Indirect Tax Manager

Location

Head Office

Overview

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance & Tax, and Director, Corporate Tax, while maintaining key relationships with the leaders of the Canadian, UK and Commercial Finance groups.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Works within Canadian Residential, UK and European Finance departments while interfacing with Core Finance Team, Canadian, UK and European Residential Asset Management Team and Property Managers.
• Responsible for maintaining open, positive relationships with external parties.
• Takes general direction from the manager or team lead and is expected to make improvement recommendations as needed.
• The Indirect Tax Manager will oversee Starlight's global indirect tax function, ensuring full compliance and strategic management of value added taxes (VAT, GST/HST, QST, and others), land transfer taxes (Ontario LTT, British Columbia PTT, UK SDLT, and others) and other indirect taxes across all jurisdictions in which Starlight operates.
• This role blends technical depth with proactive oversight, driving compliance efficiency, managing audits, and supporting strategic initiatives involving cross-border transactions and new market entries.

Duties and Responsibilities (Indirect Tax)

• Manage all indirect tax compliance processes across Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Europe, including VAT, GST/HST, QST, LTT and SDLT and other related reporting obligations.
• Oversee the preparation, review, and timely submission of indirect tax returns and remittances across multiple jurisdictions.
• Identify, analyze, and mitigate indirect tax risks arising from domestic and cross-border activities, restructurings, and acquisitions.
• Lead indirect tax audits and inquiries from CRA, HMRC, etc., ensuring consistent documentation, efficient resolution, and minimal business disruption.
• Maintain audit-ready records and manage audit defense strategies, including response preparation, issue tracking, and communication with auditors.
• Work with external advisors and internal stakeholders to support audit positions, rulings, and appeal processes when necessary.
• Develop and implement global indirect tax policies, procedures, and internal controls aligned with best practices and regulatory expectations.
• Collaborate with legal, finance, and operational teams to ensure proper indirect tax treatment of intercompany and third-party transactions.
• Train and mentor staff on indirect tax compliance, controls, and audit preparedness, as appropriate.

Duties and Responsibilities (Tax Planning & Structuring)

• Provide tax and structuring guidance to various senior leaders for indirect tax implications.
• Advise on indirect tax implications of real estate development, leasing, acquisitions, and fund-level transactions.
• Collaborate with members of the Senior Leadership, finance departments, and tax advisory firms to develop creative tax planning solutions for investment vehicles, including public funds, REITs, private equity funds, institutional partnerships and private joint ventures.
• Monitor global legislative developments and assess their implications for Starlight's existing and planned operations.
• Assist with various other ad-hoc projects as they arise.

Requirements

• Expert knowledge in Canadian indirect tax.
• Experience in UK indirect tax, and EU indirect tax.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to analyze large amounts of data.
• Ability to prepare reports and presentations for senior management.
• Ability to identify problems and present solutions.
• Strong communication skills.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize.
• Confidentiality and diplomacy.
• Ability to work across business lines, leverage multiple resources and build consensus.
• Dependable and willing to meet deadlines and work overtime as required.
• University degree in Business/Accounting with an advanced degree or professional accounting designation (such as CPA) preferred.
• Advanced taxation course, such as the In-Depth GST/HST Course or Master's in Sales Tax, is an asset.
• In-depth knowledge of Canadian GST/HST and QST, and working knowledge of U.K. and EU VAT and indirect frameworks.
• Thorough understanding of accounting principles (both IFRS and ASPE).
• Minimum 5 years' work experience in indirect tax, ideally within real estate, asset management, or a multinational corporate environment.
• Proven experience managing indirect tax audits, including coordinating with tax authorities and external advisors.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical issues into practical business recommendations.
• Strong technical and analytical skills, capable of managing complex cross-border tax matters.
• Real estate and/or asset management experience is an asset.
• Experience with various tax laws and remitting and filing requirements.
• Accounting software experience; YARDI an asset.
• Advanced knowledge of MS Office and Excel.