Job Introduction
Handelsbanken is a relationship bank built on trust, long-term thinking and local decision-making. We provide bespoke banking and wealth management services to personal and corporate customers,
Our decentralised model means decisions are made close to the customer, in our branches. Our central Functions teams play a vital role in supporting the branch network, providing the expertise, governance and infrastructure that enable branches to serve customers effectively and sustainably.
This approach had underpinned our success for decades. Handelsbanken is independently recognised as one of Europe’s safest commercial banks, holds the strongest credit rating among its peers and is consistently ranked highly for customer satisfaction and relationship banking.
Our culture is values-led, shaped by trust, respect, and long-term thinking. We empower our people to use their expertise, make confident decisions and build long-term careers. We look for people who share our long- term vision, want to grow and want to make a meaningful impact in their local community and with the Bank
Check our Handelsbanken website for further information
The opportunity
We now have a role for a Head of Tax within Wealth Management, to work in our Tunbridge Wells office
Key responsibilities
- Leadership and management of tax specialists, providing tax compliance and advice to Wealth customers, predominantly in conjunction with Client Directors.
- Commercial direction of the team and services with regards to revenue and risk; monitoring of service pricing and sign-off of exceptions to standard pricing.
- As a member of the Leadership Team to supervise tax services development and delivery to internal (Client Directors) and external customers, ensuring services are fully understood and opportunities qualified appropriately, effective interaction between technical specialists and Client Directors and high levels of client satisfaction externally.
- Establishing and maintaining processes to ensure that services are delivered in line with regulatory requirements and internal governance procedures where these apply, so as to minimise potential technical errors and consequent liabilities.
- Responsible for the provision of tax advice and oversight of tax compliance for a defined list of high value clients in conjunction with Client Directors or independently where no broader relationship presently exists.
- Managing both the tax advisory and compliance needs of a portfolio of complex High Net Worth personal and trust clients in accordance with the risk management procedures of the firm.
- Communication and engagement with Chief Tax Officer of Handelsbanken plc to ensure standards of tax advice being given is within the spirit of and in line with the Bank’s tolerance of tax planning.
- Opining on Bank customers’ tax planning and structuring to ensure branches engage only with those customers that are within the Bank’s tolerance for tax planning.
- Taking personal responsibility for the completion of tax returns of specifically allocated clients, and where necessary, assisting with the review and completion of the overall portfolio of c600 tax returns (individual, trustee and partnership), embedding and integrating Making Tax Digital for Income Tax procedures and processes, and ensuring those Making Tax Digital tax returns are filed on a timely basis.
- Help raise the profile of the tax team internally and work with Client Directors and the Handelsbanken branch network to understand how they can identify opportunities and add value to their existing client relationships by incorporating the services of the Wealth team.
What we’re looking for
Research (by Harvard University) shows that women are particularly likely to second guess themselves and not apply - so if you are worried you don't meet all the criteria, get in touch anyhow and let us do the worrying…
- CTA, ATT (or equivalent)
- Minimum 10 years post qualification experience in private client tax
- Strong knowledge of the tax treatment of different investment products and tax structuring
- Experience of managing people and working within a team
- Lead, mentor and develop the team, supporting individuals to set their action plans that are aligned with and deliver the Bank’s goals, addressing capacity needs where required and contributing to the wider team’s succession planning
- Embedding the Handelsbanken culture within the team and driving a strong team ethic, with the customer at the centre of all thoughts and actions
- An ability to build and maintain strong professional relationships at all levels and represent the Bank effectively
- Advise, guide and influence leadership decision making
Why join Handelsbanken
We want everyone at Handelsbanken to feel supported, motivated, and able to do great work. That’s why, alongside brilliant colleagues, meaningful work and training and development opportunities, we provide a variety of benefits designed with your wellbeing in mind.
In addition, there is a flexible benefits package with the key highlights detailed below.
Application next steps
Your journey with us begins once you have submitted your application. One of our Handelsbanken Talent Acquisition Partners will be reviewing your details and will later organise a phone conversation if your experience aligns with our requirements, we will extend an invitation for you to participate in an interview.
This advert will be live for a minimum of two weeks. However, please note that after the two weeks, the closing date could change at any time depending on the number of responses received.
The Bank is deeply committed to embedding good equality and diversity practice into all of our activities. This is so that we are an inclusive, welcoming and inspiring place to work that encourages everyone to apply, regardless of socio-economic background, age, disability, pregnancy and/or parental status, race (including colour, nationality, and ethnic or national origin), veteran status, marital and civil partnership status, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment or sexual orientation.
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