The African Tax Administration Forum (ATAF) has received financing from the African Development Fund toward the cost of the Regional Institutional Support Project for Public Financial Governance – Phase II (RISPFG) and intends to apply part of the agreed amount for this Grant to payments under the contract for Tax Audit Specialist.

Missions:

• The services included under this project are improving income tax policy and administration in African countries by providing expert advice, support and training to tax officials, developing effective income tax policies and regulations, and building strong relationships with stakeholders
• The Tax Audit Specialist is responsible to support African countries through providing expert guidance and support in developing effective tax audit planning and strategies, managing tax audits, increasing taxpayer compliance, building capacity, and training tax officials, and building relationships with stakeholders.

Qualifications:

1. A Bachelor’s degree in Taxation, Law, Accounting, Finance, Economics or related field is required. A Master’s advanced degree will be an added advantage
2. Professional qualifications such as Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Accountant (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants - ACCA or Chartered Institute of Management Accountants - CIMA), or equivalent professional qualification is preferred
3. A minimum of 7 years of professional experience working in tax audits is required. This experience should be in a range of tax audit of economic sectors such as telecommunications and financial sectors
4. An ideal candidate should have an extensive knowledge of tax legislation, regulations, policies, and practices in Africa, as well as knowledge of international tax principles and practices. This should include the following
   1. Good understanding of audit processes and techniques in:
      1. performing tax audits
      2. in reviewing a file and planning an audit
      3. in auditing financial books and records
      4. compiling audit report and preparing quality tax assessments.
5. Good level of understanding and interpretation of tax legislation, as well as the telecommunication and/or financial sectors regulatory framework.
6. Proven experience in the examination of taxpayers’ financial statements, tax returns, accounting records and source documents in order to identify areas of high risk or non-compliance and determine the required tax adjustment to make and calculate the correct amount of tax to be paid by the taxpayer.
7. Applied knowledge of the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) as well as the examination process and procedure and the types of checks in order to determine the correct tax liability.
8. Good knowledge of audit tools for data interrogation and fraud detection would be an added value;
9. Strong analytical skills to be able to understand complex tax issues and develop effective solutions to tax problems is an advantage.
10. An ideal candidate should possess excellent communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex tax issues to non-experts in a clear and concise manner
11. An ideal candidate should be able to work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders, including tax authorities, government officials, and other professionals. Strong interpersonal skills are essential for building relationships and negotiating effective tax solutions.
12. Fluency in English is a requirement, and the ability to communicate in Portuguese, Arabic and / or French is an added advantage.