Employment Tax Manager

As a Partner in our business you will primarily focus on working collaboratively to create more value for our customers and our Business.

You are responsible for ensuring the overall compliance and integrity of the Partnership’s employment tax returns and affairs through ensuring compliance with legislation and regular monitoring and implementation of robust and sustainable tax controls.

To support the Tax Lead in setting the tax strategy and policies for the Partnership, monitoring legislative developments and identification of their impact on the Partnership, and delivery of solutions to ensure compliance. You will provide advice to senior stakeholders on tax matters related to pan Partnership activities.

At a glance

• Expected Salary: £75,600 - £90,000 (depending upon experience)
   

• Hybrid Working: This is a hybrid working role, therefore your time will primarily be split between working from home and the London Head Office. However, there will also be an expectation to visit other locations as the need arises.
   

• Our team currently works from the office around thrice a week to connect and on a more ad-hoc basis to attend key meetings, but again the frequency is dependent on the business needs.
   

• Contract type: Permanent

Key Responsibilities: 

• Manage tasks to ensure processes and systems are adequate for the Partnership’s tax affairs to be fully compliant
   

• Maintain and create up-to-date positions and advisory papers on the Partnership’s tax treatment of employee benefits
   

• Lead on the accurate, on-time filing and payment of all employment tax obligations to the relevant tax authorities (e.g. PAYE Settlement Agreement, STBV, Share incentive plan-related matters)
   

• Direct tax excludes routine payroll reporting, but collaborates with Payroll stakeholders to assist with ad-hoc projects
   

• Ensure the tax team maintains close contact with other departments in the Partnership (e.g. Legal, Procurement, Finance, Payroll, Reward) and provides advice and value added insight concerning initiatives and business change to ensure that tax implications are both known, understood and fully costed into business operations/proposals (e.g. Off Payroll working, overseas matters, severance, expenses, employee benefits)
   

• Lead on employment tax related projects and engage with non tax stakeholders
   

• Review and communicate legislative changes and case law to both technical and non-technical audiences across the business

• Horizon scan for future tax changes in legislation and identify HMRC priority areas, partnering with relevant colleagues and and process owners in a timely manner to ensure tax risks are identified and recommendations for tax compliance are made
   

• Review and communicate legislative changes and case-law
   

• Ensure the team maintains close contact with Finance and Commercial teams and provides advice and value added insight concerning initiatives in the business, to ensure that tax implications are both known and understood from a financial and systems requirements perspective.
   

Essential skills/experience you’ll need

• CTA qualified or significant equivalent experience
   

• Expert knowledge of UK employment taxes including PAYE, NIC, benefits, IR35
   

• Direct advisory experience on tax matters most relevant to operational and low income earners - e.g national minimum wage, statutory payments, salary sacrifice
   

• Experience of leading end-to-end tax projects
   

• Experience of leading end-to-end UK employment tax reporting cycles.
   

Desirable skills/experience you may have

• Good understanding of other tax areas

• Technology and how it can help improve tax processes.
   

Additional Information

• Should your initial application be successful, the subsequent stages will comprise two rounds of interviews -  virtual and in-person assessments.

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We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.