Legal Interpretation VAT Specialist

HMRC; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A government tax authority in Northern Ireland seeks a Legal Interpretation VAT Specialist to develop VAT expertise, support compliance activities, and build professional relationships. The role requires strong communication and analytical skills with a recent background in VAT. Offering a hybrid working model and a generous leave allowance, this position promotes professional development and career advancement.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Generous leave allowance

Pension contributions

Coaching and personal support

Qualifications

• Experience in a VAT specific role in a tax professional environment.
• Proven ability to interpret and apply tax legislation.
• Commitment to continuous professional development.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain professional relationships supporting compliance.
• Interpret complex financial accounts and tax computations.
• Provide coaching and mentoring for high-performing teams.

Skills

VAT expertise

Strong communication skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Education

External accredited VAT qualification (e.g., VLTT, CTA)

Job description

The Legal Interpretation VAT Specialist operates within HMRC's Customer Compliance Group, focusing on applying technical knowledge and skills to develop expertise in VAT matters whilst understanding potential tax risks across other duties. This role involves working with moderate complexity risks, which includes consulting technical guidance, drafting customer responses, communicating with customers, and liaising with colleagues and Compliance Case Managers. The postholder will build and maintain professional relationships that support compliance activity both internally and externally, sharing knowledge of emerging risks and supporting solutions to mitigate potential tax loss. The specialist will learn and effectively apply HMRC guidance and tax legislation relevant to specific business areas, using this knowledge to inform judgement and decision making on investigations and customer education. Creative thinking is essential, looking at problems from fresh perspectives and suggesting new solutions for continuous improvement. The role requires sharing knowledge and best practice across the team and directorate, providing coaching and mentoring to facilitate high-performing teams. The postholder will interpret complex financial accounts and corresponding tax computations, explaining these to other caseworkers when required. As a Higher Officer LI VAT Specialist, your job role will include supporting investigations into complex customer information, reviewing business tax affairs to ensure accurate and timely tax payments, establishing facts and making fair, lawful, and impartial decisions, exercising sound judgement and discretion, clearly communicating requirements to customers, providing targeted support where complexity, capability, or risk of non-compliance exists, and contributing actively to business and compliance objectives, working in line with Compliance Professional Standards to make paying the correct tax as straightforward as possible.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain professional relationships supporting compliance activity internally and externally.
• Apply technical knowledge and skills, developing VAT expertise and understanding tax risks.
• Work moderate complexity risks including consulting guidance, drafting responses, and liaising with colleagues.
• Share knowledge of emerging risks and support solutions to mitigate tax loss.
• Learn and apply HMRC guidance and tax legislation to inform judgement and decision making.
• Share knowledge, best practice, and expertise with compliance colleagues.
• Make corporate contributions including participating in technical working groups.
• Develop own and colleagues' compliance expertise, keeping updated with legislative changes.
• Think creatively to suggest new solutions and ensure excellent customer service.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to facilitate high-performing teams.
• Interpret complex financial accounts and tax computations.
• Willingness to travel and stay overnight occasionally as part of the role.

Skills and Qualifications

• Recent demonstratable experience of working in a VAT specific role in a tax professional environment. (e.g. HMRC compliance officer role; An accountancy or other tax advisory practice; In industry in an in-house tax team.)
• Proven ability to interpret and apply tax legislation.
• Strong communication skills across a range of stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to analyse VAT-related data sets, identify patterns and discrepancies, and draw accurate, evidence-based conclusions to support compliance and strategic decision-making.
• Committed to maintaining up-to-date compliance knowledge through continuous professional development.
• QualificationsYou should hold one of the following qualifications:External accredited VAT qualification, for example, VLTT, CTA, or AIIT, they should state this on their application.HMRC internal training, including Civil Compliance Foundation L

Further Information

BenefitsHMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs. We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days. Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary. Family friendly policies. Personal support. Coaching and development. At HMRC, we care about our people and their work-life balance. We offer a 37-hour working week with the option of hybrid working, allow you to work both from the office and from home. We also offer flexitime, giving you the freedom to manage your working hours to suit your lifestyle. We provide excellent holiday entitlement, giving you the time you need to relax and recharge. We care about the well-being of our employees and offer a range of support and resources to help you look after your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. We will support you as you move to HMRC and offer on-the-job training and development to help you achieve your career goals. We are a large organisation, so there are many opportunities to change roles and advance your career. Follow the link to apply via Civil Service Jobs and view full information.

Area: Derry or Londonderry
Closing date: 06 Nov 2025

Area: All of Northern Ireland
Closing date: 07 Nov 2025