VAT Accountant - Retail

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an Indirect Tax professional to join a well-established international retail business. Sitting within a collaborative and supportive finance team, this role will take ownership of UK VAT compliance whilst supporting indirect tax obligations across multiple jurisdictions.

The position offers a broad mix of VAT compliance, advisory work, stakeholder engagement and process improvement, making it an ideal opportunity for someone looking to further develop their career within an in-house tax function.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and submit UK VAT returns accurately and on time.
• Support international indirect tax reporting and compliance obligations.
• Prepare VAT reconciliations and investigate reconciling items.
• Review the VAT treatment of transactions and identify areas requiring correction or improvement.
• Support compliance with Making Tax Digital requirements.
• Assist with VAT registrations, deregistrations and ongoing compliance obligations.
• Provide practical VAT guidance to finance and operational teams.
• Support the review of contracts, business initiatives and projects to identify VAT implications.
• Monitor changes in VAT legislation and identify associated risks and opportunities.
• Assist with HMRC enquiries, VAT audits and compliance reviews.
• Liaise with external advisers and maintain supporting documentation for tax authority submissions.
• Support the operation and enhancement of tax controls, governance and compliance processes.
• Assist with wider tax compliance and reporting activities as required.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate is likely to have:

• Experience preparing and reviewing VAT returns.
• A good understanding of UK VAT legislation and compliance requirements.
• Experience performing reconciliations and investigating variances.
• Experience gained within a tax or finance function.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Good Excel and financial systems experience.
• A proactive approach to process improvement.

Candidates may be ATT, ACA, ACCA or AAT qualified, studying towards a professional qualification, or qualified through relevant experience.

Exposure to international VAT, broader tax matters, retail, consumer goods or multinational businesses would be advantageous but is not essential.

The Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity to join a respected international retailer with a strong team culture and supportive leadership. The role offers exposure to a wide range of indirect tax matters across multiple jurisdictions, whilst also providing opportunities to gain experience in broader tax and compliance activities over time.