Description
At Agoda, we bridge the world through travel. Our story began in 2005, when two lifelong friends and entrepreneurs, driven by their passion for travel, launched Agoda to make it easier for everyone to explore the world. Today, we are part of Booking Holdings [NASDAQ: BKNG], with a diverse team of over 7,000 people from 90 countries, working together in offices around the globe.
As a Senior Manager, Tax Controversy, you will be responsible for leading and supporting the company’s global tax audits, disputes, tax authority engagement, and defense of the company’s direct and indirect tax positions across multiple jurisdictions.
Responsibilities:
- Tax Controversy & Audits Support:
- Independently manage assigned tax controversy matters, including audits, notices, refund claims, appeals, and litigation.
- Act as the lead for assigned cases, setting strategy and overseeing end-to-end management from initial inquiry to resolution.
- Serve as the primary point of contact with tax authorities, external advisors, and internal stakeholders on assigned controversy matters.
- Strategy, Technical Analysis & Defense:
- Develop and implement effective strategies for resolving tax disputes and managing tax risk across jurisdictions.
- Analyze and interpret complex tax laws, regulations, treaties, and case law to support and defend the company’s tax positions.
- Prepare, review, and quality-control responses to tax authority inquiries, RFIs, and audit findings, ensuring technical accuracy and consistency.
- Draft and review persuasive arguments, legal memoranda, position papers, and documentation for dispute resolution, appeals, and litigation.
- Tax Governance and Controls: Frameworks, Processes & Documentation:
- Develop and maintain best-practice frameworks, playbooks, templates, and documentation standards for managing tax audits and controversy globally.
- Maintain comprehensive and well-organized documentation and records of all controversy-related activities in the region and globally.
- Support the company’s global tax strategy and ensure consistency in controversy management and messaging across jurisdictions.
- Drive the tax control framework, ensuring tax controls are designed, documented, executed and continuously improved to support compliant, defensible and audit-ready tax positions.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration & Policy Input:
- Collaborate closely with internal Tax, Legal, Government Affairs, PR, Finance, and business teams to ensure aligned positions and coordinated responses.
- Monitor tax and policy developments globally and assess the potential impact on ongoing and future controversies.
- Provide technical input to policy and advocacy initiatives, working with Government Affairs and industry groups where relevant.
- Controversy Readiness & Training:
- Support the identification, assessment, and communication of controversy-related tax risks, exposures, and mitigation actions.
- Promote tax controversy awareness and best practices within the Agoda Group and in collaboration with other BHI brands.
- Develop practical training materials and provide guidance for junior team members and other departments on tax controversy.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Law, or related field; advanced degree (JD, LLM, MST, or equivalent) preferred.
- Legal training (law degree or experience as a tax lawyer) strongly preferred.
- Professional certification (CPA, Chartered Accountant, or equivalent) is an advantage.
- Minimum 8-10 years of relevant experience in tax controversy, audit defense, or tax litigation, in law firms, accounting firms or MNCs with significant experience in the Asia Pacific region.
- In-depth knowledge of tax laws, regulations, and dispute resolution processes.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-jurisdictional tax audits or disputes, including direct interaction with tax authorities.
- Proven ability to draft and review high-quality technical documentation.
- Excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, multicultural environment.
- Proficiency in English required; additional Asia Pacific language skills are an advantage.