

With global business travelers and secondees growing in both volume and complexity, you would be joining 2 existing Managers in the team and your key responsibilities would be to assist the expat tax team in managing the firm's tax risk, with respect to global employment and expat tax solutions.

What you will do

• Work closely with the Global Mobility team specialists (based in London, Hong Kong and New York), to provide proactive expat tax and social security advice, with respect to our international secondment moves within the Firm – including international client secondments, short term moves and commuter arrangements.

• Review standard policies, processes, and training materials with respect to our globally mobile workforce, to ensure they meet the Firm's relevant obligations and ensure we are compliant across various jurisdictions in terms of tax, payroll, social security, and other reporting requirements.

• Continually review and consider any potential tax planning opportunities around our international secondment policies, which may look to reduce either our costs, mitigate our risks or reduce our administrative burden in this area.

• Review secondment costings and advise the business on optimal, cost-effective secondment solutions, from a cash-flow and accruals perspective.

• Conduct UK consultations with secondees, trainees, relocating employees and/or the business, to ensure initial cross-border tax concerns are addressed - with personal and Firm obligations clear.
• Advise the Global Mobility team of net salary, bonus, and hypo tax figures for tax equalised secondees (on an annual basis) and provide periodic reviews.

• Liaise with global payroll teams regarding compensation delivery for international secondees and the required actions with respect to tax withholding and social security contributions or exemptions.
• Assist with managing the firm's real-time payroll requirements in various jurisdictions, including review of the tax calculations and tax return filings required to complement this.

• Ensure the appropriate tax compliance services offered to employees and staff are authorised and completed successfully, for example the relevant tax returns in each location, TEC settlements and social security exemption certificates.

• Assist with centrally coordinating the collation of all compensation data for the global submission of all individual tax returns required by secondees (incl. the UK), answering all related queries and ensuring all global tax payments are reconciled on an annual basis.

• Ensure the service delivery from our external tax advisors meets the Firm's expectations and agreed service levels, completing the appropriate annual season reviews.

• Assist with managing ad hoc tax advisory projects owned by the expat tax team and liaise with key internal stakeholders (e.g. HR, Reward, Payroll and Finance, etc.). and external contacts including HMRC and our external tax advisors, to execute these.

• Assist with global business traveller analysis, to complement tax and other compliance requirements, including the posted worker directive.

• Assist with managing the Short-Term Business Visitor ("STBV") process for the UK Firm – ensuring the annual PAYE compliance deadline is met for its overseas branches. and the STBV report for all other treaty countries is submitted to HMRC. This will include analysing the appropriate data sources, obtaining the relevant residence certificates, and addressing HMRC queries.

• Liaise with various stakeholders in the business to review and ensure that the UK Firm meets its obligations and necessary reporting requirements with respect to the provision of benefits, allowances and reimbursed expenses (e.g. annual filing of the firms PAYE Settlement Agreement in the UK). This will include responding to payroll and finance queries.

• Ensure you are updated on any current changes in tax legislation, commercial trends or 'best practice' and be able to consider the Firm's actions or implementation of such updates where required.

• Oversee and review the work of junior members of the team, providing necessary guidance and development.

• Ad hoc duties and working with the wider team, where required.

Qualifications

Your experience 

Skills:

• Flexible and effective verbal and written communication skills.

• Good attention to detail, accurate, sound, methodical data entry skills.

• Adept in Microsoft Suite products (with excel competence).

• Strong analytical, organisational, and interpersonal skills.

• Team player, with a positive attitude and flexible approach to work.

• Ability to work unsupervised.

• Ability to question the integrity of processes and data.

Experience:

• Strong experience of preparing, reviewing and/or explaining UK personal tax returns in a professional services environment.

• Previous experience of using Personal Tax Software (CCH preferred). 

• Strong experience of having worked at or closely with professional service firms, in the coordination of secondee tax compliance and advisory work.

• Experience of communicating with HMRC, global teams/functions, engaging with all levels of HR and payroll teams/finance personnel, as required.

Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of UK tax compliance and internationally mobile tax issues (including complex treaty matters).

Qualifications:

• You will be ATT qualified or equivalent, at minimum.

How we will support you

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and development your skills and knowledge. From formal training, informal coaching and mentoring through to skills-based and technical training and on the job learning.

You will be expected to attend regular external tax update meetings and seminars, to maintain your CPD.

Additional Information

Equal opportunities statement

At Clifford Chance, we understand that our true asset is our people. Inclusion is good for our team and their families, our firm and society.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.

We have a variety of flourishing employee networks. These networks are a place for colleagues to share experiences and advocate for change wherever they see an opportunity for improvement.

Our goal is to deliver an equality of opportunity, an equality of aspiration and an equality of experience to everyone who works in our firm. 

Find out more about our inclusive culture here.