Tax Manager

Our Story Hello there. We’re Zopa. We started our journey back in 2005, building the first ever peer-to-peer lending company. Fast forward to 2020 and we launched Zopa Bank. A bank that listens to what our customers don’t like about finance and does the opposite. We’re redefining what it feels like to work in finance. Our vision for a new era of banking puts people front and centre — we’ve built a business that empowers everyone to aim high, every day, to move finance forward. Find out more about our fantastic offerings at Zopa.com !

We’re incredibly proud of our achievements and none of it would be possible without the amazing team here. It’s not just industry awards we’re winning, we’ve also been named in the top three UK’s Most Loved Workplaces.

If you embrace unconventional challenges, are unafraid to think differently and are driven to make an outsized impact, you’ll thrive here at Zopa, so join us, and make it count. Want to see us in action? Follow us on Instagram @zopalife

We are looking for a Tax Manager to join Zopa’s Financial Control team, taking ownership of all aspects of UK tax across one of the UK’s fastest-growing neobanks.

As Tax Manager, and as the first tax hire within the team, you’ll be responsible for owning all aspects of Zopa’s UK tax compliance and reporting, ensuring the business meets its statutory obligations while maintaining a strong tax control framework. You’ll be the subject matter expert for UK taxation, partnering with teams across Finance and the wider business to provide practical tax advice and ensure tax considerations are embedded into business decisions.

You’ll work closely with our external tax advisers where appropriate, while taking ownership of our in-house tax processes and continuously improving the efficiency, governance and automation of our tax reporting.

A Day In The Life

• Own the preparation and submission of the annual UK Corporation Tax returns and VAT returns for all Zopa entities, working with external advisers where required.
• Own and manage all other applicable UK tax filings such as CT61 returns, Stamp Duty Reserve taxes.
• Manage the preparation and submission of UK R&D tax relief with the support of external advisers; being the main point of contact for our Product teams inputting into the R&D claims.
• Act as the primary point of contact for HMRC, managing enquiries, correspondence and tax compliance matters.
• Identify opportunities to improve key tax processes through automation, standardisation and enhanced controls.
• Support the preparation and submission of the annual Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) certification and maintain an appropriate control framework and policies.
• Own and maintain the Group’s tax risk register, ensuring ongoing and emerging tax risks are appropriately identified, documented and mitigated.
• Support the year-end audit process by preparing tax disclosures, tax provisions and responding to auditor queries.
• Provide tax advice and support (utilising tax advisors where appropriate) to Finance, Product, Treasury, Legal and other teams on new products, transactions and commercial initiatives.
• Build relationships with other business functions, appropriate tax authorities, and professional advisory firms to identify our needs and priorities and undertake appropriate tax planning.
• Monitor changes in UK tax legislation and assess their impact on the business, ensuring timely implementation where required.
• Be an engaged, pragmatic and pro-active member of the financial control team, helping to make tax more accessible and understood across the wider business- including providing training to teams where appropriate.

About You

• ACA, ACCA and/or CTA qualified (or equivalent).
• Strong experience managing UK corporate tax compliance within financial services or banking.
• Experience preparing UK Corporation Tax returns and VAT returns.
• Good understanding of UK direct and indirect tax legislation, including Corporation Tax, VAT, CT61, SDRT and R&D tax relief.
• Experience supporting Senior Accounting Officer (SAO) obligations and tax governance frameworks.
• Excellent analytical skills and strong attention to detail.
• Strong Excel skills and confidence working with large datasets.
• Experience working with HMRC and managing external advisers.
• Comfortable working independently and taking ownership of all aspects of tax compliance.
• A continuous improvement mindset, wi…