Tax Principal, Business Advisory

Anthropic•San Francisco, CA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Anthropic is seeking an experienced Tax Principal to act as a trusted business advisor and technical expert within its tax department. This role involves partnering with business, product, and go-to-market teams to provide guidance on the tax implications of strategic initiatives, new products, commercial agreements, and international expansion. The position requires translating complex tax analysis into clear, actionable advice to support business decisions. Responsibilities also include assisting with audit defense, dispute management, and conducting technical research and documentation for intricate tax matters. The Tax Principal will navigate the evolving digital economy tax landscape, including digital services taxes (DSTs), Pillar 2, and AI-specific tax regulations, while ensuring multi-jurisdictional compliance. This expert will be responsible for addressing sophisticated tax questions, preparing audit-quality memoranda, and communicating technical concepts to business stakeholders. The role is crucial for maintaining strong tax positions, effective risk management, and comprehensive documentation amidst increasing scrutiny in the AI industry.

Requirements

JD or LLM in Taxation from an accredited law school
Exceptional tax technical research and writing skills
Deep expertise in US federal income tax research methodology and primary source materials
Experience preparing technical tax memoranda for audit or IRS defense purposes
Proven ability to translate complex tax technical concepts into clear, well-documented analysis and practical business guidance
Demonstrated success partnering with business teams as a strategic advisor, not just a technical reviewer
Meticulous attention to detail and commitment to technical excellence

Nice To Haves

8–12 years of tax experience with significant Big 4 and/or large law firm background
Experience with tax technical software/databases (Bloomberg Tax, RIA Checkpoint, Westlaw)
Experience with equity compensation tax matters (Section 83, 409A, 422, etc.)
Knowledge of international tax matters (Subpart F, GILTI, transfer pricing, treaty analysis)
Experience in technology or AI/software industry
Prior in-house experience at a high-growth technology company
Familiarity with public company tax operations and reporting requirements

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic tax advisor to business, product, partnerships, and go-to-market teams on new initiatives, product launches, pricing and billing structures, and commercial arrangements
Provide practical, business-oriented tax guidance on strategic transactions, including infrastructure and compute arrangements, as the company scales
Review and negotiate tax provisions in commercial contracts, cloud service agreements, and partnership arrangements
Advise on the tax considerations of international expansion and new market entry, partnering with cross-functional teams from early planning through execution
Collaborate with Legal, Finance, and business teams on cross-functional matters, translating technical positions into actionable recommendations
Research and document significant technical tax issues, including equity compensation and operational tax questions
Prepare comprehensive tax technical memoranda meeting rigorous audit standards
Conduct in-depth research on complex federal and international tax issues using primary sources (Code, regulations, case law, legislative history)
Draft technical memoranda supporting material tax positions and planning initiatives
Maintain tax technical research library and documentation standards
Stay current on tax law developments and assess impact on Anthropic's operations
Partner with tax team members to assist with driving tax audit defense and dispute resolution efforts, including preparing audit defense files, coordinating responses to tax authority inquiries, and managing relationships during examinations and appeals processes
Assist with quarterly and annual tax provision processes (FIN 48/ASC 740 compliance), analyze and document uncertain tax positions and related reserves, and support external auditor discussions regarding tax provision matters