VAT Accountant

We're on the lookout for an experienced, enthusiastic, and highly motivated VAT Accountant to become part of our Treasury, Tax and Insurance (TTI) team within the Finance Directorate. Based at our Bridge office in Stepps, the TTI team may be small—but our impact is big.

Your main purpose will be to ensure full VAT and indirect tax compliance across the Scottish Water Group. You’ll work closely with both internal and external stakeholders, building strong collaborative relationships that support VAT compliance and reduce tax risk. You’ll also act as our in-house Subject Matter Expert, offering guidance and support across the organisation when it comes to VAT matters. Reporting to the Tax & Treasury Accountant, your role is central to keeping us on track and up to date.

Responsibilities will include:

• Ensuring VAT compliance throughout the Scottish Water Group.
• Carrying out compliance audits and delivering training where required.
• Developing and maintaining procedures and guidance to support ongoing compliance.
• Continuously improving VAT processes across the business, ensuring they follow best practice.
• Supporting compliance with other indirect taxes by establishing effective processes and procedures.
• Liaising with HMRC during audits and ad hoc enquiries.
• Providing VAT advice across the business and identifying risks.
• Implementing any necessary remedial actions.
• Supporting new system development and business initiatives that carry VAT implications.
• Staying up to date with legislative changes and reviewing key developments in VAT law.
• Reviewing our monthly VAT return and managing the submission using Making Tax Digital.
• Inputting into the Group’s Tax Strategy while representing Scottish Water through engagement with other industry counterparts in the Water UK Indirect Tax Group.

To succeed in this role, you’ll bring strong VAT knowledge and demonstrable experience—ideally within a large corporate setting. You’ll hold a relevant tax or accounting qualification such as ATT or ACCA, or be suitably qualified by experience. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are a must, along with the ability to break down complex issues for non-technical colleagues. You’ll be confident when engaging with stakeholders at all levels, and be equipped with excellent IT skills, particularly in Excel and accounting software. Your strong analytical skills and ability to manage priorities will help ensure all deadlines are met without compromise.

It would be desirable for you to bring an understanding of AlphaVAT software or other Making Tax Digital systems, as well as some working knowledge of other indirect taxes.

This is a full time (35 hours per week) role, Monday to Friday. You will receive 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays), with the option to buy five more if needed. Paid time off to volunteer in your community is also available.

We have family-friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave, and we embrace flexible working.

For your future, there’s our pension, as well as life assurance. You can expect an annual company bonus and access to SW Splash – handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.

This role will be a Grade 7. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a starting salary of £41,000, with performance-driven pay progression allowing you to move through the range to a maximum of £51,970.

If you’re interested in this role, we’ll be accepting applications until midnight on Sunday 6th July. Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional upon passing our Pre-Employment Screening.

Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If you’re interested in this job, but don’t tick all the boxes, apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve.

As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you’ll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.