Preeti Mondal, The Finance Story

Tax Talent Market in India: What To Expect?


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A recent report posted on The Finance Story talks about how Hiring trends to look out for in 2024, there is a rising demand for mid-level as well as senior-level talent in the tax domain. Here are some trends I have observed.

Need for M&A expertiseThere is an immense need for senior M&A tax experts with an innovative mindset, across law firms, accounting firms, and the Big 4.That is a great indicator of growth in terms of complex transactions and tax restructuring.Tax controversy and dispute resolutionWithin corporate houses where the changes in the tax ecosystem can impact the business (for instance the gaming sector or the fintech sector), there is a need for Tax leaders who can,Negotiate with tax authorities Skilled in dispute resolution Drive tax controversy-related aspects

Also, there is a need for those who can navigate audits.

While some may use the term “tax litigation,” it encompasses more than just litigation. Tax controversy involves many aspects beyond court cases. Tax is no longer just a support function rather than just supporting other groups, tax is becoming a full-fledged function.

 There is a trend of Indian law firms looking to expand or even build out tax verticals.This allows law firms to increase their market share in tax advisory, an area traditionally dominated by the Big 4 and top accounting firms.

Tax professionals can become CFOs

In the past three to four years, we have noticed that in some organizations tax heads were working closely with CEOs and CFOs on various deals, not just being siloed into tax matters.

Organizations are open to promoting a Tax Head to CFO if they add value and bring strong capabilities to the table, get involved in transactions, tax controversies, and financial management.

 

It is about how attuned the Tax Head is to the organization. while organizations don’t proactively search for Tax Heads to fill in the shoes of a CFO, organizations are increasingly becoming open to this idea.

Emergence of internal audit roles Why? There is an importance of how governance and compliance need to be looked at, in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.

Close to 45% of roles that we handled on the internal audit side were newer roles where they were being hired for the first time. So it was interesting to see how that is also becoming quite important.

Dubai & GCC emerging market for tax pros

In 2023, GCC tax recruiting formed 8 % of our total recruitments.Looking at 2024, with tax regulations evolving, and economies growing we anticipate continuous demand for tax professionals with cross-border expertise in the GCC region – Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar.The Big 4 firms are winning this game by transitioning talent from their India and Egypt teams to the region.

 However, the demand is also prevalent in other consulting firms and corporates.

 Read more at:

 https://www.thefinancestory.com/tax-job-market-trend-in-india-2024-and-in-demand-skills