VAT Manager​/Senior Manager

We are looking to hire a VAT Manager/Senior Manager into our growing Indirect Tax team. This is a new opportunity for a commercially minded VAT specialist to take on a key advisory role, working with a diverse portfolio of clients across a wide range of sectors.

This role will support our VAT Partner and Director in the provision of complex technical advice and dispute resolution work.

We are flexible on location within the Central Belt (Glasgow or Edinburgh).

• Leading the delivery of complex, high-quality VAT advisory projects, including land and property, international transactions, partial exemption, financial services and diligence work
• Working closely with other departments (e.g. Corporate Tax, Audit) on multidisciplinary matters
• Managing and resolve VAT disputes whilst supporting clients through alternative dispute resolution or litigation to provide guidance and advice to resolve complex issues, including potentially becoming involved in litigation work.
• Developing and maintaining strong and trusted relationships with clients to a high level, providing proactive and commercially focused solutions
• Confidently attracting and supporting business development activities including (but not limited to) networking to grow the firm’s VAT client portfolio, including networking events

• Qualified CTA and/or ACA/ACCA or equivalent experience is desirable but not essential
• Proven experience in a VAT advisory role within a practice environment
• Strong understanding of UK VAT legislation and case law
• Experience handling VAT disputes, including correspondence with HMRC and tribunal representation.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to positively impact and influence others
• Previous experience or involvement in a business development environment
• Relevant experience in a practice environment or a similar role is essential
• Ability to work alone as well as in a team and be a self starter
• A leader of your work and your professional learning

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK permanently and without any restrictions. We are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.

With 11 offices across Scotland and beyond, we’re one of the country’s leading firms of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisers. Working at Johnston Carmichael means working in a team of over 1000 sharp minds - each of which is valued and heard. We support our people to ensure they can grow their own way through proactive learning and development.

At Johnston Carmichael we want what’s best for our clients, our people, and our communities. You’ll be joining a team that’s engaged with its local communities and committed to supporting them. Over the last decade, we’ve raised over £450,000 for charitable causes across Scotland and we’re also Gold Sponsors of the Kiltwalk. You can read more about our culture and the values that define us here.

We have a People and Culture Forum that generates ideas for positive change and has several subgroups including LGBTQIA+ and Gender Equality which seek to educate and encourage everyone in our firm to be themselves in order to do their best work.

If you value enabling leadership, quality, integrity, and a workplace that prioritises giving back as much as you put in, then Johnston Carmichael is the firm for you.

Our vision remains a constant - to be the firm of choice in all our markets. How we get there is what changes year on year.

The role of a tax adviser is transforming, and we need to keep up with this fast pace of change; both technology and legislation are ever evolving, and us with them.

VAT is one of the most dynamic and complex areas of tax, offering exposure to a wide variety of industries and client issues. Working in VAT provides a unique opportunity to combine technical precision with commercial insight and legal research, making a real impact on clients' business decisions. With constant legislative change and evolving case law, it’s an intellectually stimulating field that keeps you learning and developing throughout your career.

Whether advising on international structuring,…