VAT Compliance Consultant

The client is looking to hire a VAT Compliance Consultant to work a 12 month extendable contract based in Reading (Hybrid 2-3 days onsite).

About the Role:

The client is seeking a VAT Compliance Consultant to join their in-house Indirect Tax team. In this role, you will support managing their indirect tax obligations across multiple EMEA and APAC jurisdictions. You will work with their internal finance teams and external tax advisors, ensuring timely and accurate reporting.

Key Responsibilities:

• Regional Compliance Activity: Manage the end-to-end VAT compliance cycle across multiple EMEA and APAC countries, overseeing the preparation and submission of VAT returns, sales and purchase listings, Intrastat, and other supplementary indirect tax filings.
• Coordination: Liaise with the in-house finance teams and external tax service providers. Responsibilities include sharing source reports, reviewing draft returns, and reviewing General Ledger (GL) account reconciliations.
• Filing & Payment Approvals: Ensure all internal governance steps are followed by obtaining the appropriate levels of approval for VAT filings and coordinating timely tax payments.
• Exception Management & Issue Resolution: Handle VAT exception reporting (with support from the VAT Manager). Proactively flag data anomalies and support the business in resolving system or transactional issues.
• Audit Defense: Support the wider VAT team with indirect tax audits and inquiries for your allocated jurisdictions by gathering data and preparing documentation for sharing with external advisors.
• Process Improvement & Automation: Identify opportunities for automation within the compliance process and support implementation.

Requirements & Qualifications:

• Experience: 3 to 5 years of hands-on experience working in a VAT compliance environment.
• In-House Experience: Previous experience working in an in-house tax or finance environment is highly preferred (a mix of Big 4/Top Tier practice and in-house experience is also advantageous).
• Education: A Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Taxation, Business, or a related field.
• Professional Qualification: A recognized VAT or indirect tax qualification (e.g., CTA, ATT, or regional equivalent) is required.
• Technical Skills: Strong understanding of VAT/GST mechanisms. Experience with ERP systems (e.g., SAP) is a plus.

Please note: This position will be Inside IR35.