Job Description

CharteredPartners is seeking an experienced tax controversy and disputes professional to join our client in Singapore at Director level. The successful candidate will lead audit-defence and dispute-resolution delivery, support practice development, and act as the firm's senior authority on IRAS enquiries, voluntary disclosures and contentious tax matters. Specific qualifications, regulatory fluency and technical breadth are detailed in the sections that follow.

Confidential Client. Applying to this position means that you are interested to have an initial confidential discussion about how we can help you to identify and join a new accounting-firm practice. With your authorisation we will exclusively run the entire application and recruitment process for you, keeping you apprised at every step. With over 30 years' combined experience of helping the most talented accounting, audit, tax and advisory professionals to make safe, well-judged moves into rewarding new roles, we have the experience, network and ability to help you.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the management of IRAS audits, investigations and queries across corporate tax, GST and withholding tax, coordinating evidence, responses and settlement strategy.
• Advise clients on the Voluntary Disclosure Programme, penalty mitigation and the remediation of historical exposures.
• Represent clients in objection and appeal processes, including matters proceeding to the Income Tax Board of Review or the courts, in conjunction with legal counsel.
• Advise on cross-border disputes, including mutual-agreement-procedure cases under Singapore's double-tax agreements.
• Assess and manage controversy risk arising from transfer pricing, the 17% corporate tax base and Pillar Two top-up-tax positions.
• Support origination and proposals, building relationships with general counsel, in-house tax leaders and advisers who refer contentious work.
• Develop and supervise managers and associates, and own technical quality and privilege management across case files.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• Chartered Accountant of Singapore (ISCA) or an equivalent recognised qualification.
• Accredited Tax Advisor with the Singapore Chartered Tax Professionals (SCTP), or clear eligibility to attain accreditation.
• At least ten years of tax experience, with a substantial focus on controversy, audit defence and dispute resolution.
• Detailed knowledge of the Income Tax Act and GST Act assessment, objection and appeal procedures.
• Practical experience managing IRAS audits and the Voluntary Disclosure Programme.
• Strong understanding of penalty regimes, surcharges and the evidential standards applied in disputes.
• Familiarity with mutual-agreement procedures and competent-authority engagement.
• Excellent written and oral advocacy skills, with composure under contentious conditions.
• Sound judgement on settlement strategy, risk and reputational considerations.
• Right to work in Singapore, or eligibility to obtain the relevant work pass.

Preferred Experience:

• Prior experience in a Big Four controversy team, a tax-disputes legal practice or a revenue authority.
• Exposure to transfer-pricing disputes and Pillar Two-related enquiries.
• Experience coordinating with external counsel on litigated matters.
• Familiarity with criminal-tax and serious-fraud interfaces and the associated safeguards.
• A record of thought leadership on tax-risk and governance topics.
• An established referral network among legal and corporate-advisory intermediaries.

Compensation:

Competitive package commensurate with seniority and experience, including base, performance-based bonus, long-term incentives and (where applicable) partner-track participation.

Next Steps:

This opportunity is open to candidates who hold or can obtain the right to work in Singapore and who match the above criteria. Please apply to receive prompt contact from an experienced and specialist accounting-firm recruitment consultant.

Chartered Partners is a trading style of Feltan Associates Pte Ltd; an international Executive Search, Recruitment and Consulting business based in Singapore, licensed and regulated by the Singapore Ministry of Manpower to conduct recruitment services for clients. UEN: 202225620G. EA Licence 23S1672. All rights reserved.