Manage UK VAT advisory, compliance, and due diligence engagements for diverse clients. Advise on complex VAT matters including cross-border transactions, supply chains, property, partial exemption, and sector-specific issues. Lead HMRC compliance activities, manage client relationships, support business development, and mentor junior staff. The role requires strong technical VAT expertise, commercial judgment, engagement leadership, and professional qualifications.
UK VAT – Manager
Belfast
About the Role
Grant Thornton is part of a fast-growing and rapidly evolving international platform, bringing together specialist teams across the UK, Ireland, the US and an expanding global network of member firms. This creates opportunities for our people to work on complex, cross-border assignments, collaborate with leading specialists across the network and build expertise across the full spectrum of UK and international tax services. From Belfast, our team supports a diverse client base that includes owner-managed businesses, large corporates and multinational groups, giving our people exposure to some of the most interesting and complex tax challenges in the market while benefiting from the scale, resources and opportunities of a growing international platform. The Grant Thornton Advisors (NI) Tax Team is a team of over 100 specialists with deep industry, sector and technical knowledge.
We are looking to hire a Manager to join our growing Indirect Tax team, with a particular focus on UK VAT. Based primarily in Belfast this is an excellent opportunity to work on a broad range of UK VAT advisory and compliance engagements for a diverse client portfolio.
The successful candidate will manage complex UK VAT advisory projects, HMRC compliance and VAT due diligence assignments, while supporting Directors and Partners in delivering exceptional client service. This role is ideal for a technically strong VAT professional who enjoys solving complex client issues, building trusted relationships and mentoring junior team members.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of UK VAT advisory, compliance and due diligence engagements, delivering practical, commercial solutions to clients across a range of sectors.
- Advise clients on complex UK VAT matters, including cross-border transactions, supply chains, place of supply, land and property, partial exemption and sector-specific VAT issues.
- Lead HMRC compliance activities, including VAT returns, Making Tax Digital (MTD) requirements and correspondence relating to enquiries, rulings and assessments.
- Build strong client relationships, support business development initiatives, and work closely with Directors and Partners to deliver high-quality advisory services.
- Coach, mentor and review the work of junior team members, contributing to the continued growth and success of the Belfast Indirect Tax team.
Skills & Experience
- CTA, ATT, ACA, ACCA or equivalent qualified, with 5–8 years' UK VAT experience gained in practice or a combination of practice and industry.
- Strong technical expertise in UK VAT, with significant experience delivering advisory projects alongside HMRC compliance and VAT due diligence assignments.
- Proven ability to manage client relationships, communicate complex technical matters clearly, and deliver commercially focused solutions.
- Experience leading multiple engagements, managing competing priorities, and mentoring junior team members within a professional services environment.
- A proactive, collaborative and commercially minded approach, with strong communication skills and the right to work in the UK or Ireland.
Location
The preferred location for this role is Belfast, although we are also open to candidates based elsewhere in the UK who are looking to relocate to Northern Ireland, or exceptional candidates who wish to be based in Dublin.
#LI-GK1
About UsWe are Grant Thornton Grant Thornton Ireland is rapidly approaching 3,000 people, in 9 offices across Ireland, Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Bermuda. With a presence in over 149 countries around the world and a global network of 73,000 people, we bring our clients the local knowledge, national expertise and global presence to help them succeed – wherever they’re located.
At GT, we work as trusted advisors, bringing local knowledge and national expertise, with a global presence, to help businesses succeed – wherever they are located. We make business more personal by investing in building relationships and empowering our clients to make the right decisions for their organisation now and for the future. Whether that is working with the public sector to build thriving communities, with regulators and financial institutions to build trust, or with a diverse range of businesses to help them achieve their goals, Grant Thornton Ireland work hard to support clients to act on the issues that matter.
At GT Ireland we don’t just predict your future, we build it.
A Career at GT
Looking for a more fulfilling role in professional services? One where fresh thinking, collaboration and diversity are valued? At Grant Thornton we do things differently.
What does this mean for you?
A career in a more inclusive working environment, a more collaborative work culture, a more supported, flexible working role, more possibilities to grow and more opportunities to help shape the future for your clients. We respect and value your experience. And we want you to bring your authentic self to work and be at your best. It is how it should be.
At Grant Thornton, we care about our people and work hard to make you feel valued. If you are looking to deepen and develop your skills, knowledge, and experience throughout your career, then that is what you will get, and more.
Our Benefits
Please follow this link for information on our generous benefits package.
About the TeamEquity, diversity and inclusionAt Grant Thornton, we provide equitable opportunities for all our colleagues. We are a responsible, sustainable business where equity, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) is at the forefront of our workplace culture agenda, and today, we continue to build and develop on our existing ED&I structure and strategy to meet our workplace culture needs. People are at the heart of our business and teams built with varied individuals present diverse viewpoints, which need to be heard and valued.
We are all at our best when we are able to be ourselves and we view integrity and authenticity as integral values to bring to our day-to-day work-life at the firm. We are excited to see the personality and perspectives you will bring to our team because we know we will all benefit from them. Diversity of thought, background and experience enables better decision-making, improves the quality of our delivery, and helps us to meet the needs of our clients. Our firm is built on people and their ideas, so we want to hear all the new perspectives and fresh thinking you have to offer. You form the bedrock of our firm’s best-practice principles and we will champion you as leaders from day one.
Reward and benefits
Our reward and benefits are designed to create an environment where our people can flourish. We are committed to building a culture where our people have access to the necessary benefits to help promote a healthy lifestyle and thrive.
Recognition
We want to create a culture of recognition and celebrating success, by saying thank you to people who surpass our expectations and recognising the right values and behaviours. Our Shout Out recognition scheme is our way of highlighting and promoting achievements. Whether you simply want to say thank you, celebrate a special occasion or give an award for doing something exceptional, you can do all of this and more through the scheme.
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