Role Overview

Company: AFPL Group
Position Title: Manager - Accounts (Payments & Taxation)
Department: Finance & Accounts
Location: Corporate Office, Mumbai
Reports To: Senior Manager (Accounts and Finance)
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Purpose

The Manager - Accounts (Payments & Taxation) will be responsible for overseeing, executing, and streamlining all payment processes and tax compliance activities across the diverse group companies of AFPL. This role ensures high accuracy, timely vendor payouts, optimal cash flow management, and strict adherence to local and international tax regulations (Direct & Indirect taxes). The successful candidate will play a critical role in mitigating financial risk, maintaining strong relationships with external auditors, tax authorities, and banking partners, and establishing robust internal controls.

Key Responsibilities

1. Payment Management & Treasury Support

Disbursement Oversight: Manage the end-to-end accounts payable (AP) cycle, verifying that all payments (vendor, payroll, utility, and capital expenditures) are accurate, fully supported by documentation, and properly authorized.
Cash Flow Management: Collaborate with the Treasury team to monitor daily cash balances, project weekly/monthly cash outflows, and optimize working capital.
Banking Operations: Supervise banking transactions, including bank reconciliations, managing payment gateways, processing wire transfers, and maintaining robust banking relationships.
Internal Controls: Implement and enforce strict payment control policies, ensuring segregation of duties and prevention of fraud or payment leakages.

2. Taxation (Direct & Indirect)

Compliance Management: Ensure 100% timely compliance with all applicable tax laws across all AFPL group companies.
Indirect Tax (GST/VAT):
- Manage and oversee the timely, accurate filing of monthly/quarterly GST returns, including GSTR-1 (Statement of Outward Supplies) and GSTR-3B (Summary Return and Tax Payment).
- Actively utilize GSTR-1A for mid-month invoice amendments and corrections before filing the monthly tax liability to avoid interest or penalty liabilities.
- Conduct rigorous monthly reconciliations between GSTR-1/1A and GSTR-3B to identify and fix any discrepancies in tax liabilities.
- Oversee the deep reconciliation of GSTR-2B with internal purchase books to maximize eligible Input Tax Credit (ITC) claiming.
- Proactively follow up on, address, and resolve invoice mismatches and non-compliance issues directly with vendors to secure tax credits.
Direct Tax (Income Tax & TDS):
- Manage timely computation, deposition, and filing of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and Tax Collected at Source (TCS) returns.
- Assist in the calculation and payment of Advance Tax, Corporate Income Tax, and deferred taxes.
Assessments & Litigations: Draft replies to tax notices, coordinate representation for tax assessments, and work with external tax consultants on complex litigations or structured tax planning.

3. Financial Reporting, Audit & Group Consolidation

Month-end Closing: Manage the accurate and timely closure of books of accounts concerning payments, provisions, and tax accruals.
Group Consolidation Support: Facilitate inter-company payment reconciliations, transfer pricing documentation, and tax provisions required for consolidated group financial statements.
Statutory & Tax Audit: Serve as the primary point of contact for internal and external auditors for payments and taxation schedules; ensure zero significant audit observations.

4. Process Improvement & Automation

System Integration: Drive ERP (e.g., SAP, Oracle, Tally) optimizations to automate manual payment cycles and tax reconciliation workflows.
Policy Formulation: Establish and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the payments and tax departments to enhance efficiency and maintain compliance.

Job Specifications (Requirements)

Education & Professional Qualifications

Minimum Education: Bachelor’s degree in Commerce, Finance, or Accounting.
Preferred Certifications: Chartered Accountant (CA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA), or MBA in Finance from a reputed institute is highly preferred.

Experience

Overall Experience: Minimum of 6–8 years of post-qualification experience in corporate finance/accounting.
Specialized Experience: At least 3–4 years in a supervisory role managing complex payment systems and tax compliance for a multi-entity group structure or holding company.

Key Technical Competencies

Taxation Expertise: In-depth, practical knowledge of current corporate tax laws, TDS, TCS, and GST regulations (including international tax/transfer pricing laws if applicable to AFPL). Strong familiarity with GSTR-1, GSTR-1A, GSTR-3B, and GSTR-2B reconciliation ecosystems.
System Familiarity: High proficiency with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems (Zoho Books, Tally) and tax filing portals.
Excel Skills: Advanced MS Excel skills (Pivot tables, VLOOKUPs, data modeling, macro knowledge is a plus).
Analytical Skills: Excellent capability to reconcile large, complex datasets across multiple bank accounts and business units.

Soft Skills

Communication & Negotiation: Strong written and verbal communication skills to interact effectively with executive management, tax officials, vendors, and auditors.
Attention to Detail: Meticulous approach to verifying numbers and ensuring error-free submissions.
Integrity: Highest level of ethical conduct, discretion, and financial integrity.