Associate Director - Direct Tax

Job Description

• Proposed designation
  
  

Associate Director – Direct tax

• Role type
  
  

Supervisory

• Reporting to
  
  

Director – Head of Tax

• Geo to be supported
  
  

Corporate

• Work timings
  
  

Flexible

Responsibilities

The Associate Director – Direct tax (Corporate Functions) will be responsible for managing the direct tax function across KGS entities, including corporate income tax compliance, tax accounting and provisioning, tax audits and assessments, litigation management, withholding tax compliance, and business advisory support. The role will partner closely with Finance, Legal, HR, and Business teams to ensure compliance, mitigate tax risks, and support business growth while assisting the Director - Head of Tax in driving best-in-class tax governance.

The role also includes coordination with external consultants, advisers, and regulatory authorities.

• Direct Tax Compliance and Reporting
• Lead end-to-end corporate income tax compliance for all KGS entities.
• Review and oversee preparation and filing of income tax returns and related disclosures.
• Ensure timely compliance with advance tax, tax audit, and other statutory requirements.
• Manage withholding tax (TDS) compliance, reporting, reconciliations, and issue resolution.
• Oversee tax provisioning and tax accounting processes in accordance with applicable accounting standards
• Drive process improvements and automation initiatives to strengthen the direct tax control framework.
• Develop and maintain SOPs and governance mechanisms for direct tax processes.
• Tax Assessments and Litigation
• Manage income tax assessments, audits, and inquiries across KGS entities.
• Lead responses to notices and information requests from tax authorities.
• Develop and execute litigation strategy in consultation with external advisors and legal counsel.
• Monitor ongoing tax disputes and provide periodic updates to leadership.
• Manage appeals and representations before tax authorities and appellate forums
• Tax Planning & Stakeholder Engagement
• Advise stakeholder on emerging tax risks, regulatory changes, and strategic tax planning.
• Present regular tax updates, risks and impacts to senior leadership on open matters
• Partner with business units to evaluate tax implications of new product offerings, and organizational restructurings.
• Team Leadership & Governance
• Lead and mentor a team of tax professionals, creating a high-performance environment.
• Establish tax governance frameworks, internal controls, SOPs, and risk management mechanisms.
• Oversee automation and process improvements in tax reporting and compliance.
• Drive technical capability building and knowledge sharing within the team
• Audit Coordination
• Manage statutory audit, internal audit, and group audit requirements pertaining to tax.
• Support financial statement disclosures and tax provisioning related to direct taxes
  
  

Qualifications

Educational qualifications

Chartered Accountant (CA) is mandatory

Work Experience

• 8-10 years of post-qualification experience in Direct Tax; ex–Big 4 or top-tier advisory background preferred.
• Experience in a multinational / shared services environment preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in managing large-scale GST compliance, audits, investigations, and litigation
• Proven track record in handling audits, assessments, litigation, and regulatory representation
  
  

#KGS