VAT Consultant

Location:

Reading 2-3 days/week from office

fixed term contract

12 months (likely 6 month extension)

£ 47-60/h (inside of IR45)

(The final rate can vary depending on level of experience and the form of the contract)

is an American, the world's second-largest telecommunications company by revenue and its mobile network is the largest wireless carrier in the United States.

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

• 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.

• 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.