JOB PURPOSE:
The Tax Specialist is responsible for managing and following up on HOLDAL's tax, insurance, and related compliance matters, ensuring adherence to Lebanese tax laws and regulations. He/She will handle tax declarations, VAT compliance, tax on salaries, withholding tax, tax audits, and coordination with the Lebanese Ministry of Finance and NSSF. The role requires strong knowledge of Lebanese tax legislation and hands-on experience managing tax and accounting matters within a corporate environment.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Tax Declarations / Return and Support:
- Prepare and submit quarterly VAT declarations and settlements in compliance with Lebanese tax laws and regulations.
- Coordinate and ensure the preparation and submission of quarterly/annual tax on salaries declarations in compliance with Lebanese regulations.
- Review the annual tax return prepared by the tax service provider to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the submitted data.
- Prepare built property tax declarations while respecting the applicable deadlines.
- Act as an internal reference on Lebanese tax legislation, regulations, and compliance matters, providing consultancy and support when needed.
- Prepare and print the required legal documents (Official Gazette, trial balance, and inventory) as requested by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economy and Trade.
Tax Inspection Assistance:
- Coordinate and assist tax inspectors from the various departments of the Lebanese Ministry of Finance to facilitate tax inspection processes.
- Coordinate and assist NSSF inspectors during inspection processes.
- Assist with other tax-related projects, compliance requirements, and ad-hoc reports upon request.
Insurance Coordination:
- Maintain and follow up on the company's insurance-related matters (health, risks, and accidents) to ensure proper recording in the accounting books.
- Coordinate with the People Experience department on all insurance and personnel-related matters.
- Compute the insurance premium split to be borne by employees and HOLDAL.
- Review, reconcile, and prepare monthly payments for the insurance service provider to ensure accurate balances.
- Generate monthly inventory valuation reports and share them with the insurance provider to ensure appropriate insurance coverage of HOLDAL's inventory by location.
- Coordinate and follow up with the insurance expert to review declared damages and claims.
Payroll Integration:
- Perform monthly payroll integration, including the necessary adjustments between HRIS (payroll software) and Dynamics using the Integration Manager Module, ensuring proper booking of tax on salaries, NSSF contributions, employees' advances, and retentions.
- Maintain, reconcile, and generate all personnel accounts in coordination with the People Experience department to ensure the accuracy of balances.
Royalties Process Management:
- Review and compute the adjusted sales value for NEPCO to calculate royalty fees, book the related accounting entries, and calculate applicable non-resident withholding tax and VAT on a quarterly basis.
Accounting and Support:
- Prepare and issue quarterly inter-company reconciliation schedules to identify and follow up on differences and reconciling items.
- Issue and book inter-company debit notes related to common charges, service charges, and management fees to ensure the proper allocation of charges between HOLDAL entities.
- Compile, at year-end, the profit or loss on a comparative basis for all entities to be submitted to the Finance department.
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, & SKILLS
- Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, or Finance. A Master's degree or MBA is a plus.
- 5+ years of relevant experience in Taxation, Tax Compliance, or Corporate Accounting.
- Hands-on experience within an in-house Finance, Accounting, or Tax department of a company is required.
- Strong knowledge of Lebanese tax laws and regulations, including VAT, tax on salaries, withholding tax, built property tax, and NSSF requirements.
- Practical experience in preparing tax declarations, handling tax inspections, and coordinating with the Lebanese Ministry of Finance.
- Fluent in Arabic and English. French is a plus.
- Strong knowledge of general accounting principles, tax concepts, and compliance practices.
- Good written and verbal communication skills.
- High level of IT literacy and proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel.
- High ethical values.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Good organizational skills and ability to plan and prioritize work.
- Strong negotiation skills.
