Tax, Accounting and Audit officer at Athena Tax and Legal Advisory in Nairobi, Kenya

    Athena Tax and Legal Advisory logo

    Tax, Accounting and Audit officer

    Posted

    2 days ago

    Apply by

    3 Oct

    Full Time
    On Site
    Mid
    Legal Services
    Accounting, Auditing & Finance

    Tailor a Career Tools CV to this listing — see which keywords are missing.

    Target this job

    Job Description

    The Tax, Accounting & Audit Officer will be responsible for providing accurate, timely, and professional accounting, taxation, and audit support to both the organization and its clients. The position involves preparing and reviewing accounting records, assisting clients with tax compliance and tax-related matters, supporting audits, preparing financial reports, and providing practical solutions to accounting and taxation issues. The officer will work closely with clients to understand their financial and tax requirements, ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and provide high-quality accounting, tax, and audit services.

    Key Responsibilities

    • Maintain and prepare accounting records for assigned clients.
    • Post and review accounting transactions, journals, accruals, prepayments, and adjustments.
    • Prepare bank, supplier, customer, payroll, and general ledger reconciliations.
    • Prepare monthly, quarterly, and annual financial reports for clients.
    • Assist clients with bookkeeping and maintenance of proper accounting records.
    • Review clients' financial records for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with applicable accounting standards.
    • Assist clients with accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash management, and general ledger activities.
    • Assist in preparation of management accounts and financial statements.
    • Identify accounting errors and recommend appropriate corrections.
    • Provide accounting guidance and support to clients when required.
    • Assist clients with preparation and submission of statutory tax returns within prescribed deadlines.
    • Prepare and review VAT, PAYE, withholding tax, income tax, and other applicable tax computations and returns.
    • Assist clients with tax registrations, tax compliance matters, and general tax administration.
    • Review client tax ledgers and reconcile tax balances.
    • Identify tax compliance issues and advise clients on corrective actions.
    • Assist clients in responding to tax authority queries, notices, assessments, and requests for information.
    • Assist with tax audits and tax investigations involving clients.
    • Research applicable tax legislation and provide practical tax guidance to clients.
    • Monitor changes in tax laws and regulations and communicate relevant changes to clients.
    • Assist in identifying legitimate tax planning and tax efficiency opportunities for clients.
    • Maintain proper tax working papers and supporting documentation for all client engagements.
    • Ensure client tax filings and payments are accurate and submitted within statutory deadlines.
    • Respond to client queries relating to accounting and taxation matters.
    • Research technical accounting and tax issues and prepare appropriate recommendations.
    • Assist clients with tax and accounting implications of business transactions.
    • Review contracts, invoices, transactions, and other documents from a tax and accounting perspective where required.
    • Assist clients in resolving accounting and tax discrepancies.
    • Prepare tax computations, schedules, reconciliations, and advisory reports.
    • Escalate complex or high-risk tax matters to the Tax Manager or senior management.
    • Keep up to date with changes in tax legislation, accounting standards, and regulatory requirements.
    • Assist with internal and external audit assignments for clients.
    • Prepare audit working papers and supporting schedules.
    • Review financial records and supporting documents as part of audit assignments.
    • Perform substantive testing and selected internal control procedures under supervision.
    • Assist in identifying accounting, tax, and control weaknesses.
    • Prepare audit schedules and respond to audit queries.
    • Assist in drafting audit findings and recommendations.

    Required Qualifications

    • Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Commerce, or a related field.
    • CPA, ACCA, or equivalent professional qualification is preferred.
    • Membership in a relevant professional accounting body is an advantage.
    • Additional training in taxation, audit, or financial reporting is an advantage.
    • 2–5 years of relevant experience in accounting, taxation, audit, or professional services.
    • Experience working with multiple clients is highly desirable.
    • Practical experience in tax compliance and accounting.
    • Experience preparing financial statements and management accounts.
    • Experience supporting tax audits, investigations, or tax authority queries is an advantage.
    • Experience using accounting software and Microsoft Excel.
    • Good knowledge of accounting principles and financial reporting.
    • Good understanding of tax compliance and tax administration.
    • Knowledge of audit procedures and internal controls.
    • Strong Microsoft Excel skills.
    • Ability to work with accounting and ERP systems.
    • Strong financial analysis and reconciliation skills.
    • Ability to research and interpret tax and accounting requirements.
    • Strong report-writing and documentation skills.
    • High level of integrity and professionalism.
    • Strong attention to detail.
    • Analytical and problem-solving skills.
    • Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
    • Ability to manage multiple client assignments simultaneously.
    • Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
    • Client-focused approach.
    • Ability to work independently and within a team.
    • Ability to meet strict statutory and client deadlines.
    • Commitment to confidentiality.
    • Willingness to continuously learn and keep up with changes in tax and accounting requirements.

