Global Head of Tax

Taptap Send•New York, NY

About The Position

As the first Global Head of Tax, you will own tax across the group, lead the internal Tax function, set the group’s tax strategy and risk appetite, and serve as the principal tax contact for the C-suite, board, lenders, auditors, and tax authorities. This is a builder’s role in a high-growth business, based in New York. You will advise on decisions involving new-country entry, product pricing, and entity funding, while addressing historical tax matters and establishing the controls and reporting expected of a large multinational. Reporting to the COO / CFO, you will work across finance, treasury, product, and market teams as the group’s internal tax expert. In your first year, you will agree the target structure and effective tax rate with the CFO and CEO, own the US return and transfer-pricing project, and put historical corrections on a single closing plan. Taptap Send is building a cross-border fintech for emerging markets, with operations across six continents and a global team. The company develops financial services for diaspora communities, including local cards and additional savings and payments features.

Requirements

12 or more years of experience in tax.
Experience as the number-one or number-two in-house tax owner in a multinational.
Experience leading qualified tax professionals and external advisers across time zones.
Deep knowledge of US federal and state corporate tax as applicable to a global, US-headquartered fintech.
Hands-on international tax experience choosing entry vehicles and structuring new launches for the overall group.
Experience in payments, remittances, e-money, banking, or another licensed financial-services business.
CPA qualification; UK CTA/ACA with strong US experience is also considered.
Ability to give non-specialists a clear decision with conditions in days and defend that decision later.

Nice To Haves

VAT experience in financial services in the EU, UK, or Gulf.
Pre-IPO or listed-company experience, including provisioning under IFRS and US GAAP, SOX-style controls, and Pillar Two.
Tax due diligence and post-deal integration experience.
Tax technology and automation experience.
Experience with tax authorities in the US, EU, and Gulf.

Responsibilities

Own the group’s tax strategy and structure, including how its approximately 20 entities fit together, profit and substance allocation, US international tax planning, and an effective tax rate and cash-tax forecast.
Manage the tax budget and adviser spend, and maintain a tax position that can be defended to tax authorities.
Lead US tax affairs, including the consolidated federal return, state obligations associated with approximately 50 money-transmitter licences, transaction-tax positions, and relationships with the IRS and state authorities.
Deliver timely US tax compliance through outsourced advisers and build in-house capacity where needed.
Provide tax guidance for new markets, products, and acquisitions, including entry vehicles, capitalisation, registrations, withholding, VAT, and permanent establishment considerations.
Diligence and integrate acquisitions and address tax matters early in launch planning.
Own tax compliance and reporting across jurisdictions and tax types, including corporate tax, VAT/GST, withholding and employment taxes, and provisioning under IFRS and US GAAP.
Manage tax audits, maintain visibility of obligations, close historical corrections, and establish controls, documentation, Pillar Two readiness, and diligence materials suitable for IPO-level scrutiny.
Manage VAT and GST in a financial-services business, employment taxes, share schemes, global mobility, and customer tax reporting, including CRS 2.0 and US information reporting.
Minimise VAT leakage, maintain sound place-of-supply positions in partner agreements, establish employment-tax and mobility policies, and scope reporting obligations before product launches.
Lead the in-house tax team, hiring plans, and adviser panel; define goals, scopes, budgets, and the division of work between internal staff and external advisers.
Integrate tax into business decision-making so colleagues receive timely guidance.
Serve as the main tax contact for the C-suite, board, lenders, auditors, and tax authorities, communicating clear decisions with conditions and defending them.