Head of Finance and Accounting

Designation: AVP - Accounts and Taxation

Qualification:

Location:

Working days:

Experience:

Core Experience / Knowledge:

Industry: Real Estate, Construction and Hospitality

Reporting To:

Direct Reports:

Role Summary

The candidate will be responsible primarily for overseeing and managing all direct and indirect tax matters for the organization including compliance, advisory, planning, litigation support, transaction structuring, and audit management. The candidate will also be responsible for overseeing the entire accounts function including daily book keeping processes, monthly, quarterly and annual book closure, preparation of financials and getting the same audited. Strong working knowledge of taxation laws as well as Accounting Standards impacting the Indian real estate sector (including RERA, Stamp Duty & Registration, JDA structures, GST on real estate) is essential.

This role combines leadership of taxation and end-to-end accounts operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Direct Taxation

• Ensure timely and accurate filing of corporate income tax returns, TDS returns, and related statutory forms.
• Manage tax audits, transfer pricing documentation, and other filings.
• Responsible for tax calculations, advance tax planning, tax provisioning, and reporting in financial statements.
• Handle tax assessments.
• Handle litigations at various forums, such as CIT(A), ITAT, etc, including drafting submissions, supporting counsel and / or tax advisors, attending hearings with IT authorities & appellate forums.
• Review and optimize tax positions for business transactions including development agreements, land acquisition, SPVs, and joint ventures.
• Liaise with tax advisors, consultants, statutory auditors, and legal counsel.
• Review of various documents and agreements, such as JDAs, DM Agreements, Customer Agreements, etc from a tax and regulatory perspective.
• Handling customers’ issues from time to time.

Indirect Taxation (GST & Other Levies)

• Oversee GST compliance including monthly/annual returns (GSTR-1/3B/9/9C), reconciliations, and ITC management.
• Advise on GST implications on real estate including RCM, JDA agreements, works contract, E-invoicing, and anti-profiteering provisions.
• Manage GST audits, assessments, departmental notices and litigation.
• Ensure compliance related to stamp duty, registration charges, local body taxes & cess relevant to real estate.
• Periodic review of processes and MIS to ensure accuracy and control.
• Robust monitoring of the input tax credit in order to avail such credit as per law.

Financial Accounting & Reporting

• Oversee accounting operations for multiple group entities, SPVs, and project verticals.
• Ensure timely preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial statements as per applicable accounting standards (Ind-AS / IFRS if applicable).
• Supervise consolidation, intercompany eliminations, and reconciliations.
• Meeting the monthly and quarterly reporting requirements.
• Liaise with statutory, internal and tax auditors and ensure timely completion of audits.
• Strengthen internal controls, accounting SOPs, fixed-asset management ledger, and approval workflows.
• Manage banking relationships, loan drawdowns, working capital requirements, and repayment schedules.
• ERP / accounting system oversight.

Strategic & Advisory Responsibilities

• Work with senior management on tax planning strategies and structuring of real estate projects / SPVs / land purchases / redevelopment contracts.
• Support financial modelling from a finance and tax perspective including cash flow evaluation and tax impact.
• Provide guidance on FEMA, FDI & repatriation rules relevant to real estate, if cross-border investors are involved.
• Keep updated with changes in various laws, real estate regulatory requirements (RERA), and advise proactively.

Other areas

• Support the Management and the CFO on any other area of work, as may be required from time to time.

Team & Process Management

• Lead and mentor the internal tax and accounts team.
• Implement internal controls, SOPs, and automation initiatives to strengthen compliance.
• Drive coordination across legal, finance, procurement, sales and project teams.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with procurement, projects, legal, sales, hospitality operations, HR, and leadership teams.

Key Requirements:

• Chartered Accountant with minimum 12+ years of post-qualification experience, preferably in real estate / construction industry.
• In-depth knowledge of Accounts, Direct Tax, Indirect Tax laws, litigation handling, and strong analytical ability.
• Experience in GST on real estate, Income Tax litigation, JDA / Redevelopment / SPV structuring, and Stamp duty & RERA implications.
• Working knowledge of FEMA, Stamp Duty, Corporate Laws and other allied laws.
• Ability to build effective working relationships with authorities, and liaise with them from time to time.
• Ability to independently represent before authorities.
• Having strong interpersonal skills to drive outcomes through internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• High integrity, attention to detail, and ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Process automation experience will be an added advantage.