EU VAT Manager, Indirect Tax Planning
Amazon•Published 3 days ago•First seen 2 days ago
Amazon is looking for a VAT Manager based in either Istanbul, London or Luxembourg to drive and support VAT planning and compliance initiatives for both new initiatives and on-going business activities. Specifically this role will manage VAT affairs for Amazon’s Stores business in Turkey while also supporting wider Pan-EU and EMEA Retail Business projects.
In this role, you’ll work closely with local business partners and members of the tax team, delivering expert VAT technical advice to support our VAT legislative, compliance, and on-going tax controversy requirements. You will also manage the VAT relationship with the Turkish Revenue Administration (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı). This role is likely to include regular travel across various European and EMEA locations.
The candidate must possess the ability to think strategically and manage key Amazon stakeholders as well as building tax authority relationships. In addition strong Turkish VAT and indirect tax skills are essential. The candidate must be able to work in both English and Turkish.
Key job responsibilities
The role will report into the Director responsible for VAT in Retail and Operations across EMEA. The successful candidate will have considerable interaction with senior Tax leadership as well as senior leaders from the business, legal, finance and accounting.
In this role, you’ll work closely with local business partners and members of the tax team, delivering expert VAT technical advice to support our VAT legislative, compliance, and on-going tax controversy requirements. You will also manage the VAT relationship with the Turkish Revenue Administration (Gelir İdaresi Başkanlığı). This role is likely to include regular travel across various European and EMEA locations.
The candidate must possess the ability to think strategically and manage key Amazon stakeholders as well as building tax authority relationships. In addition strong Turkish VAT and indirect tax skills are essential. The candidate must be able to work in both English and Turkish.
Key job responsibilities
- Provide in-depth VAT technical advice on both Turkish and cross-border VAT matters, including evaluating and advising on business initiatives, contemplated transactions, and business proposals.
- Support extremely complex audit and controversy projects in a hands-on and dynamic way, exercising sound judgement under tight timelines.
- Support the VAT Compliance Team on technical and strategic VAT compliance topics; this role is not directly involved in day-to-day compliance activities.
- Assist with the delivery of planning, real-time coordination, and communication of various tax-related projects, collaborating with business partner contacts.
- Draft the appropriate level of documentation to support analyses performed, decisions made, and conclusions reached for purposes of reporting and compliance.
- Manage audit and controversy matters, including proactive engagement with the Turkish Revenue Administration and preparation of responses to queries.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams — including Finance, Legal, and Accounting — to support new business launches and ongoing operations across the Pan-EU and EMEA Retail Business.
- Effectively manage networks and strategic stakeholders, and communicate complex VAT concepts - both written and verbally - in ways that are meaningful and useful to non-tax professionals.
The role will report into the Director responsible for VAT in Retail and Operations across EMEA. The successful candidate will have considerable interaction with senior Tax leadership as well as senior leaders from the business, legal, finance and accounting.
Basic Qualifications
- Demonstrable VAT experience with a global consulting firm, law firm, or blue-chip commercial organisation
- Prior experience in retail and/or e-commerce is highly desirable.
- Excellent verbal and written language skills in both Turkish and English are required.
- Detail-oriented individual who takes ownership of projects, is well-organised, possesses excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and is able to deliver on tight deadlines.
- Highly motivated, hard-working, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, informal, and often ambiguous environment.
- Able to clearly and concisely interface with all levels of management.
- Able to analyse and review statutes, regulations, and case law, and then extract data and make appropriate recommendations.
- Effective interpersonal skills, including persuasive written and oral communication skills.
- Familiarity with use of technology tools within tax, including generative AI tools.
- • Demonstrable VAT experience with a global consulting firm, law firm, or blue-chip commercial organisation; a minimum of 5 years with robust technical skills and strong leadership principles is required.
- • Prior experience in retail and/or e-commerce is highly desirable.
- • Excellent verbal and written language skills in both Turkish and English are required.
- • Detail-oriented individual who takes ownership of projects, is well-organised, possesses excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, and is able to deliver on tight deadlines.
- • Highly motivated, hard-working, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, informal, and often ambiguous environment.
- • Able to clearly and concisely interface with all levels of management.
- • Able to analyse and review statutes, regulations, and case law, and then extract data and make appropriate recommendations.
- • Effective interpersonal skills, including persuasive written and oral communication skills.
- • Familiarity with use of technology tools within tax, including generative AI tools.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of Turkish tax law, including familiarity with the Turkish VAT Code (Katma Değer Vergisi Kanunu) and related secondary legislation.
- Experience navigating the Turkish tax authority processes, including advance rulings and mutual agreement procedures.
- Relevant professional tax or accountancy qualification or relevant law degree.
- Highly motivated, hard-working, and able to thrive in a fast-paced, informal, and often ambiguous environment.