Tax Manager

Job Summary

• To lead the company's tax function, ensuring full compliance with all applicable federal, state and local tax laws, accurate tax accounting and reporting, effective management of tax risk, and the legitimate optimization of the company's tax position across a multi-location downstream oil and gas business.
• The Manager, Tax owns the company's tax strategy, compliance calendar, tax planning, tax audits and disputes, and the tax implications of commercial, financing and investment decisions.
• The role is the company's principal point of contact with tax authorities and external tax advisers, and a trusted advisor to the CFO, EXCO and business leaders on the tax impact of transactions, contracts and regulatory change.

Scope and Key dimensions of the role:

• Accountable for all direct and indirect taxes of the company and its subsidiaries, including HQ, depots, terminals, retail stations, LPG and gas operations.
• Covers corporate income tax, value-added tax (VAT), withholding tax (WHT), employee taxes (PAYE), development and other statutory levies, stamp duties, customs and excise matters, transfer pricing, and state and local government taxes and charges.
• Leads and develops the tax team and sets its objectives, standards and succession pipeline.
• Operates in a high-volume, multi-product environment (PMS, AGO, DPK, LPG, gas and lubricants) with significant import, inventory, intercompany, financing and cross-border transactions.
• Works within Board-approved tax policy and delegated authority, escalating matters outside these limits to the CFO.

Responsibilities

Tax Strategy, Policy and Governance:

• Develop and implement the tax strategy and policy, aligned with the company's business objectives, risk appetite and values, and approved by the CFO and Board.
• Establish a tax governance and control framework, including documented processes, roles, approvals, a tax risk register and a compliance calendar.
• Advise the CFO and EXCO on the tax implications of business strategy, including expansion, restructuring, capital investment, financing, and mergers and acquisitions.
• Ensure tax risks and exposures are identified, quantified, reported and mitigated, and keep the CFO, Audit Committee and Board informed of material tax matters.
• Promote a culture of tax compliance and ethical conduct across the business, and train non-tax colleagues on tax-sensitive processes.

Direct Tax Compliance and Reporting:

• Ensure accurate and timely computation, filing and payment of corporate income tax and other direct taxes, including provisional tax, tax returns, supporting schedules and capital allowance computations.
• Ensure compliance with applicable development levies, minimum tax provisions and other statutory charges under current Nigerian tax law, as amended.
• Prepare and review tax computations, tax clearance certificates and related documentation for regulatory, banking, contract and licensing purposes.
• Ensure compliance with any sector-specific tax and fiscal provisions, including those under the Petroleum Industry Act and related regulations, as applicable to the company's activities.
• Track and apply tax incentives, exemptions, reliefs and credits available to the company, and ensure supporting documentation is maintained to sustain claims.

Indirect Tax (VAT, WHT, Customs and Excise):

• Ensure accurate and timely VAT registration, computation, returns and remittances, including the correct treatment of exempt, zero-rated and standard-rated supplies, input VAT recovery and refunds.
• Oversee withholding tax deduction, remittance, reconciliation and credit-note management on payments to vendors, contractors, service providers and customers, and ensure timely issuance and collection of WHT credit notes.
• Provide tax guidance on import transactions, customs duties and excise treatment, working with Supply, Logistics and customs clearing agents to minimize cost and compliance risk.
• Ensure compliance with electronic invoicing, fiscalization and related tax administration requirements as they apply, in coordination with IT and Finance systems teams.
• Review contracts, pricing structures and commercial terms for VAT, WHT and other indirect tax implications before execution.

Employee, Payroll and Local Taxes:

• Ensure accurate PAYE computation, deduction and remittance to the relevant state revenue authorities, in coordination with HR and Payroll.
• Ensure compliance with statutory contributions and deductions, including pension, NSITF, ITF, NHF and other employment-related levies, as applicable.
• Manage compliance with state and local government taxes, rates, permits and charges across all operating locations, including land use charges, signage, business premises and other levies.
• Advise on the tax treatment of employee benefits, allowances, expatriate arrangements and share-based or incentive schemes.

Transfer Pricing and International Tax:

• Ensure compliance with transfer pricing regulations, including contemporaneous documentation, benchmarking studies, disclosures and returns for related-party transactions.
• Advise on the tax treatment of cross-border payments, including management fees, royalties, interest, technical services, double taxation treaty relief and withholding obligations.
• Review intercompany agreements, funding structures and cost allocations to ensure arm's-length pricing and sustainable tax positions.
• Monitor international tax developments, including global minimum tax and BEPS-related rules, and assess their potential impact on the group.

Tax Accounting and Financial Reporting:

• Ensure accurate current and deferred tax accounting in accordance with IFRS (IAS 12 and IFRIC 23), including the determination of effective tax rate, deferred tax assets and liabilities, and recoverability assessments.
• Prepare tax provisions, reconciliations and disclosures for monthly management accounts, quarterly reporting and the annual financial statements.
• Evaluate and document uncertain tax positions and contingent tax liabilities, and ensure appropriate provisioning and disclosure.
• Partner with Financial Control and Reporting on the close process, audit schedules and responses to external auditor queries on tax balances.
• Support tax forecasting and budgeting, including cash tax projections and effective tax rate planning, in coordination with Treasury and FP&A.

Tax Audits, Disputes and Authority Relations:

• Act as the primary interface with tax authorities, including the Nigeria Revenue Service and other federal bodies, state internal revenue services, local government authorities and customs.
• Lead the management of tax audits, investigations, assessments and queries, ensuring timely, accurate and well-documented responses.
• Manage tax disputes, objections and appeals, working with external counsel and advisers, including representation before the Tax Appeal Tribunal and the courts where required.
• Pursue refunds, credits, waivers, amnesties and settlement opportunities where beneficial to the company.
• Build constructive, professional relationships with tax authorities, industry associations and regulators, and track and respond to proposed changes in tax policy and administration.

Tax Planning and Business Support:

• Provide proactive tax planning and structuring advice on transactions, projects, contracts, financing, leasing, asset acquisition and disposal, and restructuring, within the bounds of law and company policy.
• Evaluate the tax implications of capital expenditure, depot and terminal investments, retail network expansion and infrastructure projects, including capital allowances and incentives.
• Work with Treasury on the tax treatment of borrowing, interest deductibility, FX gains and losses, hedging and trade finance instruments.
• Monitor changes in tax legislation, regulations, circulars and court decisions, assess their impact, brief management, and lead implementation of required changes in systems, processes and contracts.
• Support due diligence, tax structuring and post-transaction integration for acquisitions, partnerships and new ventures.

Systems, Process Improvement and Automation:

• Optimize the tax configuration of the ERP system (Microsoft Dynamics, SAP, Oracle or equivalent), including tax codes, WHT and VAT setups, and automated reporting.
• Drive automation of tax computations, reconciliations, returns and filings, including the use of tax technology and data analytics tools.
• Standardize and document tax processes, policies and SOPs, and ensure strong data quality, audit trails and document retention.
• Support system upgrades and integrations, including testing and change management, for tax-related functionality.

Team Leadership and Capability Development:

• Lead, coach and develop the tax team, setting clear performance objectives and conducting regular appraisals and feedback.
• Build technical capability and succession cover, including training in Nigerian tax law, IFRS tax accounting, and tax systems.
• Manage and evaluate external tax advisers and service providers, ensuring quality, value for money and confidentiality.
• Foster a culture of accuracy, integrity, accountability and continuous learning.

Decision Making Authority

• Approves routine tax computations, returns, filings and payments within delegated limits.
• Recommends tax positions, settlements, and planning strategies for CFO approval.
• Approves tax procedures, compliance calendars and reporting standards.
• Engages and directs external tax advisers within approved budgets.
• Escalates material tax risks, penalties, disputes, audit findings and regulatory changes to the CFO immediately.

Requirements

Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Law or a related discipline (minimum Second Class Upper or equivalent).
• MBA, MSc in Taxation/Finance, or LLM in Tax/Corporate Law is an advantage.

Professional Certifications:

• ACA (ICAN or ICAEW), ACCA or equivalent is required.
• ACTI / CITN membership (Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria) is strongly preferred; other tax certifications (e.g., ATT, CTA) are an added advantage.

Experience:

• Minimum of 8 - 12 years' progressive post-qualification experience in tax, of which at least 4 - 5 years in a managerial or supervisory role.
• Demonstrated experience managing tax compliance, audits and disputes with Nigerian federal and state tax authorities.
• Experience advising senior management and the Board on tax strategy and risk.
• Big 4 or equivalent tax advisory background is an advantage.

Industry Exposure:

• Downstream oil and gas (preferred).
• FMCG, commodities trading, manufacturing, or other inventory-intensive, multi-location environments.

Critical Experience Requirements:

• Has led end-to-end corporate income tax, VAT and WHT compliance for a large, multi-location business.
• Has successfully managed tax audits, assessments and disputes, including appeals, to resolution.
• Hands-on experience with transfer pricing documentation and related-party transactions.
• Strong working knowledge of deferred tax accounting under IFRS.
• Experience working with a major ERP system and tax automation initiatives.

Technical Skills:

• In-depth knowledge of Nigerian tax law and administration, including the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act and related legislation, regulations and circulars, as amended, and the tax provisions of the Petroleum Industry Act.
• Working knowledge of IFRS, particularly IAS 12 and IFRIC 23, and international tax principles including treaties and transfer pricing.
• Advanced Excel and analytical skills; proficiency with ERP platforms and tax/reporting tools (e.g., Power BI).
• Strong research, drafting and negotiation skills, with the ability to interpret complex legislation and apply it to practical business situations.