VAT Manager

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Overall Purpose

The VAT Manager role has been newly created to further strengthen the Finance function at Get Living, as the business enters an exciting period of growth in the Build to Rent sector. Reporting to the Head of Tax, and working alongside the Senior Finance Manager, the VAT Manager will have responsibility for all VAT compliance and advisory matters for the Group, including fully managing the end to end-to-end return process, driving systems and process improvements, and assessing opportunities for VAT optimisation. This role will be key in ensuring robust and accurate compliance continues to be embedded across our systems and processes. The role will support the Tax Team on areas of Tax Strategy, Risk and Governance, including Senior Accounting Officer compliance, managing VAT risks and opportunities, dealing with HMRC queries and audits, and supporting other projects such as transactions and refinancings. The VAT Manager will partner with all business functions to increase knowledge of VAT and indirect taxes.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Manage VAT compliance process for approx. 30 VAT registrations, including 2 VAT groups (monthly and quarterly MTD submissions). This will entail engaging with third party advisers, and assessing opportunities to in-source VAT return preparation and transfer knowledge in-house.
• Manage VAT journals, ledger balances and reconciliations, and support annual audit process.
• Dealing with VAT complexities in land and property, including partial exemption and annual adjustment calculations, construction and development transactions, agency relationships, domestic reverse charge.
• Drive VAT improvements and efficiencies across the end-to-end VAT process, including review of ERP VAT functionality, Accounts Receivables and Payables, VAT and estate management accounting processes, and creating comprehensive process documentation.
• Provide VAT technical expertise on projects and corporate transactions to ensure VAT recovery is optimised. This will include working across complex corporate and leasing structures, development construction programmes, understanding intended property use (including residential (including co-living, affordable housing, amenity etc), commercial, charitable and community), reviewing holding company structures, input into budgeting processes.

Qualifications & Experience

• CTA or equivalent qualification.
• VAT experience in the Real Estate sector either from practice or industry.
• Excellent VAT technical knowledge acquired through experience and training.
• Good working knowledge of using legislation, HMRC guidance and other external references.
• Experience of working directly with advisers and HMRC.
• Sound accounting knowledge and experience of using ERP systems (Yardi or other).
• Excellent Excel skills and managing VAT ledgers.
• Experience of Tax Risk and Governance, including reviews of processes and controls.
• Experience of other taxes is helpful.
• Support Tax Team with Tax Risk and Governance workstreams, including annual SAO and HMRC Business Risk Reviews, and dealing with HMRC enquiries.
• Keep abreast of relevant changes to VAT legislation and provide regular training to Finance and business teams to embed sound VAT knowledge across the business.
• VAT administration - Manage registrations, de-registrations, VAT options, payments, VAT cashflow, Capital Goods Scheme assets, external adviser budgets, HMRC accounts.
• Scope to manage other indirect taxes (e.g. ATED, CIS, SDLT).

Key Skills & Competencies

• Driven to manage and deliver on their own projects and objectives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong partnering skills to work with colleagues at all levels and explain technical matters.
• Excellent organisation and analytical skills.
• Good commercial awareness.
• Able to apply sound and pragmatic judgement to issues.