At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead tax compliance and advisory for a dynamic FTSE-listed house builder.
- Company: Join Crest Nicholson, a leading developer of quality homes and sustainable communities.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonuses, private healthcare, and 25 days annual leave.
- Other info: Flexible working options and a supportive team environment await you.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-paced role with exposure to C-suite leadership.
- Qualifications: Strong knowledge of UK tax compliance and excellent communication skills required.
The predicted salary is between 75600 - 92400 £ per year.
It's fun to work in a company where people truly BELIEVE in what they're doing!
We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.
Join a dynamic team in a FTSE-listed house builder at the forefront of delivering high-quality homes across the UK and making a real impact on the communities we serve.
The business is committed to continuous improvement to strengthen financial controls and organisation foundations as per the transformation strategy, Project Elevate, communicated since the Group’s 2025 capital markets day.
About the Role
We are looking for an experienced tax professional to join our team in a broad and varied role covering UK tax compliance, strategic transaction advice, reporting and governance activities.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who enjoys combining technical tax expertise, commercial business partnering and hands-on delivery.
The successful candidate will lead day-to-day advisory matters, periodic submissions, transaction-related tax input and senior-level reporting.
You will in close partnership with colleagues across finance, legal, commercial, land and operational teams, helping the business manage tax obligations accurately, efficiently and maintain strong governance standards.
- What You’ll Be Doing
- Reviewing, preparing and filing Group tax returns: VAT, CIS (Construction Industry Scheme), corporation tax, PSA (PAYE Settlement Agreement)
- Providing practical tax advice, supported by external advisors as required, to internal stakeholders on business-as-usual queries: land transactions, Options to Tax and other commercial matters.
- Tax input to land appraisals, including reviewing information, assessing implications and preparing clear recommendations.
- Completing deferred tax calculations and supporting IFRS tax reporting.
- Carrying out IR35 reviews and assisting with employment tax queries where required.
- Contributing to ARC papers and other senior stakeholder materials.
- Deliver tax training to regional teams.
- Supporting ATED (Annual Tax on Enveloped Dwellings) reviews, SAO (Senior Accounting Officer) review and filing activities, NSTP (Non-Standard Tax Periods) requests and Corporate Interest Restriction (CIR) submissions.
- Working with external advisers, auditors and tax authorities where required.
- Helping maintain robust tax governance, strong documentation and continuous improvement across tax processes.
- What we’re looking for
- A strong, confident and clear communicator (written and verbal) comfortable directing clear consistent and compliant practices through operational teams as well as reporting matters up to C-Suite stakeholders.
- Self-starter, proactive and deadline oriented individual motivated to drive impact and improvement across the complete breadth of tax compliance and reporting at a FTSE-listed UK house builder.
- Strong knowledge of UK tax compliance and advisory processes, preferably including corporation tax, VAT, employment taxes, CIS, ATED, SAO and property-related tax matters.
- Exposure to VAT in a partial exemption business preferable.
- Experience preparing, reviewing and filing tax returns and statutory submissions to deadlines.
- Confident interpreting tax rules, monitoring changes and applying them pragmatically to real business scenarios.
- Strong analytical skills to review data, identify issues and produce clear supporting documentation.
- Comfortable working across functions: finance, commercial, legal and operational teams and can build strong working relationships.
- Excellent attention to detail, sound judgement and a strong controls mindset.
- A professional tax or accounting qualification, or equivalent practical experience, would be advantageous.
- What You Can Expect
- Opportunity to work at the heart of a FTSE listed organisation with exposure to C-suite leadership.
- Competitive salary and benefits package.
- Involvement in strategic transactions.
- A challenging, fast-paced role with real responsibility and ability to make impact from day one
- A collaborative, supportive team environment
If you are an experienced tax professional, excited for a varied role with real business impact, and you substantially meet the requirements outlined, we would be delighted to hear from you.
The Company
Crest Nicholson is a leading developer of quality homes and thriving, sustainable communities.
We create great places for our customers to live, selecting desirable locations for our developments and taking a holistic approach to the design of our homes and their surroundings.
Attractive placemaking helps us deliver appealing and well-connected communities where people and nature can thrive.
- As an employer of choice, we offer an extensive range of benefits, to include:
- Competitive Salary
- Company Bonus Scheme
- Car Allowance
- Private pension
- Private healthcare and cash plan options
- 25 days' annual leave
- Cycle to work scheme
- Share save scheme
- Gym membership discounts
We are an inclusive employer; the Company will consider flexible working requests for all roles.
We seek to be an ethical and progressive employer which encourages a culture of openness, creativity and continuous professional development and which rewards the effectiveness and loyalty of our employees as an equal opportunities employer.
If you are applying to work at Crest Nicholson, we will ask you to supply us with sufficient personal information to help us process your application.
To learn more about what personal information we will need to process and why, please refer to our recruitment privacy notice which can be found on the Crest Nicholson website under ‘Recruitment Privacy Policy'.
If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!
Head of Tax employer: Crest Nicholson
Crest Nicholson is an exceptional employer that fosters a vibrant and inclusive work culture, where employees are encouraged to bring their passion and creativity to the forefront. Located in the desirable town of Didcot, Oxfordshire, our Sales Executives enjoy competitive salaries, fantastic earning potential through commission, and a range of benefits including private healthcare and generous annual leave. With endless opportunities for professional growth and a commitment to ethical practices, joining Crest Nicholson means becoming part of a team that truly believes in creating thriving communities.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Tax
✨Join Tax Networks
Get involved in tax-focused networks or associations, like the Chartered Institute of Taxation. These communities often host events and workshops which can help you make connections with industry professionals, plus they might even have job boards exclusive to members.
✨Attend Industry Events
Keep an eye out for tax-related conferences and seminars. Events like these are not only great for learning but also for meeting potential employers face-to-face. Use these opportunities to ask questions and express your interest; it’s all about putting a face to the name!
✨Leverage Social Media
Follow leading tax advisory firms, such as Crest Nicholson, on social media. Engage with their posts – comment, share insights, or even ask questions. This can help you get noticed and show your enthusiasm for the industry before you even apply!
✨Showcase Your Knowledge
Consider writing articles or blogs on tax trends and issues. Sharing your expertise on platforms like LinkedIn can boost your visibility and establish you as someone who is serious about a career in tax advisory. Plus, it gives you something to discuss when you land that interview!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Tax
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Off Your Tax Knowledge:Make sure your CV highlights any relevant tax qualifications, certifications, or coursework you've completed. We want to see that you understand tax laws, regulations, and compliance issues—so detail your academic background or any practical experience in tax advisory to catch Crest Nicholson's eye!
Quantify Your Achievements:In the tax consultancy field, showing measurable outcomes from your previous work can set you apart. Use your CV to include specific examples of how your advice helped clients save money or avoid penalties. Numbers speak volumes in our industry and can really highlight your impact.
Tailor Your Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to express why you're passionate about tax consultancy and why you're excited about working at Crest Nicholson. Share any personal experiences or insights that fuel your interest in the tax advisory field—let your enthusiasm shine through!
Keep It Professional but Approachable:While your written application should maintain a professional tone, don’t be afraid to let a bit of your personality show. Tax advisory is about building relationships, so if you can convey your approachable nature in your writing, that's a bonus when applying for this full-time role at Crest Nicholson!
How to prepare for a job interview at Crest Nicholson
✨Know Your Tax Fundamentals
Brush up on the core principles of tax law, especially recent updates that might affect clients. During the interview, we could face scenario-based questions where we'll need to apply these principles to solve problems, so get comfy with hypothetical situations!
✨Show Your Analytical Skills
Tax advisory isn't just about knowing the rules; it’s about interpreting them. Make sure to prepare examples from your previous studies or experiences where you successfully analysed complex data. We want to demonstrate how we can bring those analytical skills to the table for Crest Nicholson.
✨Understand the Consulting Aspect
Since this is a full-time role, the interview might involve discussing how we communicate tax strategies to clients. Think about times we've interacted with clients or presented technical information in a digestible way. This shows we’re not just tax boffins but can also connect with people!
✨Your Long-Term Vision
As we're aiming for a full-time position, it's important to convey our enthusiasm and long-term interest in tax advisory. Be prepared to chat about why we’re passionate about this field and how we see ourselves growing within Crest Nicholson. It helps to show our commitment!
