Position Summary:

The Tax Lead will be responsible for managing the Group's direct and indirect tax functions, ensuring tax compliance, tax efficiency, governance, and risk management across all group entities. The role requires extensive experience in GST, VAT, Corporate Tax, Transfer Pricing, intercompany transactions, tax litigation, and tax structuring within large Indian corporate environments.

The incumbent will work closely with business, finance, treasury, legal, and operations teams to ensure robust tax compliance while supporting strategic initiatives, including business expansion, funding transactions, new business models, and intra-group arrangements.

Key Responsibilities:

Direct Taxation:

- Ensure timely and accurate compliance with all direct tax regulations across group companies.

- Manage advance tax computations, tax provisioning, deferred tax accounting, and tax disclosures.

- Review and file corporate income tax returns for all entities.

- Lead tax assessments, scrutiny proceedings, audits, appeals, and litigation management.

- Coordinate with external tax advisors, consultants, and if required legal counsels.

- Identify tax optimization opportunities while ensuring compliance with applicable regulations.

- Monitor changes in tax laws and assess implications on the Group.

Indirect Taxation (GST, VAT and Other Levies):

- Oversee GST compliance across multiple registrations and states.

- Ensure accurate GST determination for logistics, transportation, LNG trading, leasing, and related business activities.

- Manage GST input tax credit optimization and ensure no loss of eligible credits.

- Review GST reconciliations including GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, GSTR-9, GSTR-9C and related returns.

- Manage state VAT compliance applicable to LNG and fuel trading businesses.

- Lead GST and VAT audits, investigations, notices, and assessments.

- Ensure timely resolution of tax notices and departmental queries.

Intercompany Transactions & Transfer Pricing:

- Develop and implement tax-efficient intercompany transaction frameworks.

- Review tax implications of transactions between operating companies and LNG trading subsidiaries.

- Ensure appropriate transfer pricing policies and documentation are maintained.

- Coordinate preparation and filing of transfer pricing reports and related disclosures.

- Support intercompany financing, management fee, shared services, leasing, and asset transfer arrangements.

Tax Governance & Controls:

- Establish and strengthen tax governance frameworks across the Group.

- Design and implement tax controls, SOPs, and compliance calendars.

- Ensure compliance with internal financial controls and audit requirements.

- Lead tax risk identification and mitigation initiatives.

- Drive automation and digitization of tax compliance and reporting processes.

Strategic Projects:

- Provide tax support for debt financing, refinancing, and capital raising initiatives.

- Evaluate tax implications of new business models, fleet acquisitions, leasing structures, and infrastructure investments.

- Support mergers, acquisitions, restructurings, and corporate reorganizations.

- Partner with business teams to evaluate commercial contracts from a tax perspective.

- Support Board, Audit Committee, and management reporting on tax matters.

Stakeholder Management:

- Liaise with tax authorities, auditors, consultants, bankers, and legal advisors.

- Work closely with CFO, finance controllers, treasury, legal, procurement, and business teams.

- Lead and develop the tax team across group entities.

Qualifications:

- Chartered Accountant (CA) mandatory.

- Additional qualification in taxation or law will be an advantage.

Experience:

- 10-12+ years of progressive experience in corporate taxation.

- Experience in large Indian corporates, logistics, transportation, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, or trading sectors preferred.

- Strong experience handling:

1. Multi-state GST registrations.

2. VAT compliance for fuel/LNG trading businesses.

3. Transfer pricing and intercompany transactions.

4. Corporate tax assessments and litigation.

5. Tax structuring for group companies.

- Experience managing tax matters across multiple subsidiaries and legal entities.

- Exposure to Big 4 firms or large corporate tax functions will be an advantage.

Key Competencies:

- Deep knowledge of Indian Direct Tax, GST, VAT, Transfer Pricing, and allied regulations.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

- Ability to interpret evolving tax regulations and assess business impact.

- Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.

- Strong project management and execution capabilities.

- High attention to detail with a risk-management mindset.

- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment.

Success Metrics:

- 100% statutory compliance across all group entities and registrations.

- Zero material tax non-compliance or input credit leakage.

- Effective management and closure of tax assessments and litigations.

- Robust transfer pricing and intercompany tax governance framework.

- Improved tax reporting, controls, and automation.

- Proactive identification of tax planning and optimization opportunities aligned with business objectives.