VAT Manager

Saffery Llp; Camden Town; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK advisory firm is seeking an experienced full-time VAT Manager to join their team in Camden Town. The role involves advising clients on all aspects of VAT, managing client engagements, and contributing to business development. The ideal candidate will have strong client service skills and an excellent understanding of VAT principles. This position offers a supportive environment with a commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Benefits

Contributory pension scheme

25 days annual leave

Discretionary bonus scheme

Flexible working hours

Qualifications

• Must have experience managing client engagements.
• Willingness to speak at seminars and produce high-quality content.

Responsibilities

• Advising clients on all aspects of VAT.
• Managing day-to-day client service.
• Maintaining exceptional technical standards.

Skills

Experience of VAT across sectors

Excellent client service standards

Good client handling skills

Ability to explain complex issues

Interest in land and property VAT matters

Education

Relevant qualifications in tax or VAT

Job description

We are looking for an experienced full-time VAT Manager to join our VAT advisory team. This is an interesting and varied role which will require the successful candidate to advise on all aspects of VAT. Our client base is a blend of owner managed business, private wealth, mid to large sized corporate and charities/NFPs, and the VAT advisory team advises clients in all sectors. The successful candidate will be someone who is ambitious, understands the value of excellent client service, and wants to be part of growing the VAT practice.

Responsibilities

• Advising clients on all aspects of VAT including HMRC dispute resolution, transaction/supply chain treatment, and complex liability matters.
• Manage day to day advice, providing client service face to face, through virtual meetings and effective written correspondence.
• Maintaining exceptional technical standards with a commercial and practical focus on the outcomes that clients are trying to achieve.
• Active involvement in the management and development of the VAT team nationally.
• Involvement in the firm's National Practice Groups for relevant sectors to develop specific VAT input and involvement in wider business development initiatives.
• Involvement in reviewing and signing off complex VAT returns which the firm prepares for its clients.

The team

The VAT team is a truly national VAT practice with clients from Inverness to Bournemouth. We advise a very broad range of clients, and whilst individuals within the team are encouraged to develop sector specialisms, we are not organised by silos based on technical expertise. The successful candidate would join an advisory team of thirteen with one partner, three directors, three senior managers, two managers, one assistant manager, and three trainees. The team works very closely with the accounting/outsourcing teams, as well as audit and private wealth teams.

Qualifications and experience

• Experience of VAT across sectors and an excellent understanding of VAT principles for UK domestic and cross-border transactions.
• Interest and technical strength in land and property VAT matters would be particularly advantageous.
• Have a commercial and practical outlook when delivering advice and find opportunities to develop new business.
• Excellent client service standards and good client handling skills.
• Must be personable and able to explain complex issues to non‑VAT specialists - dealing directly with non‑VAT colleagues and other technical staff as well as external stakeholders including lawyers, land agents and banks.
• Must be able to demonstrate enthusiasm and motivation for selling services to existing clients of the firm and to non‑clients, including taking responsibility for marketing projects.
• Experience of managing client engagements from scoping out work to final delivery and billing.
• Willingness to speak at seminars, and to produce high quality thought leadership for internal and external readership.

About us

Saffery LLP is an adviser to individuals and businesses across a range of sectors, providing market‑leading accountancy, audit, business advisory, tax and VAT services. Founded in 1855, we are the UK's 15th largest accountancy firm.

When you work with us at Saffery, you work with people who know your name – you are not just a job title. We're a place shaped by friendly, intelligent people who are individually excellent and collectively exceptional. We're committed to our clients, and our greatest asset – our people. As a proud member of Nexia, a leading international network of independent accounting and consulting firms, we've got access to local insight on a global scale.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion – Equality, diversity and inclusion is a top priority for us. With our ED&I strategy, Everyone Belongs, we are building on our positive work culture and implementing initiatives to improve diversity and strengthen our equitable culture of inclusion, led from the top.

We hope you will apply to us, whatever your background, ethnicity, gender, age, sexuality, disability or neurodivergence, because individual differences equal collective strength. Built on values of excellence, integrity, enthusiasm and collegiality, Saffery is where Potential meets Personal.

Reward and benefits

• A 35 hour working week with a hybrid working policy with the flexibility to work from home for up to three days per week (our core hours are 10‑4).
• Excellent benefits including contributory pension scheme, 25 days annual leave, life assurance cover and great flexible benefits and family friendly policies.
• Eligibility for the firm's profit sharing plan.
• Eligibility for a discretionary bonus scheme.