VAT Manager

Responsibilities

The role requires an ambitious, confident individual, with excellent knowledge of VAT to join the growing VAT team.

The successful candidate will be a member of the VAT team with a ‘home office’ of London (Canary Wharf), Leeds (city centre) or Manchester (city centre), responsible for assisting Directors and Partners in servicing clients, delivering VAT services and potentially also managing some of the people within the Team.

The successful candidate may have specialist skills (eg able to advise on IPT, customs duty etc) but will primarily be responsible for managing a portfolio of clients in a variety of sectors, eg insurance, finance, fintech, crypto, property, retail etc. The successful candidate should have experience within their existing team of reviewing work electronically with minimal Partner/Director input so that few (if any) changes are made when Partner/Director-reviewed before issue of the written deliverable.

Client Responsibilities

The VAT team deals with a broad range of consultancy work emanating from a wide variety of clients. The list below includes some of the responsibilities:

• Build and maintain relationships with clients by providing high levels of client service (responsiveness and clarity of communication) and engendering trust with clients.
• Able to convert ‘quick questions’ re: VAT into high value / profitable advisory projects.
• Manage WIP and billing for own clients, ensuring that fee proposals are commercial and WIP recoveries are strong.
• Advise on a wide range of VAT issues such as expanding into different jurisdictions, VAT treatment of new income streams, handling / resolving HMRC disputes, etc.
• Potential general management of one or more direct reports, including delivering their appraisals.

Special work/ad hoc assignments

Work may include the following:

• Support with tender proposals
• Pro-active generation of new clients / advisory projects from the numerous new clients to the firm and the many new contacts being made by the firm (e.g. as a result of an unsuccessful audit pitch)
• Due diligence
• Specialist VAT input into audit work
• Opportunities to train staff on VAT matters.
• Review of complex VAT returns (e.g. for partly-exempt clients, non-resident landlords of UK property etc)

People Management

The successful candidate will also manage one or more direct reports following successful completion of probation.

We believe strongly in encouraging the personal development of each member of staff and the Firm supports and provides internal and external training courses as well as professional updates on technical and non-technical subjects. In addition to managing their own development, individuals are expected to encourage and take an active role in the training and development of less experienced staff.

Opportunities

Career progression is meritocratic. The VAT department is growing; there is therefore ample scope for progression. Career progression is generally reviewed at the annual appraisal.

Person Specification

Skills and Experience

• Proven skills in VAT advisory work gained in practice.
• A thorough understanding of key VAT principles
• Able to explain complex issues in a way that non-VAT experts will understand.
• Up-to-date VAT technical skills and experience, across a broad range of large corporate and owner-managed business issues
• Ability to manage a client portfolio profitably.
• Ability to deal with VAT advisory matters and report writing (including due diligence)
• Attention to detail when reviewing information / documents (eg contracts) and VAT law, case-law precedent, HMRC / EC VAT guidance etc
• Able to draft written advice that is clear, precise, well-written (SPAG) and addresses all of the points that need to be covered
• Strong Word skills – Excel and Powerpoint would be great too.

Attributes

• Willingness/desire to help colleagues and clients to resolve their issues.
• Tenacious, creative and enjoys solving puzzles/problems.
• Interested in trying to understand issues and other people’s perspectives on them
• Thoughtful, reflective and considered/well-researched before offering views/opinions.
• Able to quickly identify the main ideas/important points in written text or during verbal interactions.
• Organised, efficient and responsive.
• Clear and concise communication (both verbal and written)
• Willingness/desire to expand knowledge and improve skills (of self and others)
• Responsive/attentive
• Proactive
• Positive/can do attitude.
• Calm/unflappable/patient

Qualifications – Not essential, but helpful:

• ACA/CA/CTA or equivalent