Expert VAT Services is a niche specialist consultancy practice providing technical advice and assistance to accountants, businesses, charities and individuals regarding VAT issues/queries and the VAT treatment of particularly complex transactions. 

Wholly operated by VAT Specialist Iain Johnston MSc FCCA - who has over twenty years of experience of working with VAT and is pictured above delivering a VAT presentation to charity finance staff - we serve clients across all parts of the UK and, fully appreciative of the difficulties and complexities that VAT can cause for non-specialists, businesses and charities, our ethos is that there is no job, question or VAT query too small for us to help with.

Iain founded the practice in 2020 after seventeen years working within accountancy firms where he developed detailed technical VAT knowledge and experience covering practically all technical areas of VAT including land, property and Option to Tax; housing and construction; charities and grants; international supplies; liabilities of specific types of goods and service; place of supply; TOGC; HMRC disputes; and other complex areas. 

Iain's first professional involvement with VAT was in 2003 and, while training to be a Chartered Certified Accountant, he subsequently progressed into more complex VAT work, resolving the queries/issues encountered by the clients of a mid-tier, eight-partner / 50+ staff member accountancy firm. His professional experience includes over nine years as that firm's sole technical VAT Specialist, responsible for resolving complex VAT issues for clients across a wide variety of sectors. 

Iain identified a real need to assist accountants, businesses, charities and other organisations with particularly difficult VAT ad-hoc issues and explaining the matter in clear, detailed and understandable language. The UK VAT legislation is notoriously complex (with frequent changes/new interpretations, including through Tribunal caselaw) and a misinterpretation, misunderstanding, missing a small factor, or getting the VAT treatment "wrong" can simply be catastrophic.

Iain has an extensive, detailed working knowledge of the intricacies of the VAT legislation, and a knowledge/library of caselaw including from the First Tier and Upper Tribunals, and regularly utilises this on behalf of clients, including in disputes with HMRC. He has significant experience in negotiating with HMRC in respect of VAT enquiries/assessments and has a number of notable successful cases where HMRC assessments have been reduced by very substantial amounts. 

Iain is particularly experienced in respect of the complexities of VAT on property transactions, including in relation to the VAT 'Option to Tax' and related issues. He is accustomed to navigating VAT pitfalls in relation to land and property transactions, on occasions identifying and resolving issues that would have cost clients hundreds of thousands of pounds in irrecoverable VAT if not rectified in time. If there is ever any doubt on the VAT treatment of a property transaction, a review by a suitably qualified VAT Specialist may be prudent.

Iain has also prepared and presented VAT training sessions and VAT public speaking engagements to accountants, finance staff, charity delegates and non-specialists over a number of years and can offer VAT training. He is a qualified ACCA Chartered Certified Accountant and also holds an MSc Masters Degree in Professional Accountancy from the University of London, in which he chose a key underlying project to be in relation to the simplification of the UK VAT system.

Whether you have a one-off enquiry regarding a single transaction or property; a larger scale project/review; a dispute with HMRC; or anything else in the world of VAT, please do not hesitate to get in touch and we would be delighted to determine if we can be of assistance. For the vast majority of queries, we can usually agree upon a fixed fee with you in advance of resolving the issue (based upon a competitive hourly rate), and we would be pleased to provide a no obligation quote. Iain works with clients from assignment commencement to conclusion, and you will deal with him directly - an advantage over some larger firms which may delegate matters to inexperienced junior staff - and is genuinely passionate about helping clients resolve their VAT issues and providing clarity in this difficult area. 

While highly experienced in face-to-face meetings and site visits, the Covid-19 pandemic has introduced a new way of working, and in the majority of cases issues can be resolved via telephone, e-mail, or video call, with no requirement for a physical meeting, and there is genuinely no query considered too small. Iain regularly advises many clients throughout England, Scotland and Wales remotely and can serve clients across all parts of the UK. For all queries, we aim to provide clear and sufficiently detailed written/e-mailed advice for your retention, reliance and assurance.