Partner - Direct Tax (Financial Services)

Role Overview

The Partner Direct Tax (Financial Services) will lead and grow the Firms Direct Tax practice for Financial Services clients, including Private Equity, Venture Capital, Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), Asset Managers, Banks, NBFCs, and Insurance companies. The role involves strategic client relationship management, complex tax advisory, deal structuring, litigation oversight, and business development.

Key Responsibilities

Client Relationship & Practice Leadership

• Lead key Financial Services client relationships and act as a trusted tax advisor to senior stakeholders.
• Drive practice growth through client origination, cross-functional collaboration, and market-facing initiatives.
• Support pitches, proposals, and development of new FS tax opportunities across Markets and Deals teams.

Fund Structuring & Financial Services Advisory

• Advise on structuring of Category II & III AIFs from conceptualization to SEBI approval.
• Provide end-to-end tax advisory for domestic and offshore fund structures, including GIFT IFSC.
• Review and advise on fund documentation including PPMs, SHAs, tax chapters, and investor communications.
• Advise on waterfall mechanisms, distribution models, and carried interest computations.

Deals & Transaction Tax

• Advise PE/VC/Real Estate funds on transaction structures, capital instruments, liquidation preferences, ratchets, slump sales, LBOs, and offshore restructurings.
• Lead tax due diligence (buy-side and sell-side) and provide transaction execution support including tax opinions.
• Review SPAs, SHAs, indemnities, representations & warranties, and tax insurance policies.

Investment Lifecycle & Exit Advisory

• Advise on tax-efficient exit strategies including secondary sales and IPOs.
• Support pre-IPO restructuring, especially treatment of convertible instruments.
• Review financial models and valuation reports from tax and regulatory perspectives.

Compliance & Reporting

• Oversee direct tax compliances including returns, tax audits, FATCA-CRS, and regulatory filings with SEBI/RBI.
• Review financial statements under IGAAP and IFRS for funds, managers, and portfolio companies.

Litigation & Regulatory Matters

• Independently manage tax litigation up to CIT (Appeals) level.
• Coordinate and support counsels on matters before ITAT, High Courts, and Supreme Court.
• Advise on regulatory matters involving SEBI, RBI, and other authorities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Chartered Accountant.
• 10+ years of post-qualification experience in Direct Tax with strong Financial Services exposure.
• Prior experience in Big 4 or leading professional services firms.
• Proven expertise in fund taxation, transaction tax, litigation, and regulatory advisory.

Key Skills

• Deep technical knowledge of Indian Direct Tax laws
• Strong commercial and transaction structuring acumen
• Client leadership and stakeholder management
• Team leadership, mentoring, and business development.

Location: Mumbai

Website:

If interested then email your updated CV on