Recruiting your first tax professional

• Why recruit your first tax professional
• What type of tax professional should you recruit

Why recruit your first tax professional?

As businesses grow, they often encounter a tipping point where the complexity of their tax obligations exceeds what their finance team can handle effectively.

This is usually triggered by factors such as expanding into new jurisdictions, increased transaction volumes, heightened regulatory scrutiny or the need to align with investor expectations on tax transparency and reporting. Without a dedicated tax professional businesses may struggle with compliance risks, missed tax-saving opportunities or inefficient processes.

Hiring your first Head of Tax provides the expertise to navigate these challenges, build a scalable tax framework and position the company for sustainable growth. Typical indicators that it’s time to hire a tax professional include:

• Rapid growth: significant revenue increases, geographic expansion or a surge in transaction complexity
• M&A activity: the need for due diligence, integration planning and tax structuring
• Regulatory complexity: operating across multiple jurisdictions with varying tax laws
• Investor and stakeholder expectations: growing demand for transparency and robust tax reporting

Initially the focus of the role may focus on building out the basics – ensuring compliance, setting up processes and establishing a clear tax calendar. Over time and as the business grows, this can evolve into a more strategic position – shaping tax strategies that align with broader business goals, optimise cash flow and enhance shareholder value.

The impact of having a dedicated tax leader is transformative. They can:

• Ensure compliance: minimise risks by meeting filing deadlines and adhering to local regulations
• Optimise tax efficiency: identify tax-saving opportunities and implement strategies to reduce liabilities
• Improve strategic decision-making: provide insight into tax implications for major business decisions
• Build stakeholder confidence: enhance financial transparency and accountability in tax reporting

What type of tax professional should you recruit?

Defining the role

The scope of your first tax hire will depend on your business’s size, complexity and goals.

For many businesses a Head of Tax is the ideal choice as they can establish foundational processes while also advising on strategy. In smaller or less complex businesses the role may initially focus more on compliance and reporting, growing into a strategic function as needs evolve.

Key qualifications and skillsets

When recruiting your first tax professional consider these factors:

• Company profile: evaluate your size, jurisdictional reach and the complexity of your tax needs
• Role objectives: determine whether you need someone to build processes from the ground up or focus on immediate compliance challenges and robust tax reporting
• Growth potential: ensure the candidate has the capability to scale the tax function as the business grows potentially including M&A, international expansion or IPO readiness

A successful candidate will have a balance of technical expertise and soft skills such as:

• Strong knowledge of tax compliance, reporting and strategic planning
• Experience in handling complex multijurisdictional tax scenarios
• The ability to communicate effectively with stakeholders and align tax strategies with business goals
• Commercial awareness to integrate tax considerations into broader financial planning

Interim vs. permanent solutions

If budget or headcount constraints prevent a full-time hire, consider an interim tax professional. This allows you to:

• Conduct an initial assessment of your tax function
• Set up compliant processes and frameworks
• Build a foundation that a permanent hire can grow from

For businesses anticipating rapid growth hiring a more junior professional who can learn and adapt over time might be a cost-effective solution. With the
right mentorship they can grow into a leadership role as the company’s needs evolve.

Strategic impact

In today’s dynamic tax environment, the right tax professional goes beyond compliance to become a strategic partner. They play a vital role in:

• Shaping tax strategies that optimise profitability
• Navigating changes in global tax policies
• Supporting long-term business objectives such as entering new markets or achieving
• IPO readiness

By hiring the right person businesses can unlock significant value, reduce risks and lay the groundwork for sustained success.

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Please feel free to get in touch for guidance on the tax recruitment process, ideal candidate competencies or any other information to support your new tax department.