Tax Accountant

Role Overview

This position owns the day-to-day tax compliance cycle for the business, from preparing and submitting statutory returns to the Kenya Revenue Authority through to reconciling what has been paid against what is actually owed. The role sits at the point where finance, operations and the revenue authority meet, so the person in it protects the organisation from penalties and interest while also spotting where tax can be handled more efficiently. Beyond routine filing, the job involves advising colleagues on how tax rules apply to real transactions, defending the company's position during audits, and building internal awareness so mistakes are prevented rather than corrected later.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and file VAT, withholding tax, reverse VAT and other statutory returns with the Kenya Revenue Authority within the prescribed deadlines, checking each submission for accuracy before it goes out.
• Verify tax computations by confirming that the correct rates have been applied and that supporting payment requests and internal memos agree with the figures declared.
• Manage VAT refund claims end to end, including supporting refund audit certification and following up until the amount is either refunded in cash or offset against other tax obligations.
• Reconcile tax payments on imported and locally purchased goods, ensuring remittances are made on time and that no account is left overpaid or underpaid.
• Track and account for taxes paid in advance, keeping reconciliations current so prepaid amounts are fully reflected in the tax position.
• Respond to queries, audits and reviews raised by the revenue authority and other statutory bodies, developing workable positions on contested issues and escalating where needed.
• Review transactions and contracts to advise on the tax implications, including whether exemptions, remissions or offsets apply and how they should be treated.
• Prepare and reconcile tax schedules for distribution to the relevant departments, and deliver in-house tax training to strengthen compliance and share planning insights.
• Act as the primary liaison with revenue authorities on tax matters and with external auditors on tax-related assignments.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting or a related discipline.
• Professional accounting qualification such as CPA or ACCA.
• Solid working knowledge of Kenyan tax legislation and regulations, specifically VAT, income tax and customs.
• Hands-on experience using SAP for tax and finance processing.
• Strong analytical ability, with the judgment to trace discrepancies back to their source rather than only reporting them.
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, sufficient to explain technical tax positions to non-specialists and to engage directly with auditors and tax officials.
• Well organised and deadline-driven, with the discipline to manage multiple filing dates and audit requests at once.