VAT Consultant Specialist Accountant

Schools’ Choice; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 105,000; Part time

Job summary

Schools’ Choice is assisting a Local Authority by recruiting a VAT Consultant for a 6-month contract. The role focuses on providing specialist VAT expertise across the organisation, ensuring HMRC compliance, maximising VAT recovery, and delivering strategic advice on complex VAT matters.

The successful candidate will lead VAT advisory work, support audits, and contribute to VAT policy development while engaging with senior stakeholders and finance teams.

Qualifications

• Significant VAT advisory experience in Local Government or the public sector.
• Strong knowledge of VAT legislation as applied to local authorities.
• Experience preparing and reviewing VAT returns and partial exemption calculations.
• Professional qualification such as ACCA, ACA, CIPFA, or equivalent VAT qualification.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert VAT advice on capital projects, property transactions, grants, contracts, and funding arrangements.
• Manage and review VAT returns ensuring HMRC compliance.
• Deliver and oversee partial exemption calculations and VAT recovery strategies.
• Monitor VAT legislation changes and assess impact on the authority.
• Support internal and external audits and HMRC enquiries as required.
• Develop and maintain VAT policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Deliver training and guidance to finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Support financial planning, budgeting, and project appraisals from a VAT perspective.

Skills

VAT advisory

Public sector VAT

Stakeholder management

VAT returns

Education

ACCA/ACA/CIPFA

Job description

VAT Consultant Local Authority | 6-Month Contract | £500 per day

Our client, a well-established Local Authority, is seeking an experienced VAT Consultant to provide specialist VAT expertise across the organisation on an initial 6-month contract. This is an excellent opportunity for a VAT professional with strong public sector experience to support compliance, maximise VAT recovery, and provide strategic advice on complex VAT matters.

The Role

As the VAT Consultant, you will act as the authority's subject matter expert for all VAT-related matters, working closely with finance teams, operational departments, and senior stakeholders. You will ensure compliance with HMRC regulations while identifying opportunities to optimise VAT recovery and improve processes.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Providing expert VAT advice on capital projects, property transactions, grants, contracts, and funding arrangements.
• Managing and reviewing VAT returns, ensuring compliance with HMRC requirements.
• Delivering and overseeing partial exemption calculations and VAT recovery strategies.
• Monitoring and interpreting changes in VAT legislation and assessing their impact on the authority.
• Supporting internal and external audits and managing HMRC enquiries where required.
• Developing and maintaining VAT policies, procedures, and internal controls.
• Delivering training and guidance to both finance and non-finance stakeholders.
• Supporting financial planning, budgeting, and project appraisals from a VAT perspective.

About You To be considered, you will demonstrate:

• Significant VAT advisory experience, ideally within Local Government or the wider public sector.
• Strong technical knowledge of VAT legislation, particularly its application within local authorities.
• Experience preparing and reviewing VAT returns and partial exemption calculations.
• A relevant professional qualification such as ACCA, ACA, CIPFA, or an equivalent VAT-related qualification.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and deadlines

Contract Details

• Contract: 6 Months
• Rate: £500 per day
• Sector: Local Government
• Start: ASAP