    Job Details

    Salary Range

    KES 30,000 – 50,000 / month

    Job Function

    Accounting, Auditing & Finance

    Minimum Experience

    2 years

    Education Level

    Bachelor’s Degree

    Area of Study

    Business

    Field of Study

    Accounting, Finance, Commerce

    Additional Information

    How to Apply: Interested and qualified candidates should apply using the Apply Now button below.

    Prove You Can Handle Multiple Client Books Without Missing a Statutory Deadline

    This role sits at the intersection of accounting, tax compliance, and audit support for a portfolio of clients. Hiring managers will screen for evidence that you can juggle several sets of books, file returns on time, and communicate confidently with clients and tax authorities.

    1. Lead with a portfolio of client books: Your CV should show how many clients you handled at once, the industries they operated in, and the accounting software you used for each. Instead of writing 'managed client accounts,' say 'maintained monthly books for 12 SME clients on QuickBooks and Excel, including bank, supplier, and payroll reconciliations.' That tells the reviewer you understand the multi-client rhythm this job demands.

    2. Quantify your tax filing record: Tax compliance is a core duty here, so include the specific returns you prepared and filed — VAT, PAYE, withholding tax, income tax — and the number of clients or periods involved. If you consistently met statutory deadlines, say so with a figure like 'filed 40+ VAT and PAYE returns per month with zero late penalties.' That single line answers the biggest unspoken question: can you keep the tax calendar under control?

    3. Show audit support, not just audit theory: The posting mentions audit working papers, substantive testing, and responding to audit queries. On your CV, describe a specific audit assignment where you prepared schedules, performed testing, or drafted findings. Name the type of audit (internal, external, tax investigation) and your exact role. Even if you were supervised, state what you owned — for example, 'prepared lead schedules and sampled transactions for a KRA tax audit of a manufacturing client.'

    4. Prepare for reconciliation questions: Interviewers for this role often put a messy reconciliation in front of you — a bank statement that won't tie, a VAT ledger with unexplained balances, or a payroll account with a stubborn difference. Practice walking through your process out loud: how you isolate timing differences, trace missing entries, and document adjustments. Bring a one-page example of a complex reconciliation you solved, with the numbers changed to protect confidentiality.

    5. Know the tax authority playbook: Because you may assist clients with KRA queries, notices, and assessments, read up on the current KRA portal processes, common notice types, and objection timelines. In the interview, mention how you would log a notice, gather supporting documents, and draft a response within the allowed window. Demonstrating that you understand the administrative side — not just the tax computation — will set you apart from candidates who only know the theory.

    6. Brush up on accounting standards and Excel: The requirements list good knowledge of accounting principles, financial reporting, and strong Microsoft Excel skills. Be ready to discuss how you apply IFRS or local standards to management accounts, and be prepared for a practical Excel test — lookups, pivot tables, and reconciliation formulas are common. If you have used an ERP system, name it and describe the modules you touched, such as general ledger, accounts payable, or fixed assets.

    7. Prepare a client communication story: This job is client-facing, so expect behavioural questions about explaining a tax position to a frustrated client or chasing missing documents without damaging the relationship. Use the STAR format to describe a time you simplified a complex tax issue for a non-finance client, or pushed back professionally when a client wanted to take a risky position. The interviewer wants to see that you can be firm on compliance while remaining approachable.

    8. Address confidentiality and integrity head-on: The posting stresses a high level of integrity, professionalism, and commitment to confidentiality. In your interview, give a concrete example of handling sensitive financial data — how you stored it, who had access, and what you did when you spotted an error that could have embarrassed a client. Avoid vague claims like 'I am trustworthy'; instead, describe a situation where your discretion or ethical judgement made a difference.

    CareerSasa Safety Alert: Never pay employers or agencies for interviews, training, or job placement. Does a job request payment? Report it immediately using the "Flag" button. While CareerSasa vets job postings thoroughly, always verify opportunities independently.
    Share this job:

    Boost Your Application Success

    1. 1

      Expert CV help that gets you noticed. Build Your CV

    2. 2

      A personalized cover letter for this role. Write Cover Letter

    3. 3

      Attract recruiters with a stronger profile. Boost LinkedIn

    Tags

    tax compliance
    accounting
    audit
    financial reporting
    CPA/ACCA