VAT Advisory & Business Development Manager/Senior Manager

Overview of Firm

PKF Littlejohn is one of the leading challenger firms in the UK with offices in London, Leeds and Manchester. We are also an active member of PKF Global, an international network of legally independent accounting firms that gives us an on the ground presence in 150 countries around the world with access to more than 20,000 people across 440 offices globally.

We provide a full range of audit, accountancy, tax and advisory services, and are experts at simplifying complexity. We are particularly well-known for working with complex clients with challenging issues in fast-moving and highly technical areas, such as the insurance industry, the global capital markets and the not for profit sector. Our aim is to understand people, the organisations they run, and what matters to them, so we can simplify complexity and help them achieve their ambitions.

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Introduction to the Division

Tax

The division provides VAT, Corporate Tax, Transfer Pricing, Personal Tax, Global Mobility and Employment Tax compliance and advisory services to a wide range of clients and prides itself on the quality of service, high degree of professionalism and personal approach that is offered to each and every client.

The division has a growing number of Corporate Clients, with the team regularly involved in a number of transactional pieces of advisory work, across a variety of sectors and covering a variety of taxation issues. These can impact both the company and individuals, for example, demergers, restructuring, acquisitions and disposals.

Click here to learn more about our Tax team

Responsibilities

The role requires an ambitious, confident individual, with excellent knowledge of VAT to join the growing VAT team.

Your primary focus will be cultivating strategic relationships with businesses facing complex VAT challenges and opportunities, responsible for assisting Directors and Partners in winning clients, delivering VAT services and also managing some of the people within the Team.

Business Development Responsibilities

Working closely with the VAT Partner, other Partners, the Head of BD and the wider firm you will help manage PKF’s growth strategy for VAT advisory services (and other indirect taxes e.g. IPT, where suitable) across various ‘VAT-sensitive’ sectors, focusing primarily on the financial services sector. You will:

• Identify and agree opportunities, relationships and targets in conjunction with the VAT Partner and PKF’s Business Development team.
• Use existing strategies and develop / implement new strategies to target and win new clients
• Progress opportunities proactively and report back regularly on progress.
• Ensure full alignment into wider firm BD initiatives in Financial Services sector, and other sectors as appropriate.

Collaborate with PKF’s Marketing team to ensure that marketing initiatives, events and thought leadership support and deliver VAT business development objectives.

Work with PKF’s Proposals team to ensure that tender documents and pitch presentations reflect client needs and articulate our value proposition.

Client Responsibilities

The PKF VAT team deals with a broad range of consultancy work for a wide variety of clients. Client responsibilities include:

• Building and maintaining relationships with existing VAT clients by providing high level of client service and engendering trust with clients.
• Converting ‘quick questions’ re VAT into high value / profitable advisory projects.
• Managing WIP and billing for own clients, ensuring that fee proposals are commercial and WIP recoveries are strong.
• Advising on a wide range of VAT issues such as expanding into different jurisdictions, VAT treatment of new income streams, handling / resolving HMRC disputes.
  
  

Special work/ad hoc assignments

This May Include

• Due diligence

Specialist VAT input into audit work

Review of complex VAT returns (e.g. for partly exempt clients, non-resident landlords of UK property etc)

People Management

PKF believes strongly in encouraging the personal development of each member of staff and the Firm supports and provides internal and external training courses as well as professional updates on technical and non-technical subjects. In addition to managing their own development, individuals are expected to encourage and take an active role in the training and development of less experienced staff, including managing one or more direct reports and conducting their appraisals.

Person Specification

Skills, Experience And Qualifications

You will have extensive experience of winning new projects / clients for VAT services (e.g. VAT refund claims) in a professional services environment, and a proven track record of managing and delivering successful VAT business development initiatives, in conjunction with the wider VAT team. You will be a highly motivated self-starter with excellent relationship-building skills with a high level of commercial and personal awareness.

• Proven skills in VAT advisory work gained in practice.

A thorough understanding of key VAT principles

Able to explain complex issues in a way that non-VAT experts will understand.

Up-to-date VAT technical skills and experience, across a broad range of large corporate and owner-managed business issues

Able to manage a client portfolio profitably.

Able to deal with VAT advisory matters and report writing (including due diligence)

Attention to detail when reviewing information / documents (e.g. contracts) and VAT law, case-law precedent, HMRC / EC VAT guidance etc

Able to draft written advice that is clear, precise, well-written and addresses all of the points that need to be covered

Strong Word skills - Excel and PowerPoint would be great too.

Qualifications

Not essential, but helpful:

• ACA/CA/CTA or equivalent