Tax Accountant

Tax Accountant

Helios Towers is a leading independent telecommunications infrastructure company, having established one of the most extensive tower portfolios across Africa. It builds, owns and operates telecom passive infrastructure, providing services to mobile network operators. Helios Towers currently operates in 8 markets across Africa and Oman in the Middle East.

Overview

As a Tax Accountant, you will support the effective management of tax compliance, reporting, reconciliations, and advisory activities for the business. You will help ensure that all tax obligations are prepared, reviewed, submitted, and documented accurately and on time, while supporting the Tax Manager and Group Tax in managing tax risk, audit queries, regulatory compliance, and process improvements.

Working closely with Finance, Legal, Internal Audit, Operations, POD, IT, external auditors, tax advisors, and tax authorities, you will contribute to strengthening financial integrity, improving tax processes, and supporting the organization’s long-term compliance and financial performance.

Role Responsibilities

As Tax Accountant, you will be responsible for:

• Preparing and submitting accurate tax returns in line with applicable local and international tax laws, filing requirements, and internal deadlines.
• Maintaining tax-related balance sheet reconciliations, including WHT, VAT, current tax, intercompany tax balances, and related accounts.
• Monitoring changes in tax laws, regulations, OHADA requirements, and compliance frameworks to assess business implications and recommend required actions.
• Supporting the Tax Manager and Group Tax in developing and implementing tax strategies that optimize tax positions, minimize risk, and strengthen compliance.
• Coordinating responses to tax audit queries, tracking recommendations, and ensuring timely closure of outstanding audit matters.
• Liaising with external tax advisors, auditors, consultants, tax authorities, and regulatory bodies to support compliance, resolve issues, and address tax-related queries.
• Maintaining complete, accurate, and audit-ready tax documentation, working papers, reconciliations, filings, correspondence, and supporting records.
• Analysing financial information to assess tax implications, identify risks, support tax planning, and provide reliable inputs for management decision-making.
• Supporting process improvement initiatives by redesigning procedures, strengthening controls, improving documentation, and increasing efficiency within tax operations.
• Collaborating with Finance, Legal, HR, Operations, Internal Audit, IT, and Group Tax to ensure tax matters are properly coordinated across the business.
• Providing regular updates to the Tax Manager and Group Tax on tax compliance status, risks, audit matters, process improvements, and operational progress.
• Ensuring day-to-day tax and related accounting activities are executed with accuracy, integrity, confidentiality, and full compliance with company policies.

Requirements for the Role

To succeed in the role, you will be/will have:

• Undergraduate degree in Finance, Tax Management, Accounting, or a related discipline.
• Relevant professional qualification in Accounting, Finance, Tax, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years’ experience in a finance or tax environment.
• Good knowledge of local and international tax laws, filing requirements, and regulatory compliance.
• Good understanding of OHADA accounting and tax requirements.
• Experience preparing tax returns, tax reconciliations, audit responses, and compliance documentation.
• Experience working with ERP or financial systems such as SAP or similar platforms.
• Exposure to tax or accounting consulting, preferably within a Big 4 environment, would be an advantage.
• Ability to work with internal and external stakeholders, including auditors, advisors, tax authorities, and regulatory bodies.

Desired Skills

• Strong tax technical knowledge and regulatory awareness.
• Strong analytical thinking and financial problem-solving capability.
• High attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong integrity, accountability, and confidentiality.
• Good financial acumen and understanding of business performance drivers.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage deadlines and shifting priorities.
• Good documentation, reconciliation, and reporting discipline.
• Continuous improvement mindset.
• Proficiency in SAP or equivalent ERP systems and Microsoft Office tools.

Key Deliverables

• Timely and accurate tax returns and filings.
• Complete and accurate tax-related balance sheet reconciliations.
• Audit-ready tax records, schedules, and supporting documentation.
• Timely responses to tax audit queries and closure of recommendations.
• Tax compliance updates and risk reports for the Tax Manager and Group Tax.
• Practical support for tax planning and tax risk mitigation.
• Improved tax processes, controls, and documentation standards.
• Effective coordination with tax authorities, auditors, advisors, and internal stakeholders.

KPIs

• Timely and accurate filing of tax returns.
• Timely closure of tax audit queries and recommendations.
• Reduction in tax-related penalties and fines.
• Quality and completeness of tax reconciliations.
• Monitoring and minimisation of tax risk exposure.
• Support delivered toward effective tax rate optimisation.
• Realisation of tax savings through compliant tax planning.
• Level of regulatory compliance and alignment.
• Accuracy and completeness of tax documentation.

Helios Towers is committed to promoting equal opportunities in employment. You and any job applicants will receive equal treatment regardless of age, disability, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief.