Head of Payroll & VAT — UK Payroll, VAT & Self Assessment

ABOUT THE ROLEAcumen Accountants and Tax Advisers Limited runs payroll, pensions, VAT and personal tax for UK-based clients — limited companies, sole traders, partnerships, landlords and contractors. We are looking for a Head of Payroll & VAT to own the payroll and VAT functions end to end and to carry a portfolio of UK Self Assessment returns.You will run every client payroll to schedule, make sure each RTI submission and VAT return reaches HMRC on time and correctly, keep pension auto-enrolment compliant, apply the right VAT scheme for each client, and prepare personal tax returns ready for review. As the department grows, you will build its processes, checklists and calendar, and train the staff who join it.COMMITMENT: Minimum 1-year commitment required; long-term engagement of 3–5 years offered to the right candidateREPORTS TO: Senior Accountant / Practice DirectorWORKING HOURS: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm UK time — 4:00 pm – 12:00 midnight Bangladesh time (3:00 pm – 11:00 pm during UK summer time, BST)KEY RESPONSIBILITIESPayroll & VAT Department Leadership

• Own the payroll and VAT calendar for every client — weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly and monthly pay runs, and monthly, quarterly and annual VAT returns — with zero late-filing or late-payment penalties
• Build and maintain procedures, checklists, client set-up records and a reviewable audit trail for each pay run and VAT return
• Allocate, supervise and review the work of payroll and VAT assistants as the team grows, and act as the first escalation point for queries
• Report payroll and VAT status, exceptions and deadline risks to the Practice Director each month

UK Payroll Processing — PAYE/RTI

• Process payroll and submit Full Payment Submissions (FPS) and Employer Payment Summaries (EPS) to HMRC on or before payday
• Apply tax codes, NIC categories, student and postgraduate loan deductions, salary sacrifice and benefits correctly
• Calculate statutory payments — SSP, SMP, SPP, ShPP and statutory adoption pay — and reclaim via EPS where applicable
• Handle starters and leavers, issue P45s, year-end P60s and prepare P11D / P11D(b) returns and Class 1A NIC
• Prepare payslips, payroll journals and employer liability summaries (PAYE, NIC, pension) for client payment
• Register new PAYE schemes, set up directors' payrolls and apply the Employment Allowance where eligible

Pensions, CIS and Payroll Compliance

• Run auto-enrolment assessments, contributions, re-enrolment and declarations of compliance with The Pensions Regulator
• Upload contribution files to NEST, The People's Pension, Smart Pension and other providers
• Process monthly CIS returns, verify subcontractors and issue payment and deduction statements
• Reconcile payroll to the ledger and HMRC liabilities, and resolve late-filing or underpayment notices

VAT Returns and Making Tax Digital

• Prepare, review and submit VAT returns under Making Tax Digital (MTD) — monthly, quarterly and annual — using MTD-compatible software and bridging tools with compliant digital links
• Review bookkeeping records and correct VAT coding before submission
• Reconcile the VAT control account to returns, the ledger and HMRC statements every period

VAT Schemes and Technical Treatment

• Apply the correct scheme: standard, cash accounting, flat rate, annual accounting and margin schemes (including second-hand goods and TOMS)
• Handle reverse charge — including the CIS domestic reverse charge for construction and reverse charge on imported services
• Apply partial exemption calculations and annual adjustments, and the Capital Goods Scheme where relevant
• Account for postponed import VAT, post-Brexit import/export treatment and Northern Ireland goods rules
• Treat property and land transactions correctly, including the option to tax

VAT Registrations and Advisory

• Manage VAT registrations, deregistrations, scheme changes and group registrations
• Monitor clients approaching the VAT registration threshold and advise on timing
• Advise clients on the VAT treatment of transactions, invoices and new business lines
• Identify errors, quantify them and prepare error corrections and voluntary disclosures (VAT652)

Personal Tax — Self Assessment

• Prepare SA100 Self Assessment returns with supplementary pages: SA102 (employment), SA103 (self-employment), SA105 (UK property) and SA108 (capital gains)
• Register clients for Self Assessment and obtain UTRs; set up agent authorisations
• Compute employment income from P60/P11D data, rental profits, dividend and savings income, payments on account and student loan repayments
• Collect client records, chase missing information and manage the 31 January filing season workload to deadline

Client and HMRC Work

• Act as the day-to-day contact for payroll, VAT and personal tax queries from UK clients and their employees — email, call and video
• Respond to HMRC payroll, VAT and Self Assessment correspondence, enquiries, compliance checks and penalty or surcharge notices
• Prepare clear working papers ready for senior review, and support the wider team on payroll and VAT queries arising from accounts work
• Keep client payroll, VAT and personal tax files accurate, secure and confidential, in line with UK GDPR

• Minimum 2 years' hands-on experience in UK payroll and VAT, ideally in a UK practice or a Bangladesh-based firm servicing UK clients
• Working knowledge of PAYE, RTI (FPS/EPS), National Insurance, statutory payments and auto-enrolment, with practical exposure to UK Self Assessment (SA100) returns
• Demonstrable experience of VAT returns under MTD and the main VAT schemes, with working knowledge of reverse charge, partial exemption and import/export VAT
• Strong Microsoft Excel — pivot tables, lookups, reconciliations and payroll data handling
• Good written and spoken English — you will correspond directly with UK clients and with HMRC
• The discipline to stay current with HMRC guidance, VAT notices and Budget changes, and the ability to guide junior team members

SOFTWARE EXPERIENCE

• Advantageous: Moneysoft Payroll · BrightPay · Sage / Sage Payroll · IRIS / IRIS Payroll · Xero / Xero Payroll · QuickBooks Online / QuickBooks Payroll · FreeAgent · VT Transaction+ · Dext/Receipt Bank · NEST · The People's Pension · TaxCalc · Taxfiler · CCH · MTD bridging software

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

• Precise, deadline-driven and first-time-right — every pay run and every VAT return on time, every time
• Organised, with the ability to build simple, repeatable processes and manage a portfolio under pressure
• Professional, discreet and confidentiality-conscious in handling employee pay and client data
• Committed to a long-term career with the firm — offered on the basis of a minimum one-year commitment, with a 3–5 year growth path

• Part-qualified or finalist ACCA / CIMA / CA (ICAB) preferred, or a relevant degree in accounting or finance; CIPP payroll training is an advantage

• At least 2 years
• The applicants should have experience in the following business area(s): Audit Firms /Tax Consultant, Law Firm

• The chance to lead and build a UK payroll and VAT department from Bangladesh, with direct, sustained exposure to UK payroll, VAT and personal tax practice
• Structured technical development and support toward a professional qualification
• A clear progression path to Senior Accountant responsibility
• Stable, long-term employment with a growing UK-facing practice