Audit and Tax Manager - Cape Town

Role Overview

Manage the day-to-day delivery of a small practice alongside the Practice Partner. Run the audit, annual financial statements and tax teams, supervise and review their work, close out file reviews and ensure engagements reach the Partner ready for sign-off. The role includes work allocation, capacity planning, timesheet and work-in-progress review, performance management and management input on delivery, recoveries and risk.

Duties and Responsibilities

Management and Delivery

• Manage, supervise and develop the audit, annual financial statements and tax teams as the day-to-day management point.
• Allocate work and plan capacity against the annual audit, AFS, CIPC and SARS deadline calendar.
• Set clear scope, budget, deadline and file-standard expectations for each job.
• Conduct team check-ins, monitor work in progress and maintain visibility of each team member's workload and job status.
• Conduct performance reviews, prepare supporting assessments and address performance concerns early and constructively.
• Identify skills gaps through coaching, stretching assignments and structured on-the-job training.
• Support trainee accountants through assessments and logbook sign-off within the practice's limits.
• Manage leave planning to ensure adequate staffing during deadline periods.
• Contribute to recruitment through screening, technical assessments and interviews.

Review, Audit and Financial Statements

• Review working papers, annual financial statements, tax computations and returns, document reviews and ensure review points are closed.
• Ensure files support their conclusions before Partner review and avoid unnecessary rework.
• Track Partner-level review points and use them to guide team training and improve working papers.
• Ensure files are complete, assembled and archived within the required period.
• Direct and supervise statutory audits in accordance with ISA, including risk assessment, materiality, responses to assessed risks and documentation.
• Approve audit planning, materiality and audit approaches before fieldwork and escalate higher-risk matters.
• Determine the appropriate assurance requirement under the Companies Act and Companies Regulations, including public-interest-score calculations.
• Supervise independent review engagements in accordance with ISRE 2400.
• Identify potential reportable irregularities and escalate them for consideration under the Auditing Profession Act.
• Draft auditor's reports, management letters and communications with those charged with governance.
• Personally plan, execute and finalise urgent engagements when no team member is available.
• Review annual financial statements for presentation, disclosure, casting and cross-referencing.
• Guide the team on deferred tax, related-party disclosures, going concern, revenue recognition, leases, financial instruments and provisions under IFRS for SMEs and full IFRS.
• Ensure directors' reports, going-concern assessments and solvency and liquidity considerations are properly supported.

Tax, Finance and Practice Operations

• Guide and review corporate, trust and individual tax compliance, including ITR14, ITR12, ITR12T, IRP6, VAT201 and EMP201 submissions.
• Review income tax computations, deductions, capital-versus-revenue treatment, capital gains, prepayments and capital allowances.
• Direct SARS verifications, audits, objections and appeals, including penalties and suspension-of-payment applications.
• Guide the team on VAT matters, including denied input tax, deemed supplies and apportionment.
• Oversee payroll tax compliance, including PAYE, SDL, UIF, employment incentives and fringe benefits.
• Monitor the tax deadline calendar across the client base.
• Review weekly timesheets, monitor work in progress, identify overruns and raise scope changes.
• Report to the Partner on job status, recoveries, productivity, capacity and risks.
• Maintain standard working papers, templates and file-review checklists.

Clients, Quality and Compliance

• Own a client portfolio and act as the day-to-day contact for financial managers, directors, trustees and management committees.
• Attend audit committee, finance committee and board meetings and present findings to non-financial stakeholders.
• Draft engagement letters and complete client acceptance and continuance procedures.
• Handle client complaints and delivery issues at manager level.
• Apply the firm's system of quality management, including engagement quality reviews where required.
• Apply independence requirements and document threats and safeguards.
• Perform customer due diligence and maintain records in accordance with financial-intelligence requirements.
• Handle client and personal information in accordance with information-protection requirements.
• Oversee CIPC annual returns, beneficial ownership filings and changes in directorship.

Desired Experience and Qualification

• Completed SAICA or SAIPA training contract in public practice with material audit exposure.
• At least three years' post-articles experience, including at least two years in an audit environment.
• Proven supervisory or management experience, having managed staff and been accountable for delivery.
• Demonstrated file-review experience, including raising and closing review points and explaining the review process.
• Ability to complete an audit, annual financial statements and tax file personally from start to finish when required.
• BCom Accounting or an equivalent recognised NQF Level 7 or higher qualification.
• Practical knowledge of IFRS for SMEs and International Standards on Auditing.
• Practical knowledge of the full South African tax-compliance process, including income tax, VAT and payroll taxes.
• Hands-on SARS eFiling experience.
• Comfortable managing timesheets, work in progress, budgets, recoveries and performance reviews.
• Valid driver's licence and reliable transport.
• Clear criminal and credit record and the right to work in South Africa.
• Proficiency in Draftworx or CaseWare, SARS eFiling, electronic filing software, Microsoft 365 and strong Excel skills.
• Professional registration as CA(SA), AGA(SA), PA(SA) or Professional Accountant (SA) is advantageous.
• Experience with non-profit organisations, trusts, public-sector audits, practice-management software and Afrikaans is advantageous.