Head of Tax

Ming porcelain from China, American muscle cars, French furniture – just to name a few examples of rare objects one can find at Catawiki. This online auction platform is one the fastest growing tech companies in Europe. The growth plans are ambitious, both in terms of geography and scale. As international taxes are becoming increasingly complex and important, there is the need for a seasoned Head of Tax.

Catawiki is expanding rapidly

Founded in a small attic room in the Netherlands in 2008, Catawiki is now a global auction platform and they’re growing fast. In 2015 and 2016, they won the Deloitte Technology Fast50. So what is it they do? They host 35.000 weekly auctions in art, classic cars, antiques, jewelry, fashion, stamps and other categories. Though they only started a few years ago, their mission to make unique items available to everyone is already becoming a reality. The atmosphere in their office at the WeWork Metropool in Amsterdam is relaxed and casual. Colleagues have a start-up mentality, appreciating each other’s talents and knowing how to succeed as a team. Read more about careers at Catawiki.

Vacancy: Head of Tax

The Head of Tax is a pioneer at Catawiki, developing a tax strategy and tax department that can handle the growth ambitions of the scale-up.

“There’s a tipping point on the horizon, and we need to make sure we’re ready for it when it happens.” – Willem van Wijmen, CFO Catawiki

The Head of Tax will report directly to the CFO, who has worked with external partners so far to manage the Dutch tax strategy and establish the international baseline. The Head of Tax will play a critical role in the next steps by determining the medium-term roadmap, optimizing the tax structure, minimizing tax risks, ensuring compliance and improving tax efficiency. This professional will also maintain relationships with all relevant tax authorities and external tax advisors. It’s a dynamic process that is bound to enhance returns, now and in the future. In order to develop the international tax strategy, the Head of Tax will balance risks and opportunities that are present in the current business model and corporate structure. The strategy will cover all tax matters, including Corporate income tax (CIT), Value Added Tax (VAT), With Holding Tax (WHT), Wage Tax, local taxes and customs. The Head of Tax is also in charge of a small but growing team responsible for timely completion of all tax filings and audits.

Catawiki is at the stage where they know they have a proven business model, and it’s time to scale it up. To keep momentum, time is of the essence. The Head of Tax will play an important role in this process. By building and maintaining relationships with high-growth markets, the Head of Tax can proactively create a network for all things tax-related to accommodate this growth. As many countries have their own unique requirements, the Head of Tax will also work closely with the country managers to solve local issues and manage country-specific projects.

Experience

• An academic degree in Tax and CPA certification
• Experience at a tax advisory firm required
• International environment required, tech preferred
• Experience with setting up a new tax position a plus
• Treasury and FX management preferred

Personality

• Able to deal with complex situations
• Hands-on team player/coach
• Strong communicator

Competencies

• Pioneering
• Decision Making
• Problem Solving
• Responsibility

Reasons to join

• Leadership-role at a fast-growing tech scale-up
• Competitive salary and equity package
• Building a future-proof international tax department