VAT Assistant Accountant, Group Finance - 6 Month Fixed Term Contract

IVC Evidensia; Bristol; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading veterinary services provider in the UK is seeking a VAT Assistant Accountant on a 6-month fixed-term contract. You will assist in the preparation and filing of VAT returns, audit preparation, and ensure compliance. The ideal candidate will have AAT Level 4 or equivalent and experience in VAT preparation, while also exhibiting strong interpersonal and analytical skills. Benefits include work-life balance, annual leave, and employee wellbeing initiatives.

Benefits

Work-life balance

26 days annual leave

Cycle to Work scheme

Employee wellbeing initiatives

Pension

Discretionary Bonus

Discounted staff pet care

Dog Friendly office

Free Parking at Head Office

Qualifications

• Experience with VAT preparation is essential.
• Thrives in fast-paced environments while delivering quickly.
• Experience with non-UK VAT and cross-border transactions is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Assist with preparation of monthly VAT returns.
• Reconcile VAT control accounts and prepare for audits.
• Assist Management Accountants with reconciling control accounts.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Excellent IT skills (Excel, Word, Outlook)

Strong analysis skills

Attention to detail

Education

AAT Level 4 / CIMA / ACCA / ACA studies started

Tools

Oracle Fusion

Job description

VAT Assistant Accountant, Group Finance – 6 Month Fixed Term Contract

At IVC Evidensia, we are a leading veterinary services provider in Europe and North America with more than 2,500 clinics and hospitals across 19 countries and around 42,000 employees. We aim to have an extraordinary impact on animal lives, supporting in the region of 25,000 animals every single day across our international network. IVC Evidensia exists to champion the long-term health and welfare of animals and deliver our purpose of Healthy Animals, Happy Owners.

The position of Group Finance VAT Assistant Accountant is to assist the Group Finance Accountant with preparation of monthly VAT returns, reconciling VAT control accounts and preparing files for the annual audit.

This role is being offered on a 6 Month Fixed Term Contract basis.

Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities

• Preparation, filing and payment of VAT returns and, where appropriate, SII submissions.
• Detailed review of transactional details.
• Accounting and reconciling month‑end trial balances, P&L and BS before review.
• Annual reporting and VAT compliance.
• Liaison with internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist with audit queries.
• Continuous improvement – making processes and systems better and more efficient.
• Working with country Management Accountants to clear reconciling items on the control accounts.
• Reconciliation of period‑end VAT control accounts to filed returns.

Experience / Qualifications

Essential:

• AAT Level 4 / CIMA / ACCA / ACA studies started.
• Experience with VAT preparation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to work well within the team, and communicate effectively.
• Thrives in a fast‑paced, constantly changing environment.
• Excellent IT skills, including Excel, Word, and Outlook.
• Strong analysis skills, diligent approach.
• Strong attention to detail, and able to deliver right‑first‑time results quickly.

Desirable:

• Experience with non‑UK VAT and cross‑border transactions.
• Experience of Oracle Fusion would be an advantage.
• Deadline focused, and willing to put in the effort required to ensure they always meet them.
• A finance person with practice and/or commercial accounting experience and a desire to work principally in group finance‑VAT.

Following receipt of your application, you will be contacted by one of our experienced hire recruitment team.

As a BAME and LGBTQ+ inclusive employer, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long‑term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

What We Offer

At IVC Evidensia we recognise that our people are fundamental to the success of our business. Investing in our people, premises and processes is at the heart of what we do. In addition to a competitive base salary, you will benefit from

• Work‑life balance
• 26 days annual leave
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Initiatives focused on employee wellbeing
• Pension
• Discretionary Bonus
• Discounted staff pet care
• Dog Friendly office
• Free Parking available at Head Office

At IVC Evidensia we are committed to Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Belonging, we are keen to hear from candidates from all minority and diverse groups. As a Disability Confident Employer, we are keen to hear from candidates with disabilities and long‑term health conditions and would be happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments needed during the recruitment process.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.