Head - Tax

Location: Mumbai

Reporting to: Chief Financial Officer

Client Context

Our client is a listed entity operating in the hospitality and real estate asset space, with a portfolio of premium properties and operations across multiple locations in India.

As a listed entity, the company operates in a dynamic regulatory environment involving direct taxes, GST across multiple states, transfer pricing considerations, and related party transactions.

As the organization continues to scale its operations and asset base, it is looking to strengthen its leadership team by hiring a Head of Tax who will lead the tax function and act as a strategic advisor to the CFO and senior leadership.

Role Overview

The Head of Tax will be responsible for leading the entire tax function across direct taxes, indirect taxes (GST), transfer pricing, and related party transaction governance.

The role will involve designing tax-efficient structures for business operations, property ownership, management contracts, and strategic transactions, while ensuring robust compliance and effective management of tax assessments and litigation.

This is a strategic leadership role requiring close collaboration with finance leadership, auditors, advisors, regulators, and the board/audit committee.

Key Responsibilities

1. Tax Strategy & Advisory

- Develop and lead the organization's overall tax strategy across direct and indirect taxation.

- Design tax-efficient structures for hotel properties, management contracts, acquisitions, and restructuring initiatives.

- Provide strategic tax advisory to the CFO and senior leadership on key business decisions.

2. Direct Tax

- Oversee corporate tax planning, provisioning, and compliance.

- Manage MAT, deferred tax accounting, and tax disclosures.

- Ensure robust tax processes aligned with statutory and financial reporting requirements.

3. Indirect Tax (GST)

- Lead GST structuring and optimization across multi-state operations.

- Manage input tax credit optimization, compliance frameworks, and GST audits.

- Monitor regulatory developments and drive proactive compliance initiatives.

4. Transfer Pricing & Related Party Transactions

- Oversee transfer pricing policies, documentation, and regulatory compliance.

- Ensure appropriate frameworks for inter-company pricing and cross-entity transactions.

- Review and advise on related party transactions, ensuring compliance with tax laws and corporate governance standards.

5. Litigation & Regulatory Interface

- Manage tax assessments, notices, disputes, and litigation matters.

- Coordinate with external tax advisors, counsels, and regulatory authorities.

- Develop effective strategies to mitigate tax risks and resolve disputes.

6. Transaction Support

- Provide tax advisory support for M&A transactions, joint ventures, restructuring, and strategic investments.

- Evaluate tax implications for business expansion and new business structures.

7. Governance & Reporting

- Present tax updates, risks, and developments to the CFO and leadership team.

- Support audit committee and board reporting on tax matters where required.

- Strengthen internal tax governance, controls, and compliance frameworks.

Ideal Candidate Profile

- Chartered Accountant (CA) - Mandatory.

- 15-18 years of overall experience with core expertise in taxation.

- Experience in Big4 tax advisory firms or large corporate tax functions preferred.

- Experience with listed entities (preferred)

Industry Exposure (Preferred)

- Hospitality

- Real Estate

- Infrastructure

- Asset-heavy organizations with multi-state operations

Key Competencies

- Strong expertise in direct tax, GST, transfer pricing, and tax structuring.

- Experience managing tax litigation and regulatory engagement.

- Strong understanding of related party transaction governance frameworks.

- Ability to interact effectively with CFO, auditors, advisors, and board-level stakeholders.

- Leadership capability to build and manage a high-performing tax function.