Vat Assistant Manager

VAT Assistant Manager - London (very flexible working - 1-2 days per week in the office)

About the role

My client's VAT team are now looking for Assistant Managers across the grade to join their exciting and growing department. This is a key role within the department, where you will be highly client focused and required to deal credibly and professionally with them. As such, excellent technical skills are crucial; equally crucial will be your ability to impact complex VAT technical information to non experts.The key criteria is the "fit" within the team and the firm, and the need for a generalist
with solid experience in our specialisms:NFP;REC; Corporate Finance; Media and international.

Key responsibilities:
* The role is advisory focused, on occasion there may be the need to support to the compliance function from time to time.
* Occasionally, you may also be required to review VAT returns and assumptions etc. prepared by compliance specialists prior to submission to HMRC.
* Manage a portfolio of clients ensuring that for each client all deadlines are met, the work is carried out within budget and the job is finalised to minimise partner or director review time.
* The VAT advisory business covers a wide range of issues and sectors, with property and NFP being a large part of the work.
* An understanding of a wide range of VAT issues is more desirable that a highly specialist knowledge of one sector. That is, how to deal with an issue rather than the ability to answer it straight away.
* Candidates with experience in NFP or property would be particularly desirable.
* The role will involve working closely with the VAT Manager/Directors (four in total), across a range of advisory and consultancy projects.
* Candidates will be responsible for taking "ownership" of some smaller projects, and for dealing directly with clients and colleagues, so the ability and confidence to work with limited supervision is important.

* A significant amount of the work undertaken by the team arises from internal questions and referrals. Therefore, the ability to work with other parts of the firm and to manage internal clients is important.
* Flexibility and an ability to manage deadlines and "internal" clients will be key.
* You will also be seeking out answers to technical points from the legislation and suggesting basic tax planning ideas and practical solutions where these are relevant to your client work.
* Experience of dealing with HMRC and an understanding of departmental operating procedures will be useful.
*Broad based technical skills are essential, and an ability to understand risk, and to appreciate when to call on the services of more senior members of the team
* A basic understanding of budgets and billing would also be helpful.
* Some experience of "selling" would be very useful.
* The ability to manage our "internal clients" is key.

Skills & expertise:

VAT Advisory
* Managing client VAT relationships across various industries.
* Advising on international services particularly where one or both parties have establishments in more than one country.
* Dealing with a range of property issues, for both commercial and NFP clients.
* Review on contracts, and advice on appropriate VAT wording.
* Dealing with HMRC on a wide range of issues, from relatively routine matters such a VAT registrations to more complex issues inc disputes and penalties.
* Assisting the more senior members of the team as required on larger and more complex VAT advisory projects.
* Working on devising partial exemption special methods and business non business apportionments for clients.

* Providing follow up advice on issues identified during assurance visits.
* VAT reviews/health checks.
* Dealing with VAT inspections on a range of businesses, and providing support to clients as required
* Dealing with reconsiderations of HMRC decisions.

VAT Compliance
*Occasional Preparing and submitting VAT returns to HMRC for businesses of varying complexity.
* Review of VAT returns prepared by compliance staff
* Dealing with VAT registrations and de registrations including VAT groupings/de groupings.

VAT Training and Marketing
*Fostering good internal relations resulting in direct work referrals.
* Preparing marketing material on varying VAT initiatives such as the VAT package and House of Lords/ECJ cases of interest, as they arise.
* Attending bi weekly meeting and draft material to weekly VAT update.
Additional Duties
* Attends client gatherings and seminars where possible to build client relationship and ensure good attendance and turnout at

Seminars.
* Attends seminars and events to help build relationships with clients and prospective and promote the Firm.
* Assists with preparation and presentation of new client pitches
* Attends social activities on a regular basis and at least once every 6 months to build relations with staff.

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