Assistant Manager (Personal Tax)

The role

An experienced Personal Tax Assistant Manager is being sought to be based in our growing Harrogate office to provide additional support to the team. The successful applicant will manage the compliance process, be involved in the administration of the portfolio and assist with planning and projects. The position will involve supervising and reviewing the work of junior staff within the group, together with the manager peer group to ensure high quality output. There will also be opportunities to get involved in a variety of advisory projects.

Duties include:

• Identification of planning opportunities
• Completion of self-assessment tax returns for wealthy individuals, partnerships and trusts
• Completion of associated tax computations including calculations of capital gains on securities, chattels and property transactions
• Completion of trust and estate tax returns
• Looking after the tax affairs of high net worth private clients, including non-UK domiciliaries
• Ensuring technical competence and accuracy of the department’s work through review
• Adherence to statutory and other deadlines
• Meeting billing targets
• Liaising extensively with clients in relation to day-to-day compliance and planning issues

Watch our video about careers in tax at Saffery

You

• You will be committed to a career in tax and will have relevant strong experience in a general practice role in a medium to large sized firm.
• It is essential that you have experience of organising the delivery of tax work, problem solving and the ability to use your own initiative.
• It is desirable that you have the experience of preparing computations from accounts.
• You will have experience of advisory work or a strong desire to learn, and be familiar with, or have a desire to learn to use the tax legislation to arrive at conclusions
• You will have experience of either personal tax, trusts or both, with a willingness to develop your knowledge on both.
• Previous experience of using computerised tax packages is useful. The firm uses CCH Central.
• You will have the ability to provide accurate work in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• You will require excellent interpersonal skills with confidence in dealing with partners and clients.
• You must possess the ability to manage, develop and motivate staff, be a team player with flexibility and resilience as essential attributes.
• You will have a positive and enthusiastic attitude.
• You must have a strong desire to develop your skills.

The office

The Harrogate office is situated close to the Centre of Harrogate, in modern friendly offices with approximately 65 staff. We advise a wide range of commercial businesses, private individuals and not-for-profit organisations across Yorkshire and the North East of England and have strong links with the professional and financial community of Leeds, the financial capital of the region. We have a strong reputation in the area and our client base prominently features owner-managed, small and mid-cap businesses, and private and estate clients. They generally need both personal and company tax advice, as well as business and strategic help and we work with clients to create integrated solutions across their related financial and business affairs. In other cases, we apply our expertise to their specific concerns, often working alongside other professionals in the process.

The team

The Harrogate Tax department is made up of a team of 20 which includes two private client Partners, the Director of Corporate Tax, Three Senior Managers, three Managers, three Seniors, three Semi-Seniors and five Trainees. The mix of work in the group is varied and consists of clients including owner managed businesses, landed estates and high net worth individuals. Currently the portfolio includes a small proportion of non-UK domiciliary work; however, this is expected to increase in the future.

Education and Experience

The individual must have dealt with a range of tax issues appropriate to our client base of private clients. Minimum 2-3 years relevant experience operating at Senior or Assistant Manager level, CTA and or ACA/ACCA qualified.

Salary/benefits

• 35-hour working week with flexibility around the core hours of 10am-4pm
• Working from home allowance of £25 a month.
• Eligibility for the firm’s Profit-Sharing Plan that runs from October to September each year. The scheme enables staff to share in the profits of the firm. Payment is usually c£1,000 for the full year. Paid in December.
• Eligibility for the discretionary bonus scheme. This is based on both individual performance and firm performance.
• Salary reviews annually in October.
• Twenty-five days annual leave
• In addition, under the flexible benefits programme, employees are entitled to buy or sell up to five days (35 hours) holiday a year, subject to staff partner approval.
• Six-month probationary period.
• Life assurance cover of four times salary,
• Private Medical – Staff have access to a private medical scheme through the flexible benefits programme.
• Contributory pension scheme (The firm will contribute 4% of salary on a matched basis with employee from their date of joining)
• Access to a number of additional benefits with preferential rates under the flexible benefit programme, health cash plans, health screening/GP support, critical illness cover, dental and travel insurance, Techscheme, Cyclescheme, Gymflex and a Workplace ISA.