Indirect Tax Analyst

Our Finance team provides the vital insight and governance that allows our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose, to thrive. As an Indirect Tax Analyst, you will take ownership of the integrity and accuracy of our VAT reporting, ensuring we meet our legal obligations while supporting the wider tax team.
This is a proactive role that goes beyond simple reporting. You will act as a trusted advisor to the business, providing relevant tax guidance on new initiatives and ensuring that VAT implications are understood from the outset. We are looking for a collaborative Partner who possesses a solid understanding of VAT accounting and a natural drive for continuous improvement. If you enjoy consolidating processes, enhancing controls, and working within a supportive, purpose-led environment, this is an excellent opportunity to develop your tax career.

In addition to your contractual pay, any time worked between 22:00 - 06:00 will attract Night Premium at a rate of £4.75 per hour. This will also apply to existing Partners who have enrolled onto Enhanced Hours Premium arrangements.

Salary: Up to £48,000

Contract type: Permanent

Working pattern:  We support a blended working approach. This role offers the flexibility to work from home or the office, with a requirement for regular collaborative attendance at our head office locations in Pimlico (London) or Bracknell. 

Location: Pimlico or Bracknell (Hybrid) 

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Compliance: Preparing quarterly VAT returns, ensuring all information is accurate, consolidated, and submitted on time.

• Financial Integrity: Managing month-end VAT accounting reconciliations and advising our Operational Finance teams on required journals.

• Risk Management: Operating key controls in relation to VAT as required by the Tax Internal Control Framework (ICF) and maintaining up-to-date documentation.

• Strategic Advisory: Providing stakeholders with timely, value-added insight regarding new business initiatives, ensuring VAT requirements are known and understood.

• Continuous Improvement: Proactively seeking incremental improvements to our processes, systems, and policies based on feedback and industry best practice.

• Collaborative Teamwork: Working across the function to coordinate work, meet deadlines, and drive a culture of shared purpose and high service levels.

• Relationship Management: Influencing and managing relationships with internal teams and external stakeholders to enable the successful delivery of tax projects.

Essential Skills/Experience You’ll Need

• Tax Accounting Background: A proven track record in VAT return and accounting roles, including significant experience with tax accounting processes.

• Data Proficiency: You are a confident user of Excel and Google Sheets, capable of handling large datasets with accuracy.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Confident in working effectively with business partners and translating tax requirements for non-specialist audiences.

• Proactive Mindset: Evidence of seeking improvements in the quality and efficiency of reporting and systems.

• Self-Motivation: The ability to work on your own initiative while remaining a strong, supportive team player.

Desirable Skills/Experience You May Have

• Specialist Reporting: Experience with the preparation or submission of Plastic Packaging Tax and GST (Channel Islands) returns.

• Professional Development: A tax or accounting qualification or evidence of recent, high-level technical VAT training.

• Industry Knowledge: A current understanding of the key VAT legislation affecting the retail industry.

   

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We’re the largest employee owned business in the UK and home of our cherished brands, John Lewis and Waitrose. We’re not just employees, we’re Partners, driven by our purpose to build a happier world. As we look to our future, there’s never been a more exciting time to join us.  

We’re ruthlessly focused on being brilliant at retail. We continue to innovate, adapt and diversify. Never Knowingly Undersold on price, quality and service in John Lewis and passionately serving food-lovers in Waitrose.   

As Partners we all share the responsibility of ownership and in its rewards. We use our voices to contribute to our success, working together through the good and challenging times, holding true to our behaviours and treating everyone with kindness and respect. 

We all own making the Partnership somewhere we belong. Embracing our differences and creating an environment where we’re free to be ourselves and can THRIVE. Growing ourselves individually, and as a collective. 

As Partners, we make all the difference. And, we all own it.  

Important points to note:  

It’s important to note that some of our roles are subject to pre-employment vetting (which may include DBS checks for successful candidates). If required, you’ll be informed and provided with information about vetting during the recruitment process and we encourage you to complete any vetting documents quickly to avoid delays. Any DBS checks required will be carried out by a third-party registered body and financial probity checks may also be required for some of our roles.  

We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, and therefore, we recommend you apply early. If you require a reasonable adjustment due to a disability which means you may need longer to complete your application please contact us as soon as possible.

We want all of our Partners to have a good work-life balance and we support flexible working. This might mean flexible or compressed hours, job sharing or shorter hour contracts, where possible. Please discuss this further with the hiring manager during your interview.