Head of Tax

Team Structure and Capabilities

• Managing the current team of 3.


• Reviewing policies and processes to ensure that the partners tax affairs are managed appropriately by the department.


• Assessing the team structure and capabilities ensuring we have the right complement of staff and skillsets to serve the needs of the business for tax and partnership administration.


Partnership Administration

• Review and improvement of process of producing partner annual tax reconciliations and statements, ensuring that the reconciliations are carried out according to set timetables.


• Ongoing review and reconciliation of partners' tax payments.


• Working with International office finance managers, understanding the position in each jurisdiction in relation to partners tax, and ensuring these are dealt with appropriately, and providing oversight and direction to the Finance managers on all partner tax and tax related matters.


• Ensuring new partners go through a thorough induction in relation to the Firm's Capital, tax reserves, drawings and distribution policies.


• Supporting retiring partners and covering leaver checklist points, settling remaining current account balances as appropriate.


• Managing the annual allocation of profits to partners and proactively communicating any foreseen fluctuations by forecasting profits in the various entities.


• Supporting management with specific tax and partner finance matters, e.g., foreign exchange impact assessment, relocations, partnership entities


Tax Compliance

• Oversee and manage the efficient completion on a timely and accurate basis, of all the firm's global tax compliance obligations, including income and corporation tax computations and returns, tax balances in statutory accounts, tax provisioning, VAT and sales taxes, payroll, double tax relief claims, and tax payments.


• Determining tax risks generally and working with the CFO to prioritise, communicate and address these risks.


• Managing and mitigating tax risks arising from international remote working, working with relevant people in HR to track overseas workers, and communicating policy decisions to stakeholders through the firm.


• Responsibility for the firm's global mobility tax risks and management of IR35 risks.


• Ensuring appropriate transfer pricing documentation is in place globally, and ensuring compliance with transfer pricing requirements as they develop.


• Maintaining and up to date tax strategy for the firm consistent with best practice.


• Overseeing the annual partnership tax computation process and liaising with external advisors to ensure tax payments are made in a timely manner.


• Liaising with external advisors and management accounts team, ensuring provision of information to produce tax computation and timely preparation of partner tax returns.


• Liaising with HMRC and other tax authorities where appropriate, working with local finance teams to provide appropriate responses and information to ensure efficient resolution.


• Establishing systems to monitor legislative changes in tax and reporting requirements (e.g., Basis Period Reform) ensuring compliance in line with legal and regulatory requirements.


• Responsibility for tax issues associated with partner and staff moves/secondments ensuring appropriate tax treatment and accounting.


• Advising on the tax considerations of strategic initiatives, including new office locations, associations and changes to remunerations systems.


Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.


• Partnership tax experience in a similar organisation is essential.


• Proven experience in a professional services or law firm partnership, with an international office network.


• Previous experience within an organisation with shared profit pool is an advantage.


• Previous responsibility for tax compliance and partnership tax and admin matters.


• Accounting and tax qualified or qualified by experience.


• Excellent communication skills, capable of building rapport with partners and management.


• Collaborative, with the ability to gain trust and influence.
  
  The tax and partnership team at Stephenson Harwood is a small, centralised team that sits in the London office, and as it currently stands deals predominantly with partnership tax administration and U.K. tax affairs of the business. The firm now needs to upskill this team to proactively manage the tax risks of the business and have oversight of tax compliance for all of the offices in the Stephenson Harwood network, engaging as appropriate with local tax advisors., With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.


Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values

Individuality
We encourage creativity and develop talent.

Commitment
To be the best and deliver the highest standard.

Teamwork
We work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talking
We say what we mean and do what we say.
These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026

To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.
This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character - the attributes we want to see from all of our people. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect:


• A Competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies.


• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family.


• A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers.


• Tech, cycle and electric car schemes.


• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave.


• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when we experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.