Tax & Compliance Senior Accountant – UAE & UK

About the role

The Independent Food Company is seeking a highly qualified Tax & Compliance Senior Accountant to own day‑to‑day tax and statutory compliance for its UAE and UK entities. The role will build a proactive, audit‑ready compliance framework covering VAT, corporate tax, transfer pricing, e‑invoicing and economic substance obligations.

Key responsibilities

• Build and maintain a single tax & statutory compliance calendar across all entities and jurisdictions.
• Prepare and file UAE VAT returns, manage reverse‑charge and aggregator treatments, and lead voluntary disclosures.
• Deliver UAE Corporate Tax registration, first‑period filing, IFRS‑to‑tax reconciliation and deferred‑tax calculations.
• Coordinate UK VAT and Corporation Tax compliance for the Public entity with external advisors.
• Maintain transfer‑pricing documentation, including Master and Local Files and intercompany pricing support.
• Quantify tax exposure, maintain a penalty register and drive remediation with the Financial Controller.
• Partner with ERP/digital teams to ensure e‑invoicing readiness for UAE and GCC mandates.
• Own Economic Substance, UBO and AML/KYC compliance for vendor and entity onboarding.
• Support external audit and FTA queries with tax schedules and reconciliations.
• Manage day‑to‑day liaison with Big‑4 and specialist advisors, reviewing deliverables and internalising knowledge.
• Coach the Tax Junior and document SOPs to make compliance process‑driven.

Required profile

• Qualified or part‑qualified ACCA, CA, CTA, CMA or equivalent, with a recognised tax qualification preferred.
• 5–8 years of tax & compliance experience, including hands‑on UAE VAT and Corporate Tax.
• Practical exposure to FTA processes, voluntary disclosures and tax‑authority correspondence.
• Familiarity with transfer pricing, Economic Substance, UBO and AML obligations in the UAE.
• Experience with UK tax exposure or readiness to manage UK advisors is advantageous.
• Background in F&B, multi‑outlet or e‑commerce environments is a plus.

Required skills

• Proficiency with NetSuite (or equivalent ERP) systems.
• Advanced Excel skills